On Wednesday, as the expiration of key provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) approaches in 2026, leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing to evaluate the law’s impact and address ongoing challenges in its implementation.
The discussion, , led by committee chair Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), ranking committee member, highlighted both successes and obstacles in delivering infrastructure improvements across the country.
Capito emphasized the importance of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, a core component of the IIJA.
"This hearing comes at a critical time... We want to continue what is working, but discontinue what isn't working," said Capito. “Since the law’s enactment on Nov. 15, 2021, transportation stakeholders have been delivering on its promise but, at times, experiencing some challenges,”
She underscored the benefits of the federal highway formula programs, which received nearly 90% of IIJA’s transportation funding. This funding has provided states with “certainty and flexibility,” she said, noting that West Virginia has used these funds to modernize roads and bridges.
However, Capito also pointed to inefficiencies, particularly in the discretionary grant programs. She noted that delays in awarding and processing grants have slowed project progress.
“This slow-down has contributed to a ballooning amount of unused obligation authority that must be sent back to the states,” she said, citing $8.7 billion returned in 2024.
A major issue is the extended timeline for grant approvals. Many projects are delayed by slow negotiations over grant agreements, which has led to a backlog of initiatives awaiting federal support. This inefficiency has disproportionately affected rural and urban communities that rely on federal funding for essential infrastructure repairs and upgrades, according to Capito.
Whitehouse focused on what he termed "executive overreach" by the current administration, which he claimed has actively impeded progress.
“Federal agencies have canceled state approvals and frozen funding,” he said, pointing to delays in electric vehicle infrastructure and bridge repairs in Rhode Island. He emphasized that projects such as the Washington Bridge and critical repairs along the Interstate 95 corridor are stalled due to withheld federal funding.
Both senators agreed that without addressing these issues, the full benefits of the IIJA may not be realized before its expiration.
They stressed the need for bipartisan efforts to streamline funding processes and reduce bureaucratic red tape.
“We have a lot of good, serious, bipartisan work to do to write the next surface transportation reauthorization,” Whitehouse said. “But it will be meaningless unless we ensure that current funding reaches the projects it was meant for. I am ready to roll up my sleeves, get to it, and pass the next authorization—together.”
Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
