Conferees appointed for DRIVE Act

The US Senate and House of Representatives have appointed conferees from each chamber that will conference on the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act. They will be responsible for reconciling funding and policy differences, in order to merge the House and Senate bills into one that both chambers can pass.

“Appointing conferees for the bill brings us that much closer to final action on this critical legislation,” said Pam Whitted, NSSGA senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs. “NSSGA looks forward to working with these members of Congress to achieve our industry’s primary goals for reauthorization—increased investment in our country’s infrastructure and the certainty of a six-year bill.”

Republican senators named to the committee include Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, Utah, Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, Okla., Energy Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, S.D., EPW Committee member John Barrasso, Wyo., Commerce Committee member Deb Fischer, Neb., and Finance Committee and leadership member John Cornyn, Texas.

Democrat senators include EPW Committee ranking member Barbara Boxer, Calif., Banking Committee ranking member Sherrod Brown, Ohio, Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, Fla., Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, Ore, Finance and Banking Committees member Charles Schumer, N.Y., and Appropriations Committee and leadership member Dick Durbin, Ill.

Shortly after passing its version of the DRIVE Act, the House also named conferees from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, with further conferees to be named from other committees once the House bill is fully enrolled.

Republican conferees include Bill Shuster, Pa., John Duncan, Tenn., Sam Graves, Mo., Candice Miller, Mich., Rick Crawford, Ark., Lou Barletta, Pa., Blake Farenthold, Texas, Bob Gibbs, Ohio, Jeff Denham, Calif., Reid Ribble, Wis., Scott Perry, Pa., Rob Woodall, Ga., John Katko, N.Y., Bruce Babin, Texas, Cresent Hardy, Nev., Garret Graves, La.

Democratic House conferees are Peter DeFazio, Ore., Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C., Jerrold Nadler, N.Y., Corrine Brown, Fla., Eddie Bernice Johnson, Texas, Elijah Cummings, Md., Rick Larsen, Wash., Michael Capuano, Mass., Grace Napolitano, Calif., Daniel Lipinski, Ill., Steve Cohen, Tenn., Albio Sires, N.J.

Adapted from press release by Rebecca Bowden

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/16112015/conferees-appointed-for-drive-act-996/