UFI urges Congressional leaders to pass robust infrastructure funding, streamline permitting and ensure Highway Trust Fund solvency
As part of our ongoing advocacy for sustained and robust infrastructure funding, United for Infrastructure (UFI) is urging Congress to prioritize long-term investment in infrastructure that connects communities, drives economic growth, and improves quality of life.
In a letter to Congressional leaders of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and their staffs, UFI and its Steering Committee leaders outlined the following priorities:
Maintain Robust, Sustained Federal Funding
Ensure Highway Trust Fund Solvency Through Modern User-Fee Models
Streamline Permitting and Approval Processes
Prioritize Investments in Resilience, Innovation, and Workforce
The next surface transportation reauthorization legislation is a critical opportunity to sustain the momentum of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), address persistent challenges in funding and project delivery, and ensure that America’s infrastructure, across all modes and sectors, meets the needs of current and future generations.
Movement on the Hill
The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure adopted its Fiscal Year 2026 budget priorities on September 3, highlighting its thinking related to reauthorization, the Highway Trust Fund, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and water infrastructure. In its Fiscal Year 2026 Views and Estimates, the Committee states that it supports efforts to ensure the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, the reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, and funding the Air Traffic Organization to recruit, hire, and retain qualified air traffic controllers, among other priorities. The Committee repeatedly stated its commitment to overseeing the implementation of the IIJA to ensure consistency with the law and Congressional intent.
Leadership of both the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works have set ambitious timelines for surface transportation reauthorization. The timeline for reauthorization and a number of federal appropriations bills, however, may shift with a potential federal shutdown less than two weeks away on October 1. The House Republicans introduced a Continuing Resolution this week that would keep the federal government operating through November 20, and Democratic leaders are expected to debut a counteroffer that includes policy changes later today (September 17).
While not unusual, Congress has not yet passed any regular appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026. Below is a rundown of transportation and infrastructure-related appropriations bills and where they stand.
Passed the House
The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, energy programs at the Department of Energy, and the Department of the Interior’s Central Utah Project and the Bureau of Reclamation. The bill passed the House on September 4. It has received a second reading and been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar.
Approved by Committee
Different versions of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Act received separate Committee approvals in the House on July 17 and in the Senate on July 24.
Different versions of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CSJ) Appropriations Act, which includes funding for the Economic Development Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and National Institute of Standards and Technology, received separate Committee approvals in the Senate on July 17 and in the House on September 10.
Different versions of the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which includes funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, water infrastructure, and the Clean Water and Drinking Water state revolving funds, received separate Committee approvals in the House on July 22 and in the Senate on July 24.
Technology nonprofit launches BEAD tracker
Connected Nation, a broadband and technology nonprofit, has unveiled an online tracker to show how and where $42 billion in federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program is being spent.
The tracker shows that SpaceX and Amazon's Project Kuiper are each slated to serve more than 200,000 locations with satellite technology, followed by traditional broadband companies such as Comcast and AT&T, which are investing in fiber and coax cable. Nearly 70 percent of BEAD funds currently being tracked by Connected Nation will fund fiber-related projects.
Deadline approaching for Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program
The Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Transportation is providing $45.98 million to help public entities evaluate public-private partnerships and explore innovative financing and alternative delivery opportunities for TIFIA-eligible projects. Grants up to $2 million are available, with the first million requiring no local match. The deadline for applications is October 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
More information about the NOFO and eligibility requirements are available here. You can also watch a recorded information webinar (passcode: 0wnaYg0?).
Upcoming Events
Our United for Infrastructure Calendar is the central hub for infrastructure events. Share your plans with us via the “Submit an Event” button on our website, allowing us to amplify your event on our Calendar, on social media, and in this newsletter.
Climate Week comes to NYC
The international climate-focused event, Climate Week, is September 21-28. The week of events brings together business, tech, political, academic, and civic leaders around 10 different themes, including Energy, Industry, Policy, and the Built Environment (retrofitting and electrification, EV policy, public transport, and the air quality and health impacts of urban infrastructure). Find virtual and in-person events at Climateweeknyc.org/event-search.
September 22 | Washington, D.C. and Virtual
Alberto Musalem, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, will share his outlook for the U.S. economy and monetary policy at an event hosted by The Brookings Institution. Following his remarks, he will be interviewed by David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy at Brookings.
September 23 | New York, NY
Twin Talks NYC is an invite-only conversation for leaders shaping the future of America’s infrastructure. Taking place during Climate Week NYC, the largest global gathering of climate and infrastructure leaders, this session focuses on how U.S. state and municipal leaders can plan, fund, and deliver resilient, high-performing infrastructure that stands the test of time.
September 30 | New York, NY
The Infrastructure Summit 2025, hosted by Bloomberg Intelligence in collaboration with GIIA and GLIO, invites policymakers, advisors, investors, and industry experts to a timely and unfiltered exploration of infrastructure investment in the U.S. From transportation systems and water networks to energy innovation, the sessions will unpack the regulatory, financial, and operational challenges shaping America’s infrastructure development.
October 1 | New York, NY
“Managing Infrastructure’s Resilience in a Volatile World” is a 90-minute program bringing together Macquarie leaders, portfolio company operators, and industry experts to examine resilience through three lenses: climate, cyber and artificial intelligence.
Mark your calendar for Infrastructure Week 2026
Infrastructure Week 2026 will take place from May 18-22, 2026, and UFI encourages infrastructure-focused organizations and advocates across the country to get involved. Learn how at UnitedforInfrastructure.org/infra-week-2026.
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