I will be attending the White House signing ceremony today to witness President Obama sign into law the first long-term highway bill in seven years.

All I can say is, "It’s about time!"

Twenty-seven months of funding for our nation’s infrastructure system is a major step forward for the economy, and only weeks ago it seemed beyond reach.  The legislation being signed today will save thousands of American jobs in the short term in construction-related industries and will help kick start our nation’s slow but steady economic recovery.

As the Chamber has said over the past five years, transportation has never been a political issue, it is and always has been an economic one.  This legislation will consolidate overlapping and duplicative federal programs; streamline the project delivery process to shorten project times and save limited federal dollars; give states the flexibility to target federal funds where they are most needed; and increase opportunities for private investment.  America’s economic competitiveness around the world is greatly enhanced because of this bill.

While I’ll readily admit that a longer-term bill is needed, Congress now has the breathing room necessary to work toward this goal by developing a predictable, sustainable, and growing source of dedicated, user-fee based funding for our infrastructure system.  We congratulate Congress for a job well done and look forward to our continued work in pursuit of this goal.