Washington D.C. — Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) released the following statement after voting against final passage of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill during the Transportation and Infrastructure full committee markup:   "I appreciate the bipartisan work that went into this bill and the good faith we engaged in today, but I must oppose final passage.   "At a moment when our transportation system needs bold, balanced investment, this legislation is insufficient. It continues a familiar pattern: highways are treated as the default national priority, while rail and transit are left fighting for insufficient resources, despite carrying millions of people, supporting regional economies, and reducing congestion.   "That imbalance is especially harmful to New Yorkers. The MTA keeps the nation’s largest city and regional economy moving. The Northeast Corridor is one of the most important transportation and economic assets in the country. Unfortunately, this bill fails to provide the scale of investment needed to address aging infrastructure, improve reliability, and meet riders' needs.   "I am concerned that this bill creates new electric vehicle fees without ensuring that those revenues support a truly multimodal transportation system. At a time when we should be encouraging American innovation, manufacturing, and adoption of cleaner vehicles, this approach risks undercutting a growing industry while locking new revenues into the same highway-dominated framework. EV users should contribute fairly, but those dollars should help build a modern system that supports transit, rail, and congestion-reducing investments—not simply reinforce the imbalances of the past.   "This bill also fails to adequately protect communities from political interference in transportation decisions. New Yorkers have seen federal power used to threaten Gateway, attack congestion pricing, and reshape Penn Station behind closed doors. Congress should be strengthening oversight and transparency, not leaving critical projects vulnerable to political gamesmanship.   "This bill is also a step backward on climate. It abandons successful IIJA programs like the Carbon Reduction Program, which helped states reduce greenhouse gas pollution from transportation, and significantly weakens EV charging programs just as the country should be building out clean transportation options. Coupled with the prioritization of highways over rail and transit, this bill opens the door to more emissions and pollution for already overburdened communities. A transportation bill should reduce emissions and give people cleaner, more efficient choices, not increase reliance on cars and trucks. I refuse to support a bill that not only fails to meaningfully address climate change but also worsens the climate emergency."   "For these reasons, I must oppose final passage. This bill does not do enough for rail, transit, accountability, or the balanced transportation system Americans need." ###