Venable partner Jim Burnley was quoted in a November 1 Dallas Morning News article on the potential impact of election results on transportation policy.
On the possible changes we might see in the near future, Burnley said, "The new Congress will be worried about a lot of things before it gets around to talking transportation, even if the highway trust fund is already bankrupt and the six-year authorization bill that expired last year is being kept on life support by infusion from the general fund."
On where transportation ranks in terms of priorities, he said, "Obviously the election will have an impact on how those issues are addressed. But this campaign has not centered on issues that are related to transportation. Those have been second-tier issues compared to those that touch on the fundamentals of the economy."
Burnley added, "The new Congress, whatever its constitution, will instead be focused on trying to reduce expenditures to address our deficit. That will bring a lot of pressure to bear on education spending, transportation spending, all discretionary spending."
Burnley also cited that some GOP candidates for governor are speaking out against the costs for high-speed rail in Washington, which he said is "an accurate indication that high-speed rail as a grand investment that may be stuck on the tracks for a long time, should the election today go as observers expect it will."
Burnley concluded by saying, "I think there will be a lot more interest in attracting private capital to infrastructure projects, more than there has been with Democrats in power. And whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, if there isn't any other funding source, then what's left is private sector."
On the possible changes we might see in the near future, Burnley said, "The new Congress will be worried about a lot of things before it gets around to talking transportation, even if the highway trust fund is already bankrupt and the six-year authorization bill that expired last year is being kept on life support by infusion from the general fund."
On where transportation ranks in terms of priorities, he said, "Obviously the election will have an impact on how those issues are addressed. But this campaign has not centered on issues that are related to transportation. Those have been second-tier issues compared to those that touch on the fundamentals of the economy."
Burnley added, "The new Congress, whatever its constitution, will instead be focused on trying to reduce expenditures to address our deficit. That will bring a lot of pressure to bear on education spending, transportation spending, all discretionary spending."
Burnley also cited that some GOP candidates for governor are speaking out against the costs for high-speed rail in Washington, which he said is "an accurate indication that high-speed rail as a grand investment that may be stuck on the tracks for a long time, should the election today go as observers expect it will."
Burnley concluded by saying, "I think there will be a lot more interest in attracting private capital to infrastructure projects, more than there has been with Democrats in power. And whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, if there isn't any other funding source, then what's left is private sector."