July 23, 2026
| The Honorable Mike Johnson Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 | The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 |
| The Honorable John Thune Majority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 | The Honorable Chuck Schumer Minority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 |
Re: Maintain funding for IIJA’s Division J Programs
Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader Thune, and Leader Schumer:
We, the undersigned organizations, urge Congress to preserve dependable, long-term funding for all Division J programs of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), in any extension of the law before its September 30 expiration and in its eventual reauthorization.
Specifically, we ask Congress to:
1) Ensure any extension of the IIJA or continuing resolution maintains funding for all Division J programs; and
2) Provide long-term, guaranteed funding for Division J programs, including safety, highway, bridge, rail, transit, port, intermodal and other critical infrastructure in the next surface transportation authorization.
Programs included in Division J (BUILD/RAISE, INFRA, Mega, Safe Streets, PIDP, State of Good Repair, Bus and Bus Facilities, CIG/New Starts, Highway Bridges, Appalachian Development, CRISI, Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP), Amtrak NEC, Amtrak National Network, Ferry program, and Airport investments, etc.) support the safety and mobility of both people and goods throughout the country, connecting communities across the nation and American businesses to the global marketplace. A funding lapse would jeopardize jobs and ultimately cost taxpayers more in stop-work orders, delays, and inefficiencies. By contrast, multi-year certainty would maximize the efficiency of the federal investment by allowing public agencies and the private sector to commit to multi-year projects.
While the IIJA made significant progress addressing the backlog of infrastructure needs across the nation, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that more than $3.5 trillion is still needed to bring surface transportation infrastructure to a state of good repair. Stabilizing U.S. infrastructure investments is estimated to save American families $700 annually by providing better and more reliable infrastructure. Division J programs are critical to addressing these outstanding needs and funding a wide variety of projects that support local communities, strengthen supply chains, and enhance personal mobility. Importantly, Division J programs span the transportation modes supporting road, rail, transit, airport, port, and intermodal investments.
Division J is more than an investment in infrastructure; it’s saving lives. Since 2021, thousands of communities have received Division J Safe Streets grants to fix known safety issues, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that traffic deaths in the U.S. fell to record lows in 2025. With an estimated 36,640 traffic fatalities in 2025—a 6.7% decrease from 2024—the nation saw its second-lowest traffic fatality rate in recorded history at 1.10 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, showcasing the value of targeted local road safety investments.
Division J also strengthens the American economy by investing in the domestic manufacturing sector and the American workers it supports. As an example, in 2024, the U.S. rail supply industry supported more than 906,000 jobs nationwide, including 12,300 in Louisiana, 2,140 in South Dakota, and 104,000 in New York – these jobs are supported by Division J programs including the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, Amtrak National Network and Northeast Corridor. In North Carolina, the expansion of a single rail manufacturing facility is expected to create 500 new domestic manufacturing jobs by 2028. In upstate New York, a passenger rail manufacturer invested $75 million to expand its operations. These investments illustrate the power of just five years of predictable federal funding to unlock long-term private investment and create American jobs.
The economic benefits of these investments extend far beyond the communities where projects are built. Freight rail infrastructure, supported by the Division J program CRISI, strengthens supply chains that connect farmers, manufacturers, businesses, and consumers in every state. Businesses that rely on short line rail service, for example, support nearly 479,000 jobs across the country, demonstrating how strategic infrastructure investments generate economic activity nationwide. Congress’ commitment to Amtrak and strengthening intercity passenger rail via Division J has supported large-scale rolling stock procurement, the opening of a critical rail bridge, and infrastructure improvement investments to expand new routes, bolstering the careers of 20,000 Amtrak employees and the countless others working at construction sites and manufacturing facilities rebuilding infrastructure and the intercity passenger rail fleet.
The nation’s port and maritime industry supports approximately 2.5 million maritimerelated jobs, with the largest concentrations in California (320,000), Texas (318,000), Florida (224,000), Louisiana (206,000), and New Jersey (145,000), supported by Division J programs PIDP, Ferry Program, INFRA, BUILD/RAISE, and others.
Yet the need for investment remains substantial. An analysis of unmet demand across just five Division J programs administered by OST, FHWA, MARAD, and FRA found that Louisiana has more than $902 million in unfunded project needs, South Dakota has more than $315 million, and New York has nearly $1.4 billion in projects awaiting investment. These figures underscore that while Division J has delivered meaningful progress, continued federal investment is essential to modernize the nation’s freight and passenger transportation networks, bolster America’s main streets, and sustain America’s economic competitiveness in the global marketplace.
The diverse coalition of organizations listed below stand united in a commitment to preserving these critical Division J programs. We urge Congress to act before September 30 to preserve these proven investments and provide the long-term certainty needed to keep America’s transportation system safe, competitive, and economically strong.
Sincerely,
Accelerator for America Action
Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC)
American Association of Port Authorities
American Great Lakes Ports Association
American Public Transportation Association
American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA)
Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT)
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Coalition for America’s Gateways & Trade Corridors
Coalition for the Northeast Corridor
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance
Commuter Rail Coalition
Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
Intermodal Association of North America
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
National Association of Counties
National Association of Regional Councils
National Association of Waterfront Employers
National Industrial Transportation League
National League of Cities
National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC)
Rail Passengers Association
Railway Supply Institute (RSI)
States for Passenger Rail Coalition (SPRC)
The Bus Coalition
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Transport Workers Union of America
United for Infrastructure