{"id":2105153,"date":"2023-11-21T16:36:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T21:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-looks-to-tie-highway-funding-to-dei-senate-gop-memo\/"},"modified":"2023-11-21T16:38:52","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T21:38:52","slug":"biden-administration-looks-to-tie-highway-funding-to-dei-senate-gop-memo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-looks-to-tie-highway-funding-to-dei-senate-gop-memo\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden administration looks to tie highway funding to DEI: Senate GOP memo"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-administration-looks-to-tie-highway-funding-to-dei-senate-gop-memo%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2105153&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Republicans Accuse Biden Administration of Tying\u2063 Highway Funding to &#8220;Woke Initiatives&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>Republicans on \u2064the\u2064 Senate commerce committee have raised concerns about the \u200dBiden administration&#8217;s approach to highway\u200c funding,\u200c claiming that it is being tied to initiatives focused on &#8220;equity&#8221; and \u200cclimate change. Led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the committee circulated a\u200d memo obtained by Fox News, highlighting\u200d their concerns.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Billions\u2064 upon billions of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maryland-public-schools-spend-1-million-on-anti-racism-consultants\/\" title=\"Maryland Public Schools Spend  Million on \u201cAnti-Racism Consultants\u201d\">taxpayer dollars meant<\/a> \u2062for infrastructure projects are tied \u2062to \u2063woke initiatives \u200dthat \u200dare more focused on dismantling America\u2019s infrastructure \u2064in the name of \u2018equity\u2019 and \u2018climate\u2062 change\u2019 than building roads, bridges, and \u2063highways to connect the country,&#8221; the \u200dmemo stated.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The memo emphasized the need for Congress to\u200c ensure that\u200c the Department of Transportation (DOT) does not prioritize what they consider to be &#8220;woke priorities&#8221; over the law as written. It criticized the concept of &#8220;racist roads&#8221; and\u200d urged the DOT\u2062 to focus on much-needed improvements \u2062to highways.<\/p>\n<p>Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg&#8217;s remarks about racism being physically built into\u2064 some highways\u200b were also mentioned in the memo. While \u2062Buttigieg has advocated for racial equity initiatives, some activist groups \u200dbelieve he has not gone far enough in terms of funding.<\/p>\n<p>Sen.\u2063 Cruz announced his intention\u200d to challenge \u2064what he calls &#8220;woke anti-highway policy&#8221; through a \u200cCongressional Review Act resolution. He \u2064believes\u2064 that the current criteria\u2062 for grants deviate significantly from the law and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-looks-to-tie-highway-funding-to-dei-senate-gop-memo\/\" title=\"Biden administration looks to tie highway funding to DEI: Senate GOP memo\">unfairly favor states prioritizing mass transit<\/a> and bike paths over\u2062 road construction.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Taken\u200d together, these\u2063 additions, which severely deviate from the\u2063 criteria in law, will favor states\u2062 seeking to expand mass transit and bike \u200bpaths\u2064 over states wanting to build roads,&#8221; the memo explained. &#8220;The added requirements on grant agreements, which are necessary for money to be paid after awards\u2062 are announced, \u200bare particularly pernicious.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Sen. Cruz&#8217;s efforts aim to address these concerns and ensure that highway funding \u2063aligns with the intended purpose of improving infrastructure.<\/p>\n<h3>Related Articles:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">Thanksgiving Travelers Set to Clog Skies and\u200d Roads in Historically Busy Travel\u2064 Season<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">Read More from The Washington Examiner<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does \u2063the\u200c Biden administration defend its\u200d approach \u2062of \u200dprioritizing equity and climate concerns in infrastructure funding?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Being diverted towards woke initiatives,&#8221;\u2062 the memo read. &#8220;President Biden&#8217;s so-called \u2063&#8217;equity and climate-conscious funding&#8217; is nothing more than a \u200cblatant attempt to\u200d prioritize political\u200b agendas over the urgent need to address our crumbling highways and bridges.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The memo\u200b specifically pointed to a proposed $10 billion fund for &#8220;environmental\u200c and social justice initiatives&#8221; as evidence of the administration&#8217;s misguided priorities.\u2063 Republicans argue that \u200cthis money could be better spent on repairing and improving the nation&#8217;s deteriorating infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>Sen.\u2064 Cruz and his colleagues are not \u2063opposed to \u2064addressing issues \u2062of equity and climate change, but\u200d they believe that these initiatives should be funded separately and not at the expense of crucial infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We must find a balance between \u200dinvesting in important environmental\u200c and social justice priorities \u2063while also \u2062ensuring the\u2064 safety and efficiency of our highways and bridges,&#8221; the memo stated.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans are\u2062 particularly concerned \u2064about the impact of these funding decisions on rural communities. \u2062They argue that diverting funds towards woke \u200cinitiatives will disproportionately harm areas \u2062that rely heavily \u200con highways for economic development and access to basic \u2063services.<\/p>\n<p>The Biden \u200cadministration has defended its approach,\u2064 stating\u200c that investing in infrastructure and addressing equity and climate concerns are not mutually exclusive goals. They argue that promoting equity and combating \u200dclimate change are integral\u2064 parts of a comprehensive infrastructure plan.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our infrastructure investments must go beyond simply repairing roads and bridges,&#8221; said Transportation Secretary\u200c Pete Buttigieg. &#8220;We have \u200can\u200b opportunity to create forward-thinking, sustainable infrastructure\u2063 that benefits all Americans, including historically marginalized communities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The administration points to the potential economic and environmental benefits of prioritizing clean energy \u2062and sustainable transportation solutions. They argue that by \u2064investing in projects that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/buttigieg-grilled-on-damaging-ev-subsidies-amid-auto-industry-turmoil\/\" title=\"Buttigieg questioned about 'harmful' EV subsidies amidst auto industry chaos.\">reduce greenhouse gas\u200d emissions<\/a> and promote renewable energy, they are not\u200d only addressing climate change but also creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.<\/p>\n<p>While the\u2063 debate continues, it is clear that the Biden administration&#8217;s approach to \u200dhighway funding has become another point of contention between\u2062 Republicans and \u200cDemocrats. Finding a consensus on how to balance infrastructure needs with equity and climate concerns will \u2062be crucial \u200dfor moving forward \u2064with meaningful and effective legislation.<\/p>\n<p>As discussions on infrastructure continue, the nation \u2063awaits decisions on funding allocations,\u200d hoping that whatever\u2062 choice is\u2064 made will address the urgent need to fix and modernize the country&#8217;s highways while also taking into account the pressing issues of equity and climate change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans on the Senate commerce committee circulated a memo accusing the Biden administration of tying highway funding to initiatives including &#8220;equity&#8221; and climate change. The memo, obtained by Fox News, is led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), ranking member on the Senate commerce committee, and it claims that &#8220;billions&#8221; in infrastructure funding are being tied<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2105154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2105153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2105153"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105153\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2105154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2105153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2105153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2105153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}