Today, Congressman Rick Crawford praised the agreement reached by House and Senate members to fund highway construction.

“While many Americans have lost faith in Washington’s ability to work together, the Highway Bill Conference Committee is a breath of fresh air. I was honored to serve on the committee and I take great pride in achieving this major piece of legislation with my colleagues in the House and members of the Senate. This bill will provide industry leaders with greater certainty and streamline project delivery, while cutting the time it takes to complete a major highway project in half.”

Crawford said the committee was an example of bipartisanship.

“One bipartisan idea is the Safe Roads provision that will provide a national clearing house for any truck driver who has tested positive for substance abuse. I initially introduced Safe Roads in the House Transportation Committee to ensure drivers who tested positive for substance abuse with one trucking company, would not be allowed to simply go to another company for employment. Safe Roads will keep substance abusers off the roads and will make our highways safer for everyone.”

Crawford also praised the bipartisan work done by the conference committee to strip a provision that would have required mandatory flood insurance coverage for Arkansans who are protected by dams and levees.

“While we were not able to adopt all of the provisions in the House bill to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, I am pleased we were able to remove Senate language that would have universally mandated the purchase of flood insurance by homeowners who are protected by dams and levees. Additionally, this bill will allow a variety of agencies, including the USDA, to establish new standards for FEMA’s flood maps so that they will more accurately reflect actual flood risk. Last year’s flooding along the Mississippi, while historic in nature and damage, proved that our levee system performed as it was designed and protected homeowners along the river. While not perfect, it represents a compromise that I believe will be acceptable to Arkansas home owners.”