Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) commended the New Jersey and federal governments for working swiftly to avoid losing $82 million in federal highway dollars that was subject to rescission in the Fiscal Responsibility Act that passed the House on Wednesday evening to avert a debt ceiling crisis precipitated by Republicans. 

Pascrell’s office has been coordinating with Governor Muphy’s office, NJDOT, New Jersey Transit, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), the Federal Transit Administration and U.S. Treasury Department since the House passed the bill to ensure the federal highway dollars were transferred to New Jersey Transit and not lost before President Biden signs the bill.

“Democrats moved urgently to save America from a Republican manufactured catastrophe. One consequence of the measure we passed was that our state was the target of possible devastating rescissions to essential infrastructure funding. I want to thank my Democratic colleagues, Governor Murphy, New Jersey Transit, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and everyone in the Biden administration for working at lightening speed to save the millions of dollars that were put at risk. We cannot afford to lose access to a funding to our mass transportation system in the most densely populated state. As today’s jobs report highlights, Democrats are building our historic successes from last Congress to energize a booming economy.” 

The Fiscal Responsibility Act included a number of rescissions of unobligated funds from three COVID relief bills (American Rescue Plan (“ARP”; P.L. 117-2); Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act’’; P.L 116-136); and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (“CRRSSA”; P.L. 116-260). The largest of the rescissions comes from the CRRSSA Highway Infrastructure Program funds. The State of New Jersey was at risk of losing approximately $29 million and NJTPA region was at risk of losing approximately $44 million in federal highway funding. These funds are expected to be used for many projects that includes supporting bus facility construction and enhancing transit service to support community shuttle pilot routes, solar bus shelters, bike sheds, electric mini-buses, and new bus studies across North Jersey.