U.S. Sen. Mark Begich released the following statement after voting against a motion to proceed on comprehensive surface transportation reauthorization legislation, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21):

“I’m a firm believer that it’s time for America to invest in its roads and highways to create jobs and get our economy on the move, but any transportation bill needs to give the same care and attention to Alaska’s rural communities and roads as it does to metropolitan areas and eight-lane highways.

“The bill as it stands now unfairly targets Alaska’s rural and remote areas. I’m working hard to address our still-developing transportation needs – from roads to harbors to barge landings, which are the backbone of safety, access to resources and jobs for Alaskans.

“A number of days ago I made my concerns known in a letter to the managers of this legislation and today we agreed to continue to work to address these issues.”

Source: Office of Senator Begich