i3 - January/February 2017 - 52

Policy

By Congressman Bill Shuster, Chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

G U E ST B LO G

Building A Robust Infrastructure

 A

s the technology industry comes together for this year's
CES, Congress will be entering its 115th session and
preparing for a new President in the White House.
One area of bipartisan agreement during the recent
election was the to rebuild America's aging infrastructure and reassert
our leadership in technology. We shouldn't lose this momentum.

As the U.S. House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee
develops its agenda for the year, we
are committed to building a robust
infrastructure that is ready for the
challenges of the 21st century. Central
to this effort will be an emphasis on
innovation and its impact on our daily
lives, commerce and economy.
The rapid advancement of technology is transforming what mobility
means for millions of Americans.
Our highways, rails and airways must
evolve in the coming years, as demands
on our infrastructure grow and new
technologies change how we access the
transportation network.
For example, Americans are
benefiting from ever-smarter cars
that improve safety, reduce traffic and
save fuel. We must ensure our roads
and highways keep pace, including
through the deployment of smarter
infrastructure. Drones are another
example of a transformative technology
that is re-shaping industries like agriculture, energy, communications and
filmmaking. We are in the early stages
of the drone era and there is much
more to come.
As technology changes how
goods and people move throughout
the country and the world, our
Committee is thinking about how
the government can help, not hinder,
advancements. Fostering innovation
is an essential consideration in the
legislation we consider.
In 2015, the Fixing America's Surface
Transportation Act, or FAST Act, was
signed into law. While this legislation
52

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Fostering
innovation is
an essential
consideration in
the legislation
we consider.

ensures critical long-term certainty for
highway, bridge and transit projects,
it also promotes innovation and the
adoption of transportation technologies. What makes this feature of the

FAST Act most important, however,
is that it is technology-neutral. The
legislation is designed to allow the
marketplace to flourish without the
government picking winners or losers.
In July 2016, the FAA Extension,
Safety and Security Act was enacted.
This law allows expanded use of
drones while ensuring the safety of our
National Airspace System (NAS), and
lays the groundwork for the next stages
of integrating them into the NAS.
This year the Committee will
further consider and address drones,
among other technologies, in a major
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
reauthorization and reform bill. The
federal government must continue to
foster the safe growth of this promising
new industry.
Too often, the federal government
has hobbled innovation with too much
red tape and reflexive regulation.
For the last four years, our Committee
has sought to cut through that red
tape and produce wins for American
innovators. For example, the FAA's new
small drone rule strongly reflects the
risk-based regulatory process we
proposed in legislation last year.
During the 115th Congress, we will
keep up this fight to ensure America
has the right policy environment and
legal framework to keep our country
at the forefront of transportation and
infrastructure technology. As we do
so, we will need your ideas, energy and
support. I invite you to participate in
this process, and share your insights,
expertises and visions.
2017 offers new opportunities and
challenges for technology in transportation, and together we can ensure
America's continued leadership in
these areas. n
Congressman Bill Shuster, R-PA09, is the
chairman of the House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee.
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N
https://shuster.house.gov/
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