North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong Delivers Opening Remarks In Senate Hearing On Infrastructure

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On Wednesday, Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Transcript

00:00I don't. Thank you, Chairman Capito, Ranking Member White House, and Senator Kramer for that

00:07introduction and members of the committee. Before I get into my remarks, I would say if we're going

00:13to talk that much about baseball and softball, anybody who thinks being a state senator or being

00:17a trial lawyer is the best preparation for Congress is wrong. The best preparation for

00:24Congress is dealing with youth sports parents. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today

00:31and offer the state perspective as this committee continues its work on surface transportation

00:36reauthorization. I have the honor of serving as the 34th governor of the state of North Dakota.

00:41In rural states like ours, transportation infrastructure isn't merely about convenience,

00:45it's a pillar of our communities and thriving local economies. Our highways, roads, and bridges

00:51are essential lifelines connecting our agricultural producers, energy industry, small businesses,

00:56and families to markets, health care, education, and emergency services. North Dakotans drive over

01:0212,000 miles a year, and we're the geographic center of North America. And as Senator Kramer

01:07mentioned in his introduction, we produce a lot of things the world needs. We're very proud of the

01:13fact that we provide calories and energy to a world that continues to ask for more and more and more of

01:19those to continue what is the greatest economy in the history of the world.

01:24We put a lot of miles on. Unlike D.C., where many people don't own a car and rely on public transit,

01:31our citizens depend heavily on personal vehicles to reach their destination.

01:35We have teenagers driving farm trucks, senior citizens driving hundreds of miles for doctor's appointments,

01:41and students driving 20 miles one way for baseball or a basketball practice.

01:45The roads in our state are not just for North Dakotans. Investment in rural highways benefits

01:50the entire nation. The movement of people and goods from the coast across North Dakota and other rural

01:55states benefits people and businesses at both ends. Good roads in states like ours are essential to

02:01getting ag energy and other products to national world markets. My request for the committee today is

02:07simple. Continue providing robust funding, giving maximum flexibility to states, and watch us go to work.

02:13A key piece of ensuring states can successfully and efficiently build projects is formula-based

02:19funding. The next highway bill should maintain or increase the percentage of program dollars

02:23distributed by formula, allowing states to more quickly deliver critical transportation projects.

02:29This is especially important in states like North Dakota that don't have that long of a construction season.

02:36Although discretionary grant programs play a role in our infrastructure funding, the process is often

02:41inefficient, slow, and costly. In some cases, it can take up to 18 months between an award and grant

02:47announcement. I can give you a specific example. In June 2023, the North Dakota Department of

02:54Transportation was awarded a $30 million railroad crossing elimination grant from the Federal Railroad

03:00Administration. The grant will fund a long overdue grade separation project in Grand Forks, a city with nearly

03:0760,000 residents, and home to my alma mater, the University of North Dakota. Secretary Buttigieg came to

03:13Grand Forks. We welcomed him in. We were excited about the project. As of today, more than two years later, the North

03:20Dakota DOT is still awaiting execution of the grant. And in our first legislative session, we had to appropriate

03:26$20 million dollars in state DOT money because of the cost increase that is associated with that two-year

03:33delay. We're very, very appreciative of the money. We're very, very appreciative of the award. But the delay

03:39alone is an expense that was never anticipated, never dealt with. And we'll fix it. We'll get it done.

03:45We're excited about it. It's important. But it was unnecessary. Delays in discretionary grant programs are problematic

03:51regardless of their geographic location. However, in a state with a short construction window, the negative

03:57impacts of these delays are magnified. While discretionary grant programs serve an important

04:03purpose, I encourage this committee to increase to the extent possible the percentage of dollars

04:09delivered via formula. Additionally, I ask you to consider including provisions that give states more

04:15flexibility to deploy funds that they need most. The bipartisan Highway Funding Transportility Improvement

04:22Act from Senator Kramer and also Brooks will do just that by increasing the percentage of funds

04:28departments of transportation can transfer between accounts. States know their needs and this legislation

04:34will enhance our ability to make the best decisions for our unique situations. Robust funding is important,

04:41but all the money in the world. And quite frankly, we could appropriate less money if we streamline the

04:46permitting process. We would take less money from the federal government every single day if we could

04:53get a shovel in the ground faster. And so I appreciate the opportunity to be here and just would end with,

05:01thank you so much for having us. Thank you for all you have done to help us build infrastructure in

05:05North Dakota and I look forward to the questions.

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