Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Inhofe
Today, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), questioned Mr. Shailen Bhatt, nominee to be the next Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.
Click here to view Inhofe’s remarks.
Inhofe: Thank you Mr. Chairman, I appreciate that very much. I have the same problem I had once before – I will make sure that it doesn’t happen again. But, Mr. Bhatt, in my home state of Oklahoma, our state Department of Transportation maintains an eight-year transportation plan, directing funds to projects that will have the greatest benefit to the people of Oklahoma. And I mention this because as we discussed in my office, that’s what really needs to be done. Get on with it and get it done, and quit talking about it. You have a great reputation for keeping that kind of discipline which I appreciate very much. Due to the great work of our people in Oklahoma, Oklahoma has climbed from, and listen to this, from 49th to 5th in the nation in highway bridge infrastructure condition rankings with less than 1% of all highway bridges considered to be structurally deficient. And I bring this up because this flows right into the amount of work that you can get done because of your proven work ethic, and I look forward to that. So, in your experience, how do project delays affect infrastructure investments made by states and the Federal Government?
Bhatt: Well thank you for that question, Senator Inhofe. I am still good friends with the former Director Mike Patterson, and I’m really pleased to hear that Oklahoma has made such great progress in bridge condition because that’s a critical component of the transportation network. In terms of project delays, I think that whenever you have a project that is delayed, as the ranking member mentioned, the costs tend to go up because the longer things go, the more that they cost. I would start with safety as our number one priority, and I believe that hopefully every time we do a new project, we are increasing safety, and so any time we have a project that is delayed we are continuing in an unsafe condition up until we can get that project delivered as quickly as possible. So, in my time as a DOT leader, I’ve tried to always push as quickly as possible to get projects completed and, if confirmed, I will bring that same mindset to the Federal Highway Administration.
Inhofe: Good. And I have no doubt about that because I’m concerned the Department of Transportation may not award, or may unfairly limit, future grant funding to eligible projects simply because those projects do not meet the Administration’s overarching policy goals. So, Mr. Bhatt, what would be your vision of how the Department of Transportation would judge projects that add capacity to future grant programs?
Bhatt: And thank you for that question as well Senator Inhofe. I think you started by talking about the plan that Oklahomans have come up with for their transportation system and that is a product of input of local officials, state officials and, to me, that represents the will of the people of Oklahoma for the transportation system…
Inhofe: And the priorities that…
Bhatt: …the priorities that they would put forward. And so I believe that in terms of capacity projects – if there are capacity projects that states are going to bring forward – as a DOT director, I’ve had a capacity in every state that I’ve worked in, and if confirmed, judge those projects according to the law.
Inhofe: I’m sure you will, and I have to add that it’s unfair that you have all that beauty wrapped up into three little girls.
Bhatt: Well, just in the interest of time I will be brief. I was hoping that they wouldn’t look like me until later in life, but they don’t.
Inhofe: Thank you. Mr. Chairman.