Committee presses nominee on paused infrastructure programs, Buy America and NEPA state assignments
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Summary
Senators used the hearing to press Stephen Bradbury about recent administration pauses on infrastructure programs including the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grants, Buy America implementation, NEPA assignment renewals and project-specific inquiries such as the Gateway tunnels and deepwater port applications.
Senators pressed Stephen Bradbury about the administration's review and pauses of federally funded infrastructure programs, including questions about whether those pauses were lawful and how they would affect projects already underway.
Delaware's Senator (Blunt Rochester) and Senator Tammy Baldwin voiced constituent concerns about the pause of grant programs that followed the bipartisan infrastructure law, saying communities had projects with "shovels in the ground." Bradbury replied that "the secretary and all of us at DOT need to follow the law" and that where statute requires action, the department must comply; where the department exercises discretion, he said it is appropriate for the secretary and president to audit and reconsider how money is being used.
On Buy America, Senator Baldwin pressed Bradbury for a commitment to implement the Department's final rule discontinuing the long‑standing manufactured products general waiver and expanding Buy America coverage. Bradbury said he supported Buy America and "would expect that to be redoubled," while acknowledging there would be implementation challenges and the need to work with foreign manufacturers to encourage U.S. investment where domestic supply is unavailable.
Chairman Crews asked whether Bradbury would prioritize renewal of Texas Department of Transportation's NEPA assignment authority before it expires in March 2025; Bradbury said he "personally strongly support[s] NEPA authority being assigned to states that have the capability" and that Texas is "one of those states."
On project-specific matters, the nominee agreed to look into delays at the Maritime Administration for deepwater port license applications and told Senator Chris Van Hollen and others he would work to ensure MARAD "is moving those applications forward" without unreasonable delay. Senator Robert Menendez and others asked about DOT staff ratings for discretionary grants tied to the California High Speed Rail project; Bradbury said he would work with the secretary to provide the committee what it needs.
Why it matters: Pauses or rescissions of federal funding and changes to program rules affect ongoing projects, state planning and local economies. Senators sought assurances that statutory requirements would be followed and that the department would not needlessly disrupt projects already underway.
What was not decided: Bradbury said he would support Buy America implementation and would "take a hard look" at paused programs, but he did not commit to reversing or reinstating any specific funding decisions during the hearing. Committee members will submit follow‑up questions for the record.