Some lawmakers on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee seek to justify a deep-rooted federal role in transportation and infrastructure, citing the growing number of port, waterway, road, and bridge projects needed in the states. They would exempt transportation from any federal budget belt-tightening and instead argue for increased federal spending to fix states’ aging infrastructure, increase mobility for goods and people, and create jobs. Experience with the federal highway program has shown why more state—and less federal—control would be a more efficient strategy.