North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, calling on lawmakers to maintain strong federal funding for transportation infrastructure, provide greater flexibility to states, and enact permitting reforms to accelerate project delivery and reduce costs.
Speaking on behalf of the National Governors Association during a hearing titled “Constructing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill: Stakeholders’ Perspectives,” Armstrong emphasized the critical role infrastructure plays in the economies and daily lives of rural states like North Dakota.
“In rural states like ours, transportation infrastructure isn’t merely about convenience – it’s a pillar of our communities and thriving local economies,” Armstrong told the committee. “Our highways, roads, and bridges are essential lifelines connecting our agricultural producers, energy industry, small businesses, and families to markets, health care, education, and emergency services.”
Armstrong thanked Committee Chair Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a committee member and longtime ally, for inviting him to testify and provide a governor’s perspective on reauthorizing surface transportation legislation.
The governor urged Congress to prioritize formula-based funding in the upcoming reauthorization bill, which he said enables states to deliver critical infrastructure projects more efficiently. He emphasized the importance of timely project completion in northern states where short construction seasons present unique challenges.
“My request for this Committee today is simple: continue providing robust funding, give maximum flexibility to states, and watch us go to work,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong also pushed for bipartisan permitting reform, arguing that regulatory inefficiencies delay progress, increase costs, and discourage private investment.
“Robust funding is important, but all the money in the world means nothing if it can’t be deployed because of a broken permitting system,” he said in his written testimony. “Our current regulatory framework imposes excessive delays and escalating costs, and injects uncertainty into critical infrastructure projects. It also discourages private sector investment while making federal investment less effective and efficient.”
Armstrong, who represented North Dakota in Congress for six years before being elected governor in 2024, told lawmakers they have a clear opportunity to improve permitting processes while continuing to protect the environment.
“You have a real opportunity to ensure efficiency, certainty, and transparency in the permitting process—all while protecting our environment,” he said.
Armstrong’s testimony comes at a pivotal time as Congress begins work on the next multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill, which will set federal policy and funding levels for highways, bridges, and transit systems nationwide.