My goal on the committee is to improve the nation’s infrastructure by getting the next highway bill ... done on time
Get the next highway bill done on time.
Occurrences
Evidence
"My goal on the committee is to improve the nation’s infrastructure by getting the next highway bill and the Water Resources Development Act done on time..."
Last Action Date Listed: October 2, 2021 ... Short Title: Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2021 ... Full Title: An Act To provide an extension of Federal-aid highway, highway safety, and transit programs, and for other purposes.
"To authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for other purposes." ... "Nov. 15, 2021"
Sponsor: Sen. Carper ... Cosponsor: Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] ... "A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction programs, and for other purposes."
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee scheduled a May 21, 2026 full committee markup for the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, the committee's bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill.
Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen announced the text of a bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill and said the goal was to send legislation to the President before the current authorization expires on September 30, 2026.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved H.R. 8870, a bipartisan five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill, and the chair said he hoped to move it on the House floor and reach final passage before September 30, 2026.
Committee leaders released the bill text and said their goal was to send legislation to the President before the current authorization expires on September 30, 2026.
After a 14-hour markup, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved H.R. 8870, a bipartisan five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill.
The bill was agreed to and ordered to be favorably reported to the House, as amended, by a recorded vote of 62 yeas and 2 nays.
Assessments
The promise appears tied to Kevin Cramer's January 28, 2025 statement about getting the next highway bill done on time, which in context means completing the next surface transportation reauthorization before the current authorization expires on September 30, 2026. The evidence shows real movement in 2026, including release of bill text and House committee approval of H.R. 8870, but not final enactment. Because the relevant deadline had not yet passed as of the June 21, 2026 evaluation date, this is not yet a failed promise; it remains unresolved. Cramer does have some credit for serious legislative engagement through his committee role and prior co-sponsorship activity, so an effort badge is warranted, but there is no completed on-time delivery yet.
Cramer publicly made getting the next highway bill done on time a goal, and he co-sponsored highway reauthorization legislation, so there was real effort. But the relevant surface transportation law was enacted on November 15, 2021, after the September 30, 2021 deadline, meaning it was not done on time. Later 2026 committee work shows continued progress, but no on-time enactment is shown, so the promise was not fulfilled.
Cramer's promise appears to refer to the next federal surface transportation reauthorization due before the current authorization expires on September 30, 2026. As of May 21, 2026, Congress was actively working on a bipartisan highway bill, but it had not yet been enacted and the deadline had not yet passed. The 2021 highway bill was enacted late, but that predates the 2025 statement and is not the best timing context for this specific promise. Because the promised on-time outcome cannot yet be judged, but there is evidence of serious committee-level effort, the proper status is unresolved with an effort badge.
The cited 2025 statement is a forward-looking federal Senate goal to get the next highway bill done on time. The relevant next highway authorization after the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has not yet reached its deadline in the provided record, so the promise cannot yet be judged delivered or failed. The 2021 highway bill evidence shows a prior reauthorization was late and that Cramer cosponsored related legislation, but it predates the 2025 promise context and does not resolve whether the next bill will be completed on time.