This legislation will strengthen our infrastructure, create good-paying union jobs, lower long-term costs, and expedite progress while employing workers across our community.
Advance legislation that strengthens infrastructure, lowers long-term costs, creates good-paying union jobs, and expedites infrastructure repairs.
Occurrences
Evidence
On May 22, 2026, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee marked up and approved H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, by a vote of 62 to 2. The bill is described as a bipartisan five-year surface transportation reauthorization that invests in roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, highway and motor carrier safety, and strengthens the Highway Trust Fund.
Garamendi’s May 22, 2026 press release said he secured critical wins for California in the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), describing it as a five-year surface transportation reauthorization that will invest in roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and highway and motor carrier safety programs.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's official repository says the committee approved the ANS to H.R. 8870 by voice vote, then agreed to the bill and ordered it favorably reported by a recorded vote of 62 yeas and 2 nays. The same page also records that Rep. Garamendi's amendment to H.R. 8870 was not agreed to by voice vote.
The committee said it approved H.R. 8870 after a 14-hour markup. It described the BUILD America 250 Act as a bipartisan five-year surface transportation reauthorization that invests in roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and highway and motor carrier safety programs, and said it provides the first ever autonomous commercial motor vehicle framework and new Highway Trust Fund revenue.
The committee leaders announced a bipartisan surface transportation deal and released the text of the BUILD America 250 Act. The release says the bill would invest in roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and motor carrier safety, and that leaders planned to move it toward markup and ultimately to the President's desk before the current authorization expired.
Assessments
The promise was to advance infrastructure legislation, not necessarily to enact it into law. In May 2026, H.R. 8870, a five-year surface transportation reauthorization investing in roads, bridges, transit, rail, and safety programs, was moved through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by a 62-2 vote. Garamendi was involved in that process and publicly claimed he secured California-related provisions, showing material participation in advancing the package. Although his specific amendment failed and the bill had not yet been enacted, the available evidence supports that he did help advance qualifying legislation during the same term.
Garamendi helped move the BUILD America 250 Act through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and publicly claimed wins in the bill, which shows real legislative advancement on infrastructure. But the measure was still only at the committee stage in the evidence provided, so the broader promise is only partially fulfilled rather than fully delivered.