This year marks 70 years since President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 into law. For Kansans, that anniversary carries special meaning. Eisenhower understood that a strong transportation network was essential to the safety, commerce, and unity of the United States. His vision helped connect a growing country and gave future generations a highway system that changed the way Americans live, work, and move.

Seventy years later, America’s transportation needs have changed, but the basic responsibility remains the same. Congress has a duty to maintain a surface transportation system that allows people and goods to move across the country safely and efficiently.