1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Transportation Empowerment Act . 2. Findings and purposes (a) Findings Congress finds that— (1) the objective of the Federal highway program has been to facilitate the construction of a modern freeway system that promotes efficient interstate commerce by connecting all States; (2) the objective described in paragraph (1) has been attained, and the Interstate System connecting all States is near completion; (3) each State has the responsibility of providing an efficient transportation network for the residents of the State; (4) each State has the means to build and operate a network of transportation systems, including highways, that best serves the needs of the State; (5) each State is best capable of determining the needs of the State and acting on those needs; (6) the Federal role in highway transportation has, over time, usurped the role of the States by taxing motor fuels used in the States and then distributing the proceeds to the States based on the perceptions of the Federal Government on what is best for the States; (7) the Federal Government has used the Federal motor fuels tax revenues to force all States to take actions that are not necessarily appropriate for individual States; (8) the Federal distribution, review, and enforcement process wastes billions of dollars on unproductive activities; (9) Federal mandates that apply uniformly to all 50 States, regardless of the different circumstances of the States, cause the States to waste billions of hard-earned tax dollars on projects, programs, and activities that the States would not otherwise undertake; and (10) Congress has expressed a strong interest in reducing the role of the Federal Government by allowing each State to manage its own affairs. (b) Purposes The purposes of this Act are— (1) to provide a new policy blueprint to govern the Federal role in transportation once existing and prior financial obligations are met