Editorial: A Full Plate at MCE
Another high-ranking congressman says a multiyear surface transportation plan is very much on the minds of legislators. This time it is Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.).
Chairman of the crucial House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Shuster said a hearing on a long-term bill will take place Oct. 22. This is supposed to be a comprehensive bill and not just another temporary patch.
We respect Shuster as a serious legislator who knows his subject matter well, but it is also disappointing to realize there is almost no way to avoid the 35th short-term fix later this month, dating to 2009.
The House and Senate committees dealing with infrastructure have been in somewhat rough agreement, but there remains a bit of a disconnect between them and tax committee legislators and the leadership of both chambers.
If you’re reading this at American Trucking Associations’ annual meeting in Philadelphia, or just eavesdropping on it online, the big highway bill is bound to be a major issue at the federation’s Management Conference & Exhibition on Oct. 17-20. Shuster will address attendees during a luncheon at the conference, and we wonder what MCE participants would ask him if they get the chance:
When will the House pick a new speaker? Will the T&I plan get full funding? Can the House and the Senate agree on something and then get President Obama to sign it?
After leaving the conference, he’s down to Washington for what could be a critical week.
Back in Philadelphia, there will be plenty for trucking leaders to tackle.
Besides Shuster, officials from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency are scheduled to speak.
There is a vast exhibit hall filled with the latest trucking-related products and services, committee policy meetings and educational sessions. Joining the truck makers are numerous technology vendors, some of whose products have radically changed the inside of tractor cabs.
Our technology editor, Seth Clevenger, is moderating a panel on the continued importance of driver training and awareness, even as technological advancements automate more and more tasks. Joining the discussion will be three top trucking executives and, for a multimodal perspective, Jeff Skiles, the U.S. Airways co-pilot of the jet that crash landed safely on the Hudson River.
ATA’s councils dealing with information technology, maintenance, accounting and finance also are combining some of their business with the general schedule.
We’ll provide full coverage on our website and in the next issue.
