Stakeholders Again Urge Congress to Pass Long-Term Highway Bill
The major transportation industry stakeholders are once again urging Congress to advance a six-year highway bill before funding authority for infrastructure programs expires at the end of October.
“The U.S. economy and all Americans require a surface transportation infrastructure network that can keep pace with growing demands,” the groups wrote on Sept. 11. “A six-year federal commitment to prioritize and invest in our aging infrastructure and safety needs is essential to achieve this goal.”
The letter was signed by American Trucking Associations, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the American Association of Port Authorities, AAA, and more than 60 other groups representing construction firms, freight distributors and safety and infrastructure proponents.
On Capitol Hill, the chairman of a House transportation panel indicated recently he would take up a multiyear bill either later this month or early next month. In July, the Senate advanced a six-year transportation bill that would fund highway programs for three years.
On Sept. 15, an economic outlook survey released by the Business Roundtable found that CEOs are cautious about the economy’s near-term prospects. And those top executives are scaling back business plans for capital investment over the next six months.
“The downward trend in CEO plans for investment and hiring continues to reflect reasonable caution regarding near-term prospects for modest U.S. growth,” said Randall Stephenson, chairman of the Business Roundtable and chairman and CEO of AT&T Inc.
Business Roundtable members, such as FedEx and UPS, are scheduled to meet with congressional lawmakers on Sept. 16 to urge them to approve tax reform policies this year.
