ARTBA for ARTBA

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Urged appropriators to provide the full amount for federal transportation programs authorized in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.

Contacted: Small Business Administration (SBA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); State, Dept of (DOS); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); President of the U.S.

Civil Rights/Civil Liberties CIV

ARTBA staff and members met with senior officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation to discuss implementation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. The group discussed several larger DBE program issues including legal and regulatory limitations on prime contarctors' abilities to help grow DBE capacity, as well as the disparity between the pool of certified DBE firms and those actually able to participate as subcontractors on federal-aid highway projects.

Contacted: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); President of the U.S.; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); State, Dept of (DOS); SENATE; Small Business Administration (SBA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Highway Administration (FHA)

Transportation TRA

ARTBA staff continued meeting with newly elected members of Congress to discuss myriad federal transportation issues, including the reauthorization of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act within the term of the current Congress and the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund.

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Highway Administration (FHA); President of the U.S.; State, Dept of (DOS); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); SENATE; Small Business Administration (SBA)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

ARTBA staff have met with congressional offices to urge inclusion of a long-term Highway Trust Fund revenue solution in any tax reform or deficit reduction package in 2013.

Contacted: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); State, Dept of (DOS); SENATE; Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Small Business Administration (SBA); President of the U.S.; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Economics/Economic Development ECN

Supported continued implementation of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Promoted job-creating benefits of infrastructure investments. Provided Congressional offices and members of the Administration with updates on ARRA project progress.

Contacted: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); SENATE; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Small Business Administration (SBA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); State, Dept of (DOS); President of the U.S.; Federal Highway Administration (FHA)

Bills named: H.R. 1 (113th)

Environment/Superfund ENV

Urged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials not to regulate coal ash as a "hazardous" waste, which could make concrete more costly and less durable, thus increasing costs and the environmental impact of vital transportation improvement projects. Expressed support for H.R. 2218, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act in congressional briefing and S. 1751, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act, and S. 3512, the "Coal Ash Recycling and Oversight Act."

Contacted: President of the U.S.; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); State, Dept of (DOS); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Small Business Administration (SBA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Transportation, Dept of (DOT)

Bills named: S. 3512 (113th), H.R. 2218 (113th), S. 1751 (113th)

Energy/Nuclear ENG

ARTBA urged President Obama in an April 16 letter to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline project that would transport oil from Canada to Texas. ARTBA stressed the potential for creating much-needed jobs in the transportation construction sector. ARTBA and 17 other associations sent an April 17 letter to Secretary of State John Kerry supporting a recent draft environmental impact statement which found the project would have both minimal environmental effects and significant economic benefits.

Contacted: Small Business Administration (SBA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); State, Dept of (DOS); SENATE; President of the U.S.

Immigration IMM

ARTBA wrote all senators May 13 emphasizing the importance of an efficient and dependable employment verification system for U.S. employers and expanding temporary visas for all classes of future foreign workers. ARTBA urged senators to modify S. 744, legislation to reform the nation's immigration system, to ensure the construction industry would be allowed to fully participate in a proposed new guest worker program--the bill currently singles out the industry for minimal participation in this program.

Contacted: SENATE; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); State, Dept of (DOS); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); President of the U.S.; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Small Business Administration (SBA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

Bills named: S. 744 (113th)

Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR

Urged members of Congress to clarify the definition of "asbestos" in proposed legislation seeking to ban all asbestos materials.

Contacted: SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); President of the U.S.; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); State, Dept of (DOS); Small Business Administration (SBA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT)

Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW

Urged opposition to expanding the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers' Clean Water Act authority to regulate U.S. wetlands. Supported S. 2245, the "Preserve the Waters of the United States Act," and similarly named H.R. 4965 in the House.

Contacted: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Small Business Administration (SBA); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; State, Dept of (DOS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); President of the U.S.; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers)

Bills named: H.R. 4965 (113th), S. 2245 (113th)