ARTBA for ARTBA

Economics/Economic Development ECN

ARTBA and industry colleagues expressed support for H.R. 2542, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2013 in a July 30th letter to all House members.

Contacted: Transportation, Dept of (DOT); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Small Business Administration (SBA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

Bills named: H.R. 2542 (113th)

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: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Small Business Administration (SBA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

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: Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Small Business Administration (SBA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT)

Transportation TRA

Urges support for S. 601, the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 and H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013; Met with Representative John Delaney (D-Md.) to discuss H.R. 2084, the "Partnership to Build America" Act. Also met with staff for Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) regarding infrastructure bank proposals and supported a proposal by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Hoeven (R-S.D.) to enact TRIP bonds legislation; met 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; met with officials from U.S. Department of Transportation to discuss the implementation of H.R. 4348, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act;

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); SENATE; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Small Business Administration (SBA); Federal Highway Administration (FHA)

Bills named: S. 601 (113th), H.R. 2084 (113th), H.R. 3080 (113th), H.R. 4348 (113th)

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: Federal Highway Administration (FHA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Small Business Administration (SBA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

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 a July 24 letter to the House of Representatives.

Contacted: SENATE; Small Business Administration (SBA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Highway Administration (FHA)

Bills named: H.R. 2218 (113th)

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: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Small Business Administration (SBA); Federal Highway Administration (FHA)

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: Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Small Business Administration (SBA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW

Urged opposition to expanding the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers jurisdictional authority under the Clean Water Act

Contacted: Small Business Administration (SBA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federal Highway Administration (FHA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Transportation, Dept of (DOT)