ARTBA for ARTBA

Railroads RRR

Supported the draft application of the California High Speed Rail Authority and California State Transportation Agency to the Federal Railroad Administration to assume federal environmental responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Contacted: Treasury, Dept of; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Railroad Administration; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); White House Office; Small Business Administration (SBA); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); SENATE; President of the U.S.

Civil Rights/Civil Liberties CIV

Urged proper implementation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. Discussed several larger DBE program issues, including the legal and regulatory limitations on prime contractors 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. Commended the Department of Transportation's withdrawal of a pilot program regarding geographic-based hiring on federal transportation construction projects and a proposed rule removing barrier to geographic-based hiring prferences.

Contacted: Labor, Dept of (DOL); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federal Railroad Administration; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Treasury, Dept of; SENATE; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); President of the U.S.; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Small Business Administration (SBA); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); White House Office

Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR

Urged the Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration to extend the deadline for construction industry compliance with the new standard for exposure to crystalline silica.

Contacted: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Treasury, Dept of; White House Office; SENATE; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Federal Railroad Administration; Small Business Administration (SBA); President of the U.S.

Transportation TRA

ARTBA staff met with members of Congress and Trump Administration officials to discuss myriad federal transportation issues, including the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. ARTBA objected to the inclusion of a greenhouse gas tracking requirement in a MAP-21 performance measure aimed at freight movement and the congestion mitigation air quality program.

Contacted: Labor, Dept of (DOL); Federal Railroad Administration; White House Office; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); President of the U.S.; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Treasury, Dept of; SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Small Business Administration (SBA)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

ARTBA staff met with various congressional offices and Trump Administration officials to urge inclusion of a long-term Highway Trust Fund revenue solution in any tax reform or deficit reduction package or as a stand-alone measure. ARTBA also made the following recommendations with respect to H.R. 1, the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:" inclusion of a permanent Highway Trust Fund revenue solution, maintaining tax-exempt status for Private Activity Bonds, continuation of advanced refund of municipal bonds, allowance of five years of 100 percent expensing on business capital investments in new and used equipment, preservation of Like-Kind Exchanges for equipment purchases ineligible for full expensing, and equitable treatment for C-corporations and pass-through firms.

Contacted: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Federal Railroad Administration; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; White House Office; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Small Business Administration (SBA); Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Treasury, Dept of; President of the U.S.; Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

Bills named: H.R. 1 (115th)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

ARTBA urged appropriators to provide the full amount for federal transportation programs authorized in the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act. ARTBA urged appropriators to fully fund the United States Army Corps of Engineers navigation program.

Contacted: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federal Railroad Administration; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Small Business Administration (SBA); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); White House Office; SENATE; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; President of the U.S.; Treasury, Dept of; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers)

Aviation/Airlines/Airports AVI

ARTBA staff advocated to House and Senate offices for reauthorization of federal aviation programs, an increase in airport infrastructure investment, and an increase in the Passenger Facilities Charge.

Contacted: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Federal Railroad Administration; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Treasury, Dept of; White House Office; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Small Business Administration (SBA); President of the U.S.; Labor, Dept of (DOL)

Government Issues GOV

Sent members of Congress and Administration officials a document outlining ARTBA's priorities for regulatory reform entitled "Ripe for Reform: Federal Regulatory Issues Impacting Transportation Project Delivery" Met with Department of Transportation officials to discuss regulatory reform priorities. Urged the House and Senate to preserve language in Section 630 of the House Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill (one of the eight spending bills in H.R. 3354)defunding enforcement of the Federal Election Commission's "prior approval" requirement for trade association Political Action Committees. Supported H.R. 2101, the "Prior Approval Reform Act" which would repeal the Federal Election Commission's "prior approval" requirement for trade association Political Action Committees.

Contacted: Labor, Dept of (DOL); President of the U.S.; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); SENATE; Treasury, Dept of; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); White House Office; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Federal Railroad Administration; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Small Business Administration (SBA)

Bills named: H.R. 2101 (115th), H.R. 3354 (115th)

Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW

Urged opposition to expanding the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) jurisdictional authority under the Clean Water Act to include all U.S. water bodies. Expressed support for President Trump's Executive Order directing the withdrawal of the 2015 "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule.

Contacted: White House Office; SENATE; Small Business Administration (SBA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); President of the U.S.; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Railroad Administration; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Treasury, Dept of; Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); Transportation, Dept of (DOT)