ARTBA for ARTBA

Environment/Superfund ENV

Urged United States Environmental Protection Agency 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.

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

Government Issues GOV

ARTBA urged all members of the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 185, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 and members of the House Judiciary Committee to pass H.R. 348, the Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2015. Both measures are aimed at reforming the regulatory approval process for construction projects.

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

Bills named: H.R. 185 (114th), H.R. 348 (114th)

Civil Rights/Civil Liberties CIV

ARTBA staff and members met with senior officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to discuss implementation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. The group 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. ARTBA staff and members also met with DOT officials to discuss DOT's recently proposed pilot program regarding geographic-based hiring on federal transportation construction projects.

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

Transportation TRA

ARTBA staff continued meeting with 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 ARTBA wrote to congressional leaders urging passage of H.R. 3 and S.1, legislation approving construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline Project. ARTBA urged members of the House and Senate to fully fund the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014.

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

Bills named: S. 1 (114th), H.R. 3 (114th)

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 or a stand-alone measure.

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

Budget/Appropriations BUD

ARTBA urged Appropriators to provide the full amount for federal transportation programs authorized in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. ARTBA objected to provisions in the White Houses FY 2016 budget proposal that seek to end the long-standing tax exempt status of municipal bond interest. The long-standing tax exemption has used effectively to finance significant portions of the nations infrastructure.

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

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 Facility Charge.

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

Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW

Urged opposition to expanding the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers jurisdictional authority under the Clean Water Act.

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