ARTBA for ARTBA

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. Urged members of the Senate in a March 15 letter to oppose any amendments to expand the DBE program to include projects supported by Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) revenue in S. 2658, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2016

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

Bills named: S. 2658 (114th)

Transportation TRA

ARTBA staff continued meeting with members of Congress to discuss myriad federal transportation issues, including the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. ARTBA urged members of the House and Senate to fully fund the United States Army Corps of Engineers navigation program for FY 2017.

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

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

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 supported language in the House and Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bills which would have ensured a DOT pilot program aimed at local hiring did not unduly restrict competition. ARTBA supported language in the House and Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bills requiring the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to conduct a study demonstrating the safety benefits of the restart provisions of the agency's "Hours of Service" regulations before those provisions can be enacted.

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

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

Chemicals/Chemical Industry CHM

Urged members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate to pass legislation reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

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

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

Government Issues GOV

Urged members of the United States House of Representatives to support H.R. 712, the "Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act." The measure contained a number of regulatory reforms aimed at increasing transparency around new regulations and agency settlements.

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

Bills named: H.R. 712 (114th)

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. Urged Congressional opposition to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to tighten federal ozone standards under the Clean Air Act.

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