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.

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

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. ARTBA urged Congress to increase the Private Activity Bond volume cap. ARTBA expressed support for the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, specifically singled out funding for harbor maintenance programs as a priority. ARTBA met with the Office of Management and Budget to express concerns over the inclusion of a greenhouse gas tracking component in the latest performance measure issued by the Federal Highway Administration pursuant to the "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century" (MAP-21) surface transportation reauthorization law. ARTBA expressed support for the following pieces of legislation aimed at increasing opportunities for public private partnerships: H.R. 5361/S. 3177 (the Public Buildings Renewal Act of 2016), H.R. 499/S.2606 (the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2016) and H.R. 6085 (to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the national limitation amount for qualified highway or surface freight transfer facility bonds.)

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

Bills named: H.R. 5361 (114th), H.R. 499 (114th), S. 3177 (114th), H.R. 6085 (114th), S. 2606 (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. ARTBA urged Congress to address a shortfall to the Highway Trust Fund as a part of any comprehensive tax reform package. ARTBA supported the passage of S. 3436/H.R. 6100, the Protect Family Farms & Businesses Act. The measure would force the withdrawal of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) proposal that would restrict small businesses from discounting shareholder stock for estate tax purposes for interests including lack of control or lack of marketability.

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

Bills named: S. 3436 (114th), H.R. 6100 (114th)

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 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 would not unduly restrict competition.

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

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

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

Government Issues GOV

ARTBA urged the House of Representatives to make the Regulatory Accountability Act a priority for the next Congress. The legislation, if passed, would greatly increase oversight of regulatory agencies by increasing public participation and legal oversight during the development of expensive regulations.

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

Fuel/Gas/Oil FUE

ARTBA expressed concerns over the Obama Administrations decisions regarding the Dakota Access pipeline project. In a letter to the Secretaries of the Interior and the United States Army as well as the Attorney General of the United States, the groups questioned the federal governments decision to cease construction on the Dakota Access pipeline project.

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

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