ARTBA for ARTBA

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.

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

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

ARTBA staff met with various congressional offices to urge inclusion of a long-term Highway Trust Fund revenue solution in any legislation with a tax title or as a stand-alone measure.

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

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 urged members of the House of Representatives to support the House amendment to S. 3021, the "America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018," providing investment for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' civil works projects. ARTBA staff participated in a panel discussion on the future of the national transportation system at a FHWA senior leadership meeting.

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

Bills named: S. 3021 (115th)

Copyright/Patent/Trademark CPT

ARTBA met with Department of Transportation officials to alert them to a petition ARTBA filed with the Federal Highway Administration requesting the withdrawal of 23 CFR 635.411, the "patented and proprietary products rule." The rule prohibits state contracting agencies from using federal funds to acquire patented or proprietary materials, products, or services, except under certain limited circumstances.

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

Trucking/Shipping TRU

ARTBA staff met with House staff to discuss legislative reforms to the federal Hours of Service regulations. ARTBA maintains that transportation construction professionals should be exempt from the Hours of Service rules.

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

Budget/Appropriations BUD

ARTBA urged appropriators to provide the full amount for federal transportation programs authorized in the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act plus additional supplemental infrastructure investments pursuant to the 2017 two-year budget deal. ARTBA urged appropriators to fully fund the United States Army Corps of Engineers navigation program.

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

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 cap. ARTBA staff worked with House and Senate offices to ensure any effort to expand the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act to Airports as part of the Aviation Program Reauthorization was funded using revenue already ensured to other modes of transportation.

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

Government Issues GOV

ARTBA met with Department of Transportation officials to discuss regulatory reform priorities. ARTBA urged members of the House of Representatives and the Senate preserve the language of section 630 of the House Financial Services and General Government apprpriations bill defunding the Federal Election Commission's enforcement of the prior approval requirement for corporate member trade association political action committees.

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

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. Urged the President to rescind Executive Order 13502 and replace it with Executive orders 13202 and 13208. This would prevent project labor agreements from being required on federal or federally assisted construction contracts.

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

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. ARTBA signed on to a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee supporting S. 3303, "the Wter QUality Certification Improvement Act of 2018." The legislation aims to clarify permitting obligations under the Clean Water Act.

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

Bills named: S. 3303 (115th)

Real Estate/Land Use/Conservation RES

ARTBA sent a letter to Senator Barrasso (R-Wyo) thanking him for introducing the "Endangered Species Act Amendments of 2018." ARTBA staff also attended a meeting with Senate Environment and Public Works Committee staff to discuss the proposed legislation. The meeting contained representatives from multiple sectors (transportation, energy, and environment).

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