ARTBA for ARTBA

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

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

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 actively supported passage of H.R. 22, the "Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy" Act in the Senate and urged the House of Representatives to pass similar legislation. ARTBA urged members of the House and Senate to fully fund the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. ARTBA offered support for reforms to federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations in S. 1732, the Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act of 2015.

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

Bills named: H.R. 22 (114th), S. 1732 (114th)

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.

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

Energy/Nuclear ENG

ARTBA supported H.R. 702, legislation aimed at ending obsolete restrictions on crude oil exports.

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

Bills named: H.R. 702 (114th)

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

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