On October 21, the AGC co-chaired Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) began a 13-state ad campaign targeting six House Democrats and nine House Republicans to press for passage of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan (physical) infrastructure bill, formally entitled the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill includes a five-year surface transportation reauthorization with record levels of investment for transportation construction, including more than $350 billion for roads and bridges. For more information on this ad campaign, click HERE.

After a week of high tensions and continued disagreement on a path forward for passing the bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cancelled a vote on the Senate-passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that, among other things, would reauthorize federal-aid surface transportation programs for 5 years. The Congressional Progressive Caucus and House Republicans both declined to support the bill due to political disagreements over its connection to the separate, partisan reconciliation bill, the Build Back Better Plan. As such, surface transportation programs, including the highway, transit, and rail construction programs, lapsed for a little over a day on October 1st before House and Senate lawmakers passed a one-month extension of current law the morning of Saturday, October 2. On October 1, 3,700 federal Department of Transportation workers were furloughed, creating uncertainty in state transportation agencies across the country. On Sept. 30, AGC joined 33 other industry partners in again urging the House to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill. AGC is very disappointed that this historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure has yet again been delayed and will continue calling on the House to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as soon as possible.

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House Republican Leadership & Progressive Democrats Unite Against Bill

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the announcement today that the House Republican leadership will encourage its party members to vote against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill:

Action is needed before the current one-year extension of the FAST Act surface transportation law expires September 30. The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by the Senate over a month ago includes a record-breaking five-year surface transportation reauthorization and additional investments to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure. The House of Representatives has yet to vote on the bill, as Speaker Pelosi holds it for leverage to pass upwards of a $3.5 trillion human infrastructure bill. Meanwhile, thousands of construction jobs and projects are on the line. Not only will further delay impede a wide variety of new projects from hitting the street to bid, but funding for ongoing construction projects is also in jeopardy. If the bipartisan infrastructure bill does not pass before September 30, the federal-aid highway and transit construction programs will expire, causing a slowdown and eventual end to federal payments to states for transportation construction projects already underway.

The Associated General Contractors of America is installing a new billboard in the Pittsburgh area to call out Congressman Conor Lamb for voting to keep his constituents stuck in highway traffic. The billboard, which is located along one of the most congested commuter corridors in the Congressman’s district, includes a link for commuters to learn more about the Congressman’s vote.

Every State will See Benefits from this Historic Level of Investment

Set a Non-Binding Sept. 27 Deadline; Highway & Transit Programs Expire Sept. 30

On August 5, President Biden signed an Executive Order setting a new target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles. The Executive Order also initiates development of long-term fuel efficiency and emissions standards. In conjunction with this Order, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation will soon announce how they plan to counter regulatory action on efficiency and emissions standards developed by the previous administration. These announcements, along with increased consumer interest in electric vehicles, makes clear that Congress must seriously address the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. As more electric and fuel-efficient vehicles join the nation’s auto fleet each year, gas tax revenue, which provides the lion’s share of funding for building our nation’s highway and bridge infrastructure, will continue to decline.