Left: Congressman Earl Blumenauer (left), Ways and Means Committee member, talks with Don Weaver (right) after the hearing.
AGC Highway and Transportation Division Chairman Don Weaver, Weaver Bailey Contractors (El Paso, Ark.), testified before the House Ways and Means Committee asking for action to ensure that the Highway Trust Fund has sufficient revenue to reimburse states for on-going construction contracts through the end of fiscal year 2009 and into 2010. Weaver also pointed out the need to enact a six year transportation reauthorization measure and to provide sufficient revenue to address the nation's growing transportation infrastructure deficit.
Weaver's testimony recommended that the federal highway user fee be increased by 18 cents to return the purchasing power that has been lost due to inflation in construction materials since the fee last increased in 1993. AGC's testimony also called for creation of a federal commission to set and raise highway user fee rates in the future and called for increased use of tolling, private funding and other revenue sources to supplement user fees. "Our highways are crowded and crumbling while our country is growing and demanding," he said. "Increased investment is necessary."
For more information, contact Brian Deery at (703) 837-5319 or deeryb@agc.org.
