AGC Tells Senate Committee to Complete Action on Highway Reauthorization Bill

This week, Tom Foss, President of Griffith Company, Brea, California presented AGC testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee on the importance of transportation investments to the National economy and jobs. Foss emphasized that the construction industry, like other businesses relay on a well functioning transportation system for delivery of materials and products to job sites and, therefore, called for increased investment to improve system functionality. Foss pointed out that unemployment in the construction industry is currently running at over 24 percent and that additional highway and transportation investment is needed to remedy this situation. AGC's testimony pointed out that transportation funding in the stimulus legislation has saved construction jobs but that more funding was needed. Foss also called for enactment of a long term SAFETEA-LU reauthorization with increased funding to bring long term economic growth and certainty to the highway construction market. EPW Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Cal) said she is committed to getting a six year highway bill completed this year. She called the hearing the first step in accomplishing this goal.