Town Hall Meetings Address Transportation and Jobs

AGC participated in a town hall-style meeting with U.S. Department of Transportation's top leaders who addressed the next long-term transportation bill. This meeting was the final event in the Department's series of "listening tours" leading up to release of its principles the surface transportation reauthorization. The senior DOT officials provided very few specifics about their current thoughts regarding various aspects of a surface transportation bill and provided no answer when asked when they will release their principles. DOT officials did however pledge their support for a long-term funding authorization and expressed the need to expedite the process of approving and finishing construction projects. The Congressional Democratic leadership met with President Obama at the White House this week to discuss the legislative agenda for the remaining weeks before the Congressional summer recess. While vowing to continue to emphasize job creation and economic recovery, not included in the discussions were passing additional stimulus legislation with transportation funding or moving the long-stalled multiyear surface transportation reauthorization legislation. AGC's CEO Steve Sandherr participated in a town hall meeting called by House republican leadership with the leaders of the business community to discuss steps that can be taken to create jobs. Sandherr reminded the participants about the depressed state of the construction industry and made the following points: • Infrastructure investment must be a national priority so that free trade is not restricted by transportation delays. • Private investment finances 70% of construction projects and maintaining the tax cuts enacted during the Bush Administration is necessary to provide needed capital for investment. • A moratorium on new federal regulations should be implemented to remove uncertainty, cost of compliance, and increased business costs.