Thank You for Contacting Your Senators and Asking Them for Their Support
The Senate voted 62-36 yesterday to begin debate on the long-term highway & transit bill known as the “Drive Act.” The vote now opens the bill up for debate, amendments and hopefully approval before the July 31 program expiration deadline. Thank you to all who contacted their senators asking them to support beginning debate on this bill. Please now take a moment to thank your Senators who voted “yes” and express your disappointment to your Senators who voted “no” to move this transportation bill forward in the Senate.
Today’s vote became necessary when a similar Senate vote failed yesterday largely along party lines. Democrats were concerned that they had not been given enough time to review the proposed bill after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member Barbara Boxer (D-Cal.) announced they had reached an agreement. A summary of the changes to the offsets and the original bill can be found here and here. A summary of the entire DRIVE Act can be found here.
This is not the end but rather the start of a serious effort to end the long string of short-term extensions that have plagued the highway and transit programs over the last several years. The bill still faces many obstacles before it can be adopted, including efforts to attach extraneous amendments unrelated to transportation. If the Senate adopts the bill, it then faces an uncertain future in the House, which has already passed a five-month extension through the end of the year. Both the House and Senate will be in recess for the month of August, so time is short.
AGC chapters and members were very active in contacting their senators over the past several days through the Hardhats for Highways campaign. In order to have a successful outcome, contact with your elected representatives is vital.
AGC will be monitoring the debate and will alert you when further contact may be necessary on key provisions impacting the construction industry. Your support is necessary and appreciated.
For more information, please contact Brian Deery at deeryb@agc.org or (703) 837-5319. Return to Top