With a vote of 74-22, the Senate on March 14 passed its two-year, $109 billion highway and mass transit bill. The House’s efforts at crafting a five-year bill have hit roadblocks in recent weeks because of bipartisan opposition to parts of its legislation. Congress now will reportedly focus on extending SAFETEA-LU yet again, as the current extension of the highway legislation expires on March 31.
Prior to the Senate’s vote on March 14, Jim Riley, director of government affairs for NSSGA, spoke at the association’s AGG1 booth in Charlotte, N.C., about the current situation in Washington, D.C., and NSSGA’s efforts to help move highway legislation through Congress. The association held a “Jam the Switchboards” initiative on March 14 in which members spent one hour calling their congressional representatives.
“It’s not just important for aggregate producers but also for state DOTs, equipment manufacturers, equipment distributors … anybody who has a stake in roads being built,” Riley said of a long-term highway bill. “They need that certainty to plan for their businesses.”
