Top ARTBA 2008 Legislative-Regulatory Objectives

Government Affairs

During 2008, ARTBA's government affairs team will:

Champion efforts in Congress to preserve the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund's Highway Account through FY 2009 and prevent a cut in federal highway investment to the states.
Promote the comprehensive recommendations of the ARTBA SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization Task Force with members of Congress, the Bush Administration, the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission and other stakeholders to build support for ARTBA's call to increase investment in the core federal highway and transit programs, and establish "Critical Commerce Corridors," to facilitate the movement of freight.
Secure full-funding of SAFETEA-LU guaranteed investment requirements for the federal highway and transit programs during the FY 2009 appropriations process.
Work with congressional offices and the Bush Administration to complete reauthorization of VISION-100, the federal aviation program law. Critical infrastructure funding for airports large and small are provided through this bill and it is vitally important increases are included in the final version to help relieve aviation congestion.
Utilize ARTBA's leadership role in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-led Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM) coalition and the ARTBA co-chaired Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) to work with the business and transportation construction communities to ensure support for expanded transportation capital investments, and protect SAFETEA-LU's funding guarantees and policy provisions. ATM and TCC are also focused on increasing investment levels in the SAFETEA-LU reauthorization legislation.
Lead transportation construction industry market protection activities in the environmental arena, including:

work with materials industry groups to ensure labor and health related legislation does not impede on the extraction and use of safe construction supplies;
supporting legislative and regulatory efforts to expedite the delivery of transportation improvement projects by opposing irresponsible environmental reforms which delay sorely needed maintenance and improvement of our nation's infrastructure;
looking for targets of opportunity to advance the interests of the transportation construction industry in federal rulemaking and study development, particularly in environmental, safety and health areas.

Work with general business-construction coalitions, to help advance business relief measures (i.e., repeal of government contract withholding provision, and comprehensive immigration reform) and protect transportation construction industry interests in labor-related legislative and regulatory issues (i.e., hours-of-service and mandated benefits).
Advance federal initiatives that call for increased transportation capital investment through public-private partnerships and innovative financing programs for capacity expansion.