“Well maybe things have to get worse before they get better!”
Comment by a member of Congress at recent Legislative Fly-In
in response to a NAPA Member’s report of job losses related to lack of highway funding.

Tell Your Member of Congress to Make Highway Bill a Priority!

STATUS: 10 months have passed since the expiration of SAFETEA-LU and it appears Congress will not take action on a multi-year reauthorization bill before the mid-term elections in November. As state and local governments slash highway spending, and the private markets remain soft, unemployment in the transportation construction industry hovers at 20%. Stimulus funding will begin to wane in the fourth quarter of 2010 casting an air of uncertainty over the 2011 highway market.

Without predictable, multi-year highway funding at the federal level, state transportation departments will not start new projects and contractors will not be able to plan beyond the short-term extensions. The program is currently funded by a short-term extension lasting through December 2010. Over the past two years, the Highway Trust Fund has had to “borrow” $36 billion from general fund revenues, undermining the user-fee principle and the public’s trust. Without additional revenues, we are facing a 30-50% cut in the federal program as early as 2012.

ACTION NEEDED: We need to create and “outside-the-beltway” movement to make the Highway Bill a priority in Washington. NAPA is working with members of the Transportation Construction Coalition and the Americans for Transportation Mobility Coalition to launch this campaign. Congress will not act on a reauthorization bill unless they hear from you.

NAPA urges you to meet with your Member of Congress during the August district work period August 2- September 9, 2010. You elected them to Congress and only you can hold them accountable.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: The following information will assist you in setting up the meetings:

• Link to identify and contact your Member of Congress
• Information about the pending highway funding crisis
• Talking points on why Congress needs to take action on highway legislation
• Instructions on how to arrange meetings and questions to ask
• Congressional meeting feedback form
• TRIP state-by-state fact sheets
• Impacts of recurring delays and extensions
• Highway Construction Materials Group White Paper
• Report on jobs in the Asphalt Pavement Industry