Jim Riley, Director, Government Affairs
John Boling, Director, Government Affairs
Joe Colaneri, Director, Government Affairs
Patricia Maeder, Division Coordinator
www.nssga.org
Action Center
e-Digest
- SENATE REAUTHORIZATION BILL EXAMINES PROGRESSIVE FUNDING SCHEMES
- SPECTER CONTINUES TO PUSH ASBESTOS TRUST FUND LEGISLATION
- EPW COMMITTEE APPROVES WATER RESOURCES LEGISLATION
- NEPA AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION RULES UNDER REVIEW
- COMMITTEE PASSES OSHA REFORM BILLS
- HOUSE VOTES PERMANENT REPEAL OF THE DEATH TAX; SENATE CONSIDERS COMPROMISE
- SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE MARKS UP FAX BAN LEGISLATION
- NSSGA HOSTS CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE; MEETS WITH NEW MEMBERS OF T&I COMMITTEE
- APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR '06 JENNIFER CURTIS BYLER SCHOLARSHIP
- REGISTER NOW FOR TCC FLY-IN AND PUSH FOR SENATE ACTION ON TEA 21 REAUTHORIZATION
- MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE NSSGA 2005 CONGRESSIONAL AWARDS
SENATE REAUTHORIZATION BILL EXAMINES PROGRESSIVE FUNDING SCHEMES
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said April 12 that even if floor consideration of the transportation reauthorization bill (S. 732) slips into May, he could see a conference reconciling the bills in less than a month. (The latest extension of the highway program expires on May 31.) Inhofe still prefers that the full Senate consider the measure before the chamber adjourns April 29 for a one-week recess.The key issue in the reauthorization struggle is the level of funding for the six-year bill. The White House insists that the bill be funded at no more than $284 billion over six years. The House-passed reauthorization's funding level is $284 billion. The Senate Finance Committee marked up its highway financing package on Tuesday, April 19. The Committee funded a $284 billion six-year package, but an amendment to increase the funding level is expected to be offered on the Senate floor.
A broader test of methods for basing highway taxes on the number of miles driven rather than the gallons of gas consumed is authorized in the draft legislation the Finance Committee approved. Transportation Department officials want to study alternatives to taxing gasoline by the gallon to prevent revenue declines as vehicles become more fuel-efficient or are eventually powered by alternative fuels. The Finance package will allocate 18.3 cents of the 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal tax on gasoline to highway and mass transit projects, with the remaining 0.1 cent diverted to the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Fund. The Senate bill contains revenue provisions similar to those passed by the House in March in its version of the highway reauthorization (H.R. 3).
NSSGA with its coalition partners in the TCC and ATM continue pressing for consideration before the May Senate recess. The ATM is running ads in the states of Senate leadership. The TCC will run ads in Capitol Hill press in conjunction with the TCC Fly-In.
SPECTER CONTINUES TO PUSH ASBESTOS TRUST FUND LEGISLATION
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) keeps pushing a rock uphill. If not yet mythical, Specter's effort is at least heroic. Chairman Specter said on April 11 that within the week, he expects to introduce a bipartisan bill that would create a $140 billion trust fund to compensate workers who were exposed to asbestos. Specter said he is shopping for cosponsors on his bill, the introduction of which may be imminent. Specter said the Senate Judiciary Committee will mark up the bill before the end of April but did not give a specific date.Specter's draft bill would establish a privately funded, no-fault trust fund to compensate workers exposed to asbestos based on the severity of their conditions. Businesses and insurers would pay into the fund for an estimated 30 years. NSSGA's main concern with this legislation has been and remains the definitions sections. We have worked successfully to protect our nonasbestiform production within that framework. We are satisfied that the current Specter draft does not affect our operations. Nonetheless, we shall remain vigilant should the Specter bill continue to gather momentum.
EPW COMMITTEE APPROVES WATER RESOURCES LEGISLATION
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved legislation last week to authorize water resources projects. The bill (S. 728), approved on a voice vote, would authorize projects under the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) over two years to support improved navigation, flood control, and environmental restoration. Although Congress traditionally reauthorizes WRDA every two years, they have not passed a WRDA bill since 2000. The legislation would authorize nearly $2.5 billion for seven new locks on the Mississippi River and billions more for other projects. NSSGA has supported efforts to achieve passage of the WRDA bill that has gotten caught up in Davis-Bacon issues in previous congresses. The outlook for passage this year is uncertain.
NEPA AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION RULES UNDER REVIEW
The House Resources Committee has formed a Congressional Task Force headed by Rep. Cathy McMorris (R-Wash.) to review the National Environmental Policy Act. The first field hearing of the Task Force will be on "The Role of NEPA in the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska" in Spokane, Wash. on Saturday, April 23, at 10 a.m. at the Washington State University, Riverpoint Campus. The next hearing will be on May 14 in Fresno, California, covering the states of Arizona and Nevada. Future hearings are planned for Utah and Texas. For more information, click here.The House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands plans to hold an oversight hearing on the National Historical Preservation Act later this week. The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), will focus on what businesses and individuals have to go through in order to accommodate historical preservation boards or secure their approval; who is responsible for locating historical properties; which properties should be protected; and whether or not the Act protects geographical areas. The National Parks Service, Advisory Council on Historical Preservation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Cellular Telephone Industry, and others are expected to testify. For more information, please contact John Boling.
COMMITTEE PASSES OSHA REFORM BILLS
The House Education and Workforce Committee approved four bills last week designed to make modest, but much-needed reforms to improve workplace safety. The four bills, introduced by Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairman Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.), are designed to improve worker safety by making it easier for employers to work voluntarily and proactively with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure workplaces are as safe and secure as possible. The House of Representatives approved similar legislation last Congress, only to see the bills languish in the Senate. It is unclear if these bills will progress further this Congress.
HOUSE VOTES PERMANENT REPEAL OFTHE DEATH TAX; SENATE CONSIDERS COMPROMISE
The U.S. House of Representatives on April 13 passed H.R. 8 by a margin of 272 to 162 to make permanent the repeal of the estate tax. Proponents argued that the measure is necessary to spare small business owners and farmers from an unfair tax set to return to 2001 levels in 2011 unless action is taken before then. Opponents couched their opposition in terms of the ballooning deficit and other national priorities.The bill now moves to the Senate where there is greater bipartisan cooperation on it than in previous years. One issue to be resolved by the Senate is whether they will pass outright repeal as the House did or reach a compromise that would exempt most taxpayers without completely repealing the tax. Such a compromise would garner several additional Democrat votes needed for passage.
NSSGA supports permanent repeal of the estate tax in order to eliminate the inordinate burden this tax places on family-owned and small businesses.
SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE MARKS UP FAX BAN LEGISLATION
The Senate Commerce Committee held a mark up of S. 714, the "Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005" on April 14 where two minor amendments to the bill were adopted. One of the amendments will require that recipients be able to opt-out of receiving future faxes at any time 24-hours a day, seven days a week, whereas the original bill required that access to the opt-out mechanism be available only during normal business hours. The other amendment will shorten the time before which the Federal Communications Commission can consider whether to issue new regulations defining Existing Business Relationship (EBR). Language requiring the FCC to determine that there have been abuses of the EBR exemption before proceeding with issuing new regulations defining an EBR remains in the bill. The EBR exemption contained in the bill would negate the need for businesses and trade associations to obtain the written authorization for its current business communications. NSSGA, as a member of the Fax Ban Coalition, is working to ensure passage of the established business relationship exemption as quickly as possible.
NSSGA HOSTS CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE; MEETS WITH NEW MEMBERS OF T&I COMMITTEE
NSSGA President and CEO, Joy Wilson, co-hosted a fundraiser last week for congressional candidate Dawn Gibbons. The event featured special guest Don Young (R-Alaska), Chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Dawn Gibbons is planning to run for Nevada's 2nd Congressional District seat, which is held by her husband, Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.), who is considering a run for governor. Mrs. Gibbons was a guest at ROCKPAC's Major Donor Reception in Las Vegas last month. NSSGA also attended two "meet and greets" last week for newly elected Representatives Kenny Merchant (R-Texas) and Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.). Both events gave NSSGA the opportunity to introduce the association and our top legislative priorities to two of the new members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR '06 JENNIFER CURTIS BYLER SCHOLARSHIP
The Jennifer Curtis Byler Scholarship Fund provides an annual scholarship to the child of an aggregates industry employee who wishes to pursue collegiate studies in public or government affairs. Applications are being accepted until May 31. Contact the Government Affairs Division if you have questions.
REGISTER NOW FOR TCC FLY-IN AND PUSH FOR SENATE ACTION ON TEA 21 REAUTHORIZATION
Plan to come to Capitol Hill next week as part of the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) spring Fly-In, April 26-27, at the Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. NSSGA is holding a Government Affairs Committee meeting from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April 26 at the Hotel Washington in the Federal Room before the start of the fly-in. Lunch will be served, followed by a one-hour meeting of the ROCKPAC Trustees beginning at 1:00 p.m.Your presence is needed now more than ever to show Congress that we must stop "transportation legislation by extension" and get a proper long-term program authorized, funded and underway!
The TCC General Session will begin at 2:30 p.m. on April 26, and a Congressional reception will follow at 6:00 p.m. The morning of April 27 will begin with a breakfast speaker followed by a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. The fly-in comes at a critical time in TEA 21 reauthorization, with only one month remaining until the expiration of the May 31 extension. In addition to TEA 21 reauthorization, Congress will be trying to negotiate the funding levels for the 13 annual appropriations bills, including Transportation-Treasury appropriations.
The Hotel Washington is now sold out. If you still need to make accommodations, the TCC has found two hotel alternatives; State Plaza Hotel and Doubletree Guest Suites, located in close proximity to the Hotel Washington. If you have not already done so, please
See the TCC Fly-in preliminary agenda.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE NSSGA 2005 CONGRESSIONAL AWARDS
On Oct. 11, NSSGA will host its 2005 Congressional Awards Dinner which recognizes members of Congress who, through their votes, have demonstrated continually that they are pro-aggregates and pro-business. This is an opportunity for leaders in the aggregates industry to express appreciation for the support of these individuals as well as to enhance or establish relationships with lawmakers. Please join NSSGA as we acknowledge, thank and award our Congressional allies in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The 2005 Congressional Awards reception and dinner will be held at the Cannon House Office Building's historic Caucus Room 345 from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. Additional details will be forthcoming. This event is being held in conjunction with the ESH Forum and fall Executive Committee Meeting.