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
- NSSGA CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBER TO ATTEND HIGHWAY BILL SIGNING CEREMONY
- NEPA TASK FORCE HEARING HELD IN NEW MEXICO; NEXT HEARING TO FOCUS ON SOUTHEAST U.S.
- NSSGA GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE SCHEDULES CONFERENCE CALL
- USE THE AUGUST RECESS TO MEET WITH YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
NSSGA CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBER TO ATTEND HIGHWAY BILL SIGNING CEREMONY
President Bush will sign the $286.4 billion highway reauthorization bill, H.R. 3, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), this Wednesday, Aug. 10, at NSSGA M&S Division member Caterpillar's facility in Aurora, Ill. NSSGA Chairman Rick Feltes of Feltes Sand & Gravel, NSSGA President & CEO Joy Wilson, and NSSGA Board of Directors member Mike Larson of Elmer Larson, LLC have all been invited by the White House and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to attend the bill signing ceremony.White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said the president "will sign the transportation legislation and make remarks" at the ceremony.
Just prior to passage of the bill last week, Congress passed yet another extension of authority through Aug. 14 to keep highway, transit and safety programs in operation while arrangements were made for the bill signing ceremony.
The decision to hold the signing in the home district of Speaker Hastert is widely seen as a show of appreciation by the administration for the influence that he exerted in obtaining agreement on the long-delayed highway and transit reauthorization bill. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) expired on Sept. 30, 2003, and federal-aid programs were continued via 12 short-term extensions.
SAFETEA-LU reflects a 38 percent increase over the guaranteed funding levels of TEA 21. The five-year total from fiscal year 2005 through 2009 is $244.15 billion. Contract authority is set at $295 billion, and an $8.6 billion rescission of old contract authority is not slated to take place until the end of fiscal year 2009, the final year of the bill.
NSSGA applauds the enactment of SAFETEA-LU and the certainty that it will bring to the states, localities and businesses reliant upon the stability of a long-term highway bill.
NEPA TASK FORCE HEARING HELD IN NEW MEXICO; NEXT HEARING TO FOCUS ON SOUTHEAST U.S.
On Monday, Aug. 1, the NEPA Task Force held its fourth of six public hearings designed to help lawmakers determine the effectiveness of the environmental law in Rio Rancho, N.M. The House Task Force, chaired by Rep. Cathy McMorris (R-Wash.), heard testimony from 14 witnesses at the two and a half hour hearing. The next hearing has not yet been scheduled, but will focus on the Southeastern states including Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.The Task Force is interested in receiving comments on the impacts of NEPA on business and how it can be improved. Comments can range from a paragraph to several pages and should focus on the impact of the statute on your operations, e.g. has it delayed projects, has it met the original intent of Congress, what are the economic impacts of implementation. We urge NSSGA members to submit comments to the Task Force at nepataskforce@mail.house.gov.
NSSGA has assisted in arranging for several aggregate industry representatives to testify before the Task Force and will continue to monitor the field hearings and remain an active participant in the NEPA Task Force effort.
NSSGA GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE SCHEDULES CONFERENCE CALL
NSSGA's Government Affairs Committee will hold a conference call on Monday, Aug. 15 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. The call will focus on the details of SAFETEA-LU, the TEA 21 reauthorization bill. State Aggregate Association Executives and Washington representatives of member companies are invited to join the Government Affairs call. If you plan to participate, please contact Patricia Maeder for the call-in number.
USE THE AUGUST RECESS TO MEET WITH YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
Take time during the August Recess to meet with your elected officials in their home offices. This is a wonderful opportunity to thank your elected officials for their support of the passage of SAFETEA-LU and continue to stress the importance of highway funding in the appropriations bill. Please remember to reference NSSGA's Legislative Action Center for helpful resources; including in depth information on NSSGA's legislative priorities.