As the President & CEO of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), I am writing to implore Congress to avert a rail strike at all costs. The association’s 400 members are a critical part of effectively implementing the bipartisan infrastructure bill. They rely heavily on freight rail to get products where they need to be. A freight rail strike would have a tremendous impact on our industry’s ability to supply the construction materials needed for projects around the country.

As Congress works to find agreement on a continuing resolution, the undersigned organizations ask that the overwhelmingly bipartisan S. 3011/H.R. 5735 be included in any stopgap spending package.  This legislation allows states and localities additional flexibility to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for a range of transportation purposes. The ARP law provided $350 billion in state and local government relief funds and $10 billion in capital improvement assistance.  As states continue to recover from the pandemic, new economic headwinds and rising costs have emerged.

The National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association (NSSGA) is the leading voice and advocate for the aggregates industry. We are committed to fulfilling the critical role the aggregates industry will play in providing billions of tons of aggregates the necessary to achieve the IIJA’s goals. The NSSGA submits this comment in response the Department of Transportation (DOT) Request for Information (RFI) Docket No.

On behalf of the members of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), I am writing to share our strong support of the Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act. I thank the committee for their leadership in drafting this legislation that will improve shipping conditions, allowing America’s aggregates producers to move essential building materials and industrial sand to the market. NSSGA is the leading voice and advocate for the aggregates industry. It is no secret that rail service conditions are failing for the aggregates industry.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – NSSGA Board Chair and President of Bond Construction Corp. Karen Hubacz spoke to the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee today about the impact of inflation on the aggregates industry. The House T&I Committee Republicans this morning held a roundtable discussion on the “Inflation Crisis Impacts on Infrastructure,” hosted by Ranking Member Sam Graves (MO). 

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) President and CEO Michael Johnson issued the following statement after President Biden asked Congress to approve legislation to suspend collection of the federal gas tax for three months.

The Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM) coalition and the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) opposes any and all efforts to undermine recent and historic infrastructure investments, including suspending federal and state motor fuel user fees, commonly known as “gas taxes.” American consumers are facing significant economic anxieties brought about by record inflation, continuing supply chain issues, high energy prices, labor shortages, and continued concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) represent thousands of companies who are responsible for creating and supplying construction materials needed to build our infrastructure and communities.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides you with a unique opportunity to directly confront the supply-chain challenges that are adversely impacting the U.S. economy and the daily lives of all Americans. We urge you to dedicate as much as allowable by law in discretionary grants for FY 2022 to support projects that will facilitate and ease the movement of goods. Over the past two years, the supply chain has endured extreme slowdowns due to pandemic-related pressures.

The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (“NSSGA”) submits these written comments to the Surface Transportation Board (“STB” or “Board”) pursuant to the April 7, 2022, Notice from the STB in the proceeding referenced above, which permits “written comments by any other interested person” concerning freight service. NSSGA members use freight rail to supply aggregates, particularly in fast growing metropolitan areas. The Association of American Railroads (“AAR”) estimates that freight rail moved 1.1 million rail cars of stone, sand, and gravel in 2020.