The undersigned associations (collectively, the “Coalition”) offer the following comments in response to the Council on Environmental Quality’s (“CEQ’s”) proposed National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) Implementing Regulations Revisions Phase 2 (“Proposed Rule”). Our organizations represent a diverse set of economic sectors that form the backbone of the American economy – agriculture, energy, construction, mining, forestry, manufacturing, transportation, and other sectors.

The Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity (PPWO) and the 107 undersigned organizations write to you to request a 60-day extension to the comment period on the agency’s above-referenced notice of proposed rulemaking in order to provide the regulated community with sufficient time to analyze and respond to the Wage and Hour Division’s (WHD) proposed changes to the overtime pay exemptions for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees.

The undersigned organizations, representing millions of small businesses operating in every community across the country, write in strong support of the Protecting Small Business Information Act of 2023 (H.R. 4035). By delaying the Corporate Transparency Act’s (CTA) reporting requirements from taking effect until a robust regulatory framework is put into place, your legislation will help ensure affected businesses are not subjected to an overly burdensome and unpredictable compliance regime.

The undersigned organizations respectfully urge a comment period extension of at least 45 days on the Council on Environmental Quality’s (“CEQ’s”) proposed rule to amend the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), including the implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act’s significant amendments to NEPA. The undersigned organizations represent many sectors of our economy. Our industries drive economic growth, from telecom to ports, airlines to automakers, energy, construction and labor, real estate, mining, trucking, manufacturing and more.

The undersigned organizations representing the Rail Customer Coalition (RCC) urge the renomination of Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin Oberman and Member Patrick Fuchs. The RCC is a collection of trade associations representing a broad cross-section of manufacturing, agricultural, energy and other industries that depend on the railroads to deliver reliable and affordable service so our members can remain competitive in the global market. Our members collectively provide more than 7 million jobs and produce more than $4.8 trillion in economic output.

On behalf of the Jobs and Careers Coalition (JCC), we appreciate the HELP Committee’s July 27 executive session to markup five bills drafted to address America’s workforce shortages. Despite job gains, the disconnect between job openings and workers filling those jobs is such that there would be 1.9 million more workers on the payrolls if the Labor Force Participation Rate was the same as in February 2020. The JCC is a Washington, DC-based business group focused on job training and workforce development.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association, and Portland Cement Association would like to share our opposition to Perry Amendment #58 to the National Defense Authorization Act. Collectively, the cement, concrete, asphalt, and aggregates industries are working to reduce our carbon footprint. A critical part of that is advancing the use of lower-carbon versions of these critical construction materials that are market ready and recognized by consensus-based standards setting organizations.

The undersigned diverse group of construction and business associations strongly support the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1209/S. 537) ––introduced by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind.––and urges members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability to vote in support of this legislation at the markup expected to occur on June 12.

The undersigned business groups strongly support the introduction of your Main Street Tax Certainty Act of 2023, legislation to make permanent the 20-percent deduction for small- and individually-owned businesses (Section 199A). Your legislation would provide certainty to the millions of S corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships that rely on the Section 199A deduction to remain competitive both here and overseas. Individually- and family-owned businesses organized as pass-throughs are the backbone of the American economy.

The 32 undersigned organizations oppose the following bills being considered at the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee markup on June 21, 2023: the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (“PRO”) Act (S. 567), the Healthy Families Act (S. 1664), and the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 728).