AGC contractors descend on Capitol Hill – urging Congress to finalize highway reauthorization

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) rallied contractors from across the nation to attend the 2005 Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) fly-in, held in Washington, D.C. recently, in an effort to urge Congress to pass the critically-needed and long-delayed highway reauthorization bill.

AGC also issued a “call to action” to its members, taking the fight to the state level, and asking Governors to demand quick enactment of TEA-21 by Congress. Through AGC’s Legislative Action Center (LAC), AGC contractors are able to send letters to their Governors urging their involvement in the critical bill. The letter can be found at www.agc.org/lac.

“Due to the 107th Congress failure to complete action on a six-year transportation reauthorization bill, highway and transit programs are operating under the sixth extension set to expire May 31,” said AGC CEO Stephen E. Sandherr. “Now is the time to enact proper legislation to protect one of our nation’s most valuable assets – transportation infrastructure.”

Contractors attended a legislative briefing on April 26 detailing the importance of Congressional action on TEA-21 Reauthorization where they were addressed by Sandherr, Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.), House Transportation Committee Staff Director and others. Following their meetings with legislators, where they discussed the affects of the delayed bill, fly-in participants gathered at AGC’s legislative headquarters on Capitol Hill to report on the results of those meetings.