Highway coalition urges Congress to finalize appropriations

In a letter to congressional leaders, the American Highway Users Alliance said more work needs to be done in order to fulfill the promise of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The coalition, made up of dozens of organization’s including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, wrote to leaders in the House and Senate on Monday, Jan. 24.

“Our coalition of public and private sector stakeholders in the transportation industry first write to extend our appreciation for robust transportation infrastructure funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” the letter stated.

“With that said, we can begin to fulfill the promise of the IIJA expected by the public only when full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2022 becomes available – the outcome that all of the signing organizations recognize and fully and unreservedly support.”

Appropriations bill

The coalition noted that the House and Senate have yet to resolve their differences to finalize negotiations for 2022 appropriations, including for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and is relying on another continuing resolution through Feb. 18.

“Without a full-year appropriations bill, we anticipate that states, local governments and public transit agencies will not be able to access the IIJA’s roughly 20% funding increase for highway formula programs and more than 30% increase for public transit formula programs, along with any new transportation initiatives, that Congress provided for in the IIJA,” the American Highway Users Alliance wrote.

The coalition is advocating for a full-year appropriations bill and says that a delay of almost six months since the beginning of the fiscal year is “unacceptable and will cause significant project disruptions.”

“Given the hard work and effort that Congress put into the IIJA, we urge you to put the much-needed infrastructure and safety investments envisioned in this bipartisan package to work as soon as possible,” the coalition wrote. “We do not make this request lightly, but if Congress again finds itself unable to finish the THUD appropriations bill by Feb. 18, we ask that Congress includes an anomaly to provide full obligation limitation levels in any future continuing resolutions in order to fully honor the IIJA’s funding levels for all transportation-related programs.”

The highway coalition:

• Alliance for Automotive Innovation
• American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
• American Bus Association
• American Coal Ash Association
• American Concrete Pavement Association
• American Concrete Pipe Association
• American Concrete Pumping Association
• American Council of Engineering Companies
• American Foundry Society
• American Highway Users Alliance
• American Institute of Steel Construction
• American Iron and Steel Institute
• American Public Works Association
• American Road and Transportation Builders Association
• American Society of Civil Engineers
• American Subcontractors Association
• American Traffic Safety Services Association
• American Trucking Associations
• Associated Equipment Distributors
• Associated General Contractors of America
• Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure
• Association of Equipment Manufacturers
• Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
• Auto Care Association
• Community Transportation Association of America
• Construction & Demolition Recycling Association
• Design-Build Institute of America
• FP2
• Government Finance Officers Association
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• Institute of Makers of Explosives
• Institute of Transportation Engineers
• International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association
• ITS America
• League of American Bicyclists
• National Asphalt Pavement Association
• National Association of Counties
• National Association of County Engineers
• National Association of Development Organizations
• National Association of Regional Councils
• National Association of Surety Bond Producers
• National League of Cities
• National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
• National Retail Federation
• National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association
• National Safety Council
• National Society of Professional Surveyors
• National Steel Bridge Alliance
• National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association
• National Utility Contractors Association
• National Association of Home Builders
• National Association of Truck Stop Operators
• Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
• Portland Cement Association
• Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
• RV Industry Association
• Safe Routes Partnership
• Specialized Carriers & Rigging AssociationSteel Manufacturers Association
• Subsurface Utility Engineering Association
• The Association of Union Constructors
• The Surety & Fidelity Association of America
• Tire Industry Association
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• U.S. Geospatial Executives Organization  LL