ARTBA Highway & Bridge Government Construction Market Affairs - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Highway & Bridge Construction Market Update

Alison Premo Black, PhD ARTBA Senior VP & Chief Economist ARTBA Federal Issues Program May 9, 2016

ARTBA Government Affairs Update

Lauren Schapker Vice President Legislative Affairs

COVID-19 & Infrastructure Investment

• Congressional focus slowly moving from economic relief

to economic recovery

• Unlikely more legislation will until mid-late July
• 4 economic relief measures passed

– #2 Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (signed into law) – #3 CARES Act (signed into law)

CARES Act—Signed March 27

• Largest legislation in history

– Small business aid, unemployment, stimulus checks to individuals

• Paycheck Protection Program

– Infrastructure support for ailing sectors

• $10 billion for airports
• $25 billion for transit, distributed by formula

– $150 billion in aid for state and local governments

• Strings attached to funding

Two-pronged Advocacy Effort

Immediate revenue backstop for state DOTs

Multi-year Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill

Economic Relief Economic Recovery

Two-pronged Advocacy Effort

Immediate revenue backstop for state DOTs

Multi-year Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill

Economic Relief

Immediate Revenue Backstop

• AASHTO sent request to Congress

for $49.95 billion – AASHTO request to cover next 18 months

• 12 states have delayed or cancelled
• ver $5.6 billion in projects
• State DOTs are facing challenges

not unlike those faced by transit agencies dealing with lost fare revenues, airports with lost fees

Immediate Revenue Backstop

• 137 members of Congress

signed on in support of $50 billion to state DOTs

• Led by Reps. Lamb and Gibbs
• ARTBA worked with allied
• rganizations to generate

signatures

HEROES Act—House passed May 15

• Nearly $1 trillion in aid for state and local governments
• $15 billion in support for state DOTs

– Waives federal match for remainder of FY2020 – Cancels August redistribution of funds – $15 billion intended to support DOTs through end of Sept.

Immediate Revenue Backstop

• Senate action uncertain
• Support effort mirrored in Senate
• Letter led by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)
• Bipartisan group of 26 Senators signed on
• Senate may pass next round of COVID response

legislation before August recess

Two-Pronged Advocacy Effort

Surface Transportation Reauthorization

• FAST Act expires Sept. 30
• House and Senate each have proposals

America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act

• $287 billion over 5 years for highway

programs

• 27% increase over current levels
• Passed unanimously out of Senate

EPW Committee

• Creates new bridge program and

new resilience program

INVEST in America Act

• $494 billion surface

transportation reauthorization

– $319 billion for highway investments – $105 billion for public transportation improvements – $60 billion for rail investments – $10 billion for NHTSA and FMCSA

• Developed and released by

House Democrats

INVEST in America Act

• First year of bill is a glorified extension
• Climate initiatives woven throughout legislation

– New discretionary grant programs – Expanded eligibility for existing programs – Greenhouse gas reduction programs

• New bridge program
• Enhanced transparency provisions
• Emphasis on multi-modal and “Fix-It-First”

Next Steps: House

• Democrats introduced “Moving

Forward Act”

• $1.5 trillion infrastructure

package

• Includes INVEST in America Act
• Expansive package will be on

House floor June 30-July 2

• Expected to pass on party-line

vote

Next Steps: Senate

• Senate: June 4 EPW Hearing
• 3 Committees must still take action

before Sept. 30:

– Banking: Transit – Commerce: Safety, Trucking – Finance: Funding

Next Steps: Administration

• White House release

“imminent”

– Expected to contain proposal for surface transportation reauthorization – Could influence action in the Senate

How Can You Help?

www.artba.org/grassroots