Visit AGC’s Action Center at www.agc.org/TakeAction One of the numerous issues AGC is working on in the highway & transit bill is to provide some relief from hours of service restrictions on construction industry drivers. For the past 20 years, current law has provided a limited construction industry exemption which has had no negative impact on driver safety. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently provided an additional similar exemption for certain construction material deliveries. AGC is seeking to modernize the existing exemption to meet the challenges of construction material and equipment delivery.

Meet with Reps. Next Week This week there were encouraging reports out of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee that they plan to finalize and move their long-term highway & transit bill before the end of October. Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Ranking Democrat Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) met today to continue negotiations with the goal of announcing a mark-up the week of Oct. 26. It is unclear what funding levels the House bill will provide, due in large part to the breakdown in negotiations last week between Ways & Means Chairman Paul Ryan and Senator Charles Schumer, who had been negotiating a bipartisan compromise on how U.S. corporations are taxed on their overseas assets and using that revenue to fund a transportation bill.

If You Haven’t Contacted Your Rep, There is Still Time! Throughout the month of August, AGC chapters and members have been visiting with their Congressmen, urging them to pass a long-term, fully funded transportation bill when they return to Washington in September. If you have not yet contacted your Congressman, now is the time to do so.

AGC Members Must Continue to Press House of Representatives for Action The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee could meet as early as next week to mark up their version of a multiyear highway & transit bill. However, they have yet to make any formal announcement or release the bill. Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said this week that the committee is working to finalize the bill and determine a markup date.

Projecting the cash flow in and out of the Highway Trust Fund is a difficult task for the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Department just released new estimates that indicate there may be a sufficient balance to allow highway and transit funding to continue without interruption until June 2016, six months beyond the previous estimate.

Take Advantage Before It’s Too Late! Get up-to-date information on a variety of issues that will impact the highway and transportation construction markets over the next year. The 2015 AGC Highway Contractors Conference will be held Nov. 5-7, 2015, at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.

Tell Him/Her to Finish Work on Highway & Transit Bill The Senate completed action on a six-year transportation reauthorization bill before the August recess. The House has indicated that it will work on its version of a long-term highway & transit bill when members return to Washington after Labor Day. With one week left in the August recess, it is important that you meet with your Congressman and stress the importance of passing a long-term, fully funded transportation bill.

This week, the Congressional Budget Office released its semiannual update of budgetary and economic projections. The report further highlights the challenges facing Congress as they try to fill the revenue gap in the Highway Trust Fund to provide a six-year highway & transit bill.

Use Congressional Recess to Tell Your Congressman: Finish Work on Highway & Transit Bill With the Senate completing action on a six-year transportation reauthorization bill before the August recess, focus has shifted to the House. The House has indicated that they will work on their version of a long-term highway & transit bill when they return to Washington after Labor Day. Use your Congressman’s time in the state to meet with them on the importance of passing a long-term, fully funded transportation bill. Resources to help you schedule meetings can be found on the Hardhats for Highway “Meet with Congress” page. Please follow up your meetings with an email to your House Representative, reminding them to focus on passing a long-term highway & transit bill after the August recess.

Teri Jones, SUNDT As a professional working in the Business Development world, you are probably acutely aware that the reason for your existence is to Develop Business and that entails more than fine dining and golf! Pre-Winning plays a large role in your company’s ability to secure the type of work, and build the type of relationships, that will produce the desired results.