AGC Chapter Leaders Visit D.C., Call On Congress to Address Unfinished Business

This week, AGC held its annual National & Chapter Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., which brought chapter leaders together to discuss best practices and meet with Members of Congress to address AGC's top legislative issues. During the meeting Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, thanked AGC and all of its members for their public support of the infrastructure spending in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Assistant Secretary Trottenberg provided some details on President Obama's recent request for $50 billion, explaining that the funding would be added to the early years of a six-year surface transportation reauthorization bill in order to have a more immediate positive impact on construction employment. She also provided a glimpse of the administration's priorities for surface transportation reauthorization, which will be released in more detail next year.  These priorities include integration of high-speed rail on an equal footing into the surface transportation program; streamlining, modernizing and prioritizing surface transportation investments; consolidating more than 100 different programs; focusing on using performance measurement and race-to-the-top-style competitive pressures to drive investment toward better policy outcomes; and expanding investments in areas like safety, environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness and livability. Senator Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) talked about his efforts to roll back the health care bill, oppose Democratic leaders' cap and trade scheme for greenhouse emissions, and repeal the 1099 reporting requirement in the massive health care bill. Johanns was the lead sponsor of repeal of the reporting requirement and made several references to the cost and burden on small employers if the provision remained. Congressman John Kline (R-Minn.), the Ranking Member of the Education and Labor Committee, which has jurisdiction over many labor laws, health care, OSHA and pension issues, also addressed the group. Kline addressed his opposition to the so-called Employee Free Choice Act (Card Check) and the need for OSHA to work with employers to create safer worksites rather than just punishing them. Congressman Kline also talked about how Congress will have to address some of the problems facing multiemployer pension plans in the next Congress. During the meeting, AGC members from across the country visited with nearly 150 Members of Congress and urged them to repeal three percent withholding, extend the expiring tax cuts and repeal the 1099 reporting requirement while explaining the need for a multi-year highway reauthorization bill.