AGC led the construction industry’s effort to restart several billion dollars worth of airport construction projects. The projects were halted in late July after Congress failed to pass an extension to federal aviation legislation because of a dispute over proposed changes to airline union voting rules and subsidies for air service to rural communities. Without the legislation in place, the Federal Aviation Administration was unable to fund billions of dollars worth of airport improvement projects.
The association worked to educate the media and members of Congress about the economic impacts of cancelling so many airport projects. AGC chief economist Ken Simonson explained to Reuters, CNN, National Public Radio, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and many other reporters that the construction halt will cost 24,000 construction jobs, and threaten another 11,000 jobs in related construction supply businesses and 35,000 jobs in the broader economy.
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Meanwhile, AGC CEO Steve Sandherr participated in an Aug. 1 media event with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at New York’s LaGuardia Airport to make the case that construction workers shouldn’t have to suffer because Washington can’t resolve an unrelated policy dispute. And AGC’s legislative team met with members of Congress to resolve the issue.
Thanks in large part to AGC’s efforts, Congress enacted new temporary extension to the aviation legislation on Aug. 5, helping restart billions of dollars worth of airport construction projects. The extension, however, does little more than put off the disagreements among lawmakers over the broader reauthorization of the FAA, which has been stalled over labor issues as well as funding levels and subsidies to rural airports. This means the FAA may face a similar shutdown threat when this short-term extension expires on Sept. 16.
AGC will continue to work towards passage of a multiyear FAA reauthorization bill. You can send a message to your legislators through AGC’s web site urging Congress to complete action on this long overdue legislation.
For more information, contact Brian Deery at (703) 837-5319 or deeryb@agc.org.