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If You Haven’t Contacted Your Rep, There is Still Time! Throughout the month of August, 91����Ƶ 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.

91����Ƶ 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 91����Ƶ 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.

Following nearly three days of debate and the consideration of 147 amendments, the House of Representatives passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act (STRRA) of 2015 by a vote of 363-64. The six-year bill is the first long-term bill to be passed in the House in a decade. The next step is for House and Senate negotiators to work out final details of the bill prior to the expiration of the current extension on Nov. 20. Prior to the vote, 91����Ƶ sent a letter urging support for passage of the bill. In addition, the 91����Ƶ –led Transportation Construction Coalition and our partners in the Americans for Transportation Mobility voiced support for passage of the Act.

Contact your Reps – Visit Hardhats for Highways Another week has passed without any progress for the House’s plan for passing a long-term highway & transit bill prior to the expiration of the current extension on Oct. 29. Although there have been reports of negotiations between House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on how to fund a long-term transportation bill, they have not yet reached a compromise. The Senate has already passed a six-year bill with three years of funding.

In addition to passing the continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating, Congress also passed a six-month extension of the Federal Aviation Administration spending authorization and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund taxation authority. The extension provides $1.675 billion in contract authority for the Airport Improvement Program for the first half of fiscal year 2016. This is $65 million higher than half of the FY 2015 enacted level of $3.220 billion. Originally, program funding in FY 2015 was set at $3.350 billion, but that level was cut by a $130 million rescission in the FY 2015 appropriations act. The six-month extension for FY 2016 restores half of that rescission and hopefully that funding level will be continued through the remainder of the year.