Last week, NRMCA Government Affairs team was busy on Capitol Hill supporting tax reform and infrastructure investment to members of Congress and their staff. In addition, NRMCA staff urged legislators to oppose the Timber Innovation Act (TIA) if reintroduced. The TIA unfairly accelerates the use of "mass timber" by authorizing the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide federal funding placing cross laminated timber (CLT’s) as the material of choice in the tall building market, fund a Tall Wood Building Prize Competition at the USDA, fund grants to state, local and private sectors for education, R&D, promotion and marketing, and fund technical assistance programs for architects and building designers in mass timber applications in tall building structures 85 ft. and above. NRMCA reminded members of Congress and their staff that the TIA is by definition an earmark and picks winners and losers by giving the wood industry market share advantages above all others in tall building structures. We also reminded them that a growing coalition of 28 like-minded industries oppose this legislation.

NRMCA also joined its North American Concrete Association (NACA) colleagues in hosting a briefing and panel discussion for Congressional staff on the importance of cement and concrete products. Representing NRMCA on the panel was Producer member Breckenridge Material Company CEO Nathan McKean of St. Louis. Mr. McKean delivered compelling remarks about the state of the ready mixed concrete industry, but also talked about the importance of streamlining or rolling back existing regulations that hurt businesses and how a transportation and infrastructure package is necessary to driving the economics our industry as well as those industries that support us. The briefing was well attended and Hill staff engaged with panelists during the question and answer period, as well as before and after the briefing began.

NRMCA and NACA will continue to work together to advance policies of importance to the ready mixed concrete industry. In addition to NRMCA, groups participating in NACA included the American Concrete Pavement Association, American Concrete Pipe Association, American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association, American Concrete Pumping Association, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, National Concrete Masonry Association, National Precast Concrete Association, Portland Cement Association, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and Tilt-Up Concrete Association.