Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2, the Moving America Forward Act, which includes a $494 billion reauthorization of the nation’s surface transportation programs, as well as $1 trillion in additional spending, including investments in housing, schools, healthcare infrastructure, clean energy and water, and drinking water. The INVEST Act, marked up by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in late June, formed the basis for the legislation. Republican leaders decried the starkly partisan process and policies of the reauthorization, pointing out that they were not invited to participate in the formulation of the legislation and were only briefed on it after Democratic staff had briefed external stakeholders.
Unfortunately, many of the policies included in H.R. 2 are harmful to the ready mixed concrete industry, including a delay of the recent Hours of Service rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an increase in minimum truck insurance coverage and other harmful policies like mandatory underride protection and sleep apnea testing. NRMCA strongly supports reauthorizing the nation’s surface transportation programs and applauds the significant increase in funding levels. NRMCA urges Congress to craft a long-term, bipartisan surface reauthorization before the program expires on September 30.
H.R. 2 will not be considered by the Senate, though the Senate has passed its own surface transportation reauthorization out of committee and may bring it to the floor. If it is passed, the House and Senate may go to conference on the two bills.
For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association