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President's Message — Wielding
Influence on Capitol Hill for
Infrastructure Gains
AGC scores significant victories
on key policy issues in highway bill passed by Congress
By AGC President Sam Hunter
On July 29, 2005, more than 22 months
after the expiration of the Transportation Equity Act for
the 21st Century (TEA-21), Congress passed the $286.4-billion
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
Act Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU) legislation. AGC
played a central leadership role in the passage of the largest
public works bill in the nation's history, from the drafting
of a reauthorization proposal to daily involvement in the
legislative process.
AGC used every opportunity to press for the enactment of
a healthy reauthorization bill. On numerous occasions, AGC
was called upon to arrange meetings at the White House with
senior administration officials, including Dept. of Transportation
Secretary Norman Mineta, White House Chief of Staff Andrew
Card and Senior Presidential Adviser Karl Rove.
At a 2003 meeting, then AGC Senior Vice President Jim Waltze,
of Griffith Co., Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and former AGC
President Doug Pitcock, of Williams Brothers, Houston, led
an industry delegation to meet with then Office of Management
and Budget Director Mitch Daniels and Karl Rove to seek revenue
sources for the Highway Transportation Fund (HTF). AGC alone
enjoyed frequent access to key administration officials and
was given ample opportunity to represent the- issues of the
construction industry with the DOT and the White House.
At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, AGC's staff lobbyists
were frequent visitors to key Congressional offices. AGC also
was often called to testify on the reauthorization by the
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee-AGC members
Bob Desjardins, LA Glasgow, D.B. Hill III and Paul Diederich
each offered key testimony on AGC's reauthorization positions.
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| Looking for revenue options wherever
available led AGC to become an early proponent of the
Build America Bond proposal. AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr
participated in a press conference with (L to R) Senators
John Corzine (D-NJ), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Jim Talent
(R-Mo.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) |
AGC was a leader on every issue, and on many of them, AGC
acted alone. AGC's top priority in TEA-21 reauthorization
was to increase funding for the nation's transportation needs.
Despite growing federal budget deficits and increased spending
for the war in Iraq, transportation was one of the few areas
in the federal budget to receive a significant increase. The
six-year total in this bill is $286.4 billion, a net gain
of some 31% over TEA-21.
AGC also prevented Congress from passing provisions that
could limit contractors participating for federal-aid work
or violated their due process rights. Other groups went to
Congress with their hand out-AGC went with its guard up.
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