Stephen Sandherr, chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, released the following statement today in response to the release of the reauthorization principles by the leadership of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
"If the next surface legislation is simply a referendum on the gas tax, Americans will inevitably be stuck with more of the same chronic congestion, crumbling roads and constrained transit options too many face today. Chairman Oberstar and his committee colleagues understand that the debate must instead focus on how to deliver a transportation system that will support economic growth, protect the environment and improve quality of life. And they are right to start this debate now, and not 18 months from now. Given the crucial role infrastructure plays in virtually every aspect of our economy and environment, delaying this debate for sunnier days is as politically unrealistic as it is economically untenable.
"As one of the largest users of the nation's transportation network, the construction industry is counting on Congress and the Administration to address the challenges of congested roads, aging infrastructure and increasingly unreliable shipment schedules. After all, we can't build new economic prosperity if construction workers are stuck in traffic, green building supplies are trapped in gridlock, and stimulus dollars are squandered on wasted fuel and slipped schedules."
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