TCC Fly-In leads to NAPA member Hill meetings

Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) members, including NAPA members, had meetings on Capitol Hill May 14-15 as part of the TCC Fly-In.

Beginning Wednesday morning, Walbec Group’s Jeff Parisi and Brandon Strand, along with NAPA’s Mitch Baldwin, met with Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to thank the senator for all of her work on certain “Buy America” provisions for construction materials like asphalt binder and aggregate. Sen. Baldwin’s advocacy on behalf of the industry was essential in helping to exempt these construction materials from some of the more onerous requirements under the Biden Administration, which later clarified the rule.

Later that morning, Granite Construction’s Gary Johnson and James Radich, and Baldwin met with Rep. Salud Carbajal (D, CA), who has been a champion for the asphalt industry. Like Sen. Baldwin, Rep. Carbajal leaned on the Biden Administration, requesting clarity on the Buy America rules. Carbajal also raised the issue at the House’s February T&I hearing, where he asked NAPA’s witness, Walbec Group Vice President Brian Enders, how the industry is being negatively impacted by certain Buy America provisions and what some unintended consequences might be.

The Granite cohort later met with House T&I Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), thanking Graves for his leadership across the transportation industry sector, especially for all the work he and his team did on the FAA reauthorization – which coincidently was signed just hours before the meeting. The FAA reauthorization included NAPA’s Airport Pavement Technology Program (APTP), which is a top priority for NAPA and asphalt producers around the country. This funded research program allows the industry to stay ahead of the curve in airfield pavement design, technology, and deployment.

Throughout the day, Ryan Brooks, Sr. Vice President with Construction Partners Inc. (CPI), and NAPA’s Howard Marks met individually with House staffers representing many of the Congressional Districts that CPI operates across the Southeast. Because the majority of members from those Districts are not on the T&I Committee, Brooks’ and Marks’ discussions also highlighted industry’s difficulty with regulatory over-reach, including business uncertainties associated with the impact from EPA’s PFAS Superfund Rule on airfield pavement maintenance contracts. All of the Republican offices visited were well-aware of cross-industry concerns regarding EPA’s PFAS Rule, requested additional information, and indicated a willingness to further engage on this issue.