From Precincts to Paving

This content originally published in the Winter 2024 print edition of NAPA Quarterly. Subscribe here.

NAPA’s post-election priorities center on a new highway bill in 2026.

When the 119th Congress is seated this month, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will be less than two years from its funding expiration in 2026.

Although Republican control of the White House and both houses of Congress should reduce legislative gridlock, there will still be messaging challenges as those lawmakers elected in November will be drafting, debating, and ratifying IIJA’s replacement, sending the resulting surface transportation funding bill to President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

For many of the nation’s legislators, it will be the first highway bill they have been involved in developing, putting a premium on participation from the roadbuilding industry to educate members of Congress about the role roads play in the American economy and in their Congressional charge.

The Constitution’s Article 1 includes a Postal Clause, which clearly states the bicameral legislature’s role in maintaining the nation’s highway system: “The Congress shall have power…to establish Post Offices and post roads.”

Between polarized constituencies, numerous other federal priorities, and lawmakers who may be unfamiliar with the asphalt pavement industry, NAPA Vice President for Government Affairs Nile Elam said those members of Congress are nearly as dependent on industry stakeholders for learning how to wield power as they are on voters for being elected to lead.

Connecting with representatives in the House can be a good starting place, since every Congressional district in the country depends on a nearby asphalt mix plant for its highway paving materials. Each lawmaker has an office in Washington, DC as well as a district office, so familiarizing yourself with staffers at either location can be the first step toward inviting the representative to a plant, job site, or office to discuss priorities and tour the facilities.

Although skeptics focus on the politics, there are many avenues for ensuring those in power know how policies, regulations, and laws affect their constituencies, especially for NAPA members.

Besides the Legislative Committee, members can participate in NAPA’s individual Political Advocacy Membership, the NAPA PAC, and in-person advocacy events like the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-in in May and the joint Hill Day in September.