Industry leaders highlight need for highway bill at Capitol Hill briefing
About 100 congressional staff and stakeholders packed a Capitol Hill briefing room June 23 to hear from transportation and construction industry leaders about the importance of enacting the BUILD America 250 Act, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s (T&I) bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization proposal.
Hosted by NAPA, the briefing drew a standing-room-only crowd and featured representatives from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, Associated General Contractors of America, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Laborers’ International Union of North America, and National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. Speakers emphasized the need for Congress to pass a long-term highway bill that provides certainty for states, contractors, and transportation agencies while supporting continued investment in America’s infrastructure.
“NAPA is grateful to everyone who participated in this timely briefing, from our outstanding panelists to the many congressional staff and stakeholders who joined the discussion,” said Nile Elam, NAPA Vice President of Government Affairs. “The strong turnout and thoughtful questions demonstrated the broad interest in this legislation and the importance of getting a long-term highway bill across the finish line.”
The BUILD America 250 Act, passed by the T&I Committee in May on a bipartisan 62-2 vote, is a five-year, $580 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill that includes historically significant federal highway investment as well as several policy provisions related to work zone safety, permitting reform, and other key industry priorities.
During the briefing, panelists discussed the bill’s impact on economic growth, job creation, infrastructure investment, and long-term transportation planning. Attendees also heard an overview of the legislation and the committee process from Jimmy Ballard, T&I Director of Coalitions.
“The BUILD America 250 Act represents years of work and collaboration, and we’re proud of the bipartisan coalition that came together to advance it through committee,” Ballard said. “Now the focus turns to keeping that momentum going and moving this bill through the rest of the legislative process.”
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session that generated significant engagement from attendees and highlighted the broad interest in the future of federal transportation policy. Elam also outlined the bill’s next steps, including anticipated consideration by the House Ways and Means and Rules committees before potential House floor action.
“We really encourage Ways and Means to weigh in, because we need to move this bill to Rules if we have any hope of passing this bill before the August recess,” Elam told the crowd.
Federal surface transportation programs are set to expire Sept. 30, making congressional action on a long-term reauthorization bill an urgent priority.
For More Information: Access NAPA’s Highway Bill Tracker and BUILD America 250 Act Summary.
