NAPA caps busy August with a dozen congressional plant tours
NAPA and its members led a dozen congressional plant tours and site visits across eight states in August, highlighting the asphalt pavement industry’s crucial work and advocating for passage of a long-term surface transportation bill.
From the Midwest to the Southeast, members of Congress received a firsthand look at the vital road-building work happening in their districts and met their constituents building, maintaining, and modernizing America’s transportation network.
“Thanks to our members, NAPA had an extremely productive month showing lawmakers the vital role the asphalt pavement industry has for communities across the country,” said Mitch Baldwin, NAPA Director of Government Affairs, who attended three site visits in August. “We’re grateful to every member of Congress who took the time to visit our members’ plants and project sites, and to our members for opening their doors and sharing their stories.”
From the Mountains to the Plains
The month kicked off in North Carolina, where Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) joined Maymead, Vulcan Materials, and Wright Brothers Construction for a comprehensive “rock-to-road” tour in Boone. The following week, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) joined Allan Myers in Virginia to discuss work zone safety and see their work modernizing I-64.
“We appreciated the opportunity to welcome Congressman Wittman to the project to learn more about construction and pavement operations,” said Ben Bushey, Project Manager at Allan Myers. “It was also a great opportunity to discuss the importance of work zone safety, and the role drivers play in helping keep roadway workers safe.”
From there, the pace accelerated, with visits across the country including Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-TX) at a CRH facility in Texas, Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) at a Rieth-Riley facility in Michigan, and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) at CRH and Norris Asphalt facilities in Iowa.
As the month—and the congressional recess period—came to a close, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) visited Superior Paving Corp. in Virginia, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) joined C.W. Matthews in Georgia, and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) met with dozens of employees at Knife River’s Waco complex.
“We are grateful to Congressman Sessions for taking the time to visit our Knife River and Jebro operations in Waco and meet the people behind the work we do every day,” said Rodney McCarn, President of Knife River Texas. “It was a great opportunity to showcase the role our teams play in helping build Waco while supplying quality, locally sourced materials for infrastructure and construction projects throughout the state.”
During these tours, lawmakers heard directly from the people who build America’s roads about issues ranging from reliable federal investment and work zone safety to workforce development and local infrastructure needs.
Keep the Pedal to the Metal
Congressional plant tours remain a cornerstone of NAPA’s advocacy strategy. NAPA and its members have facilitated 35 tours and site visits so far this year.
The August visits came at a pivotal moment as the current five-year surface transportation law approaches expiration. With Congress expected to extend the deadline from September to December, the coming months will be critical to securing a long-term reauthorization.
We will keep the momentum going with additional visits this fall. NAPA members can help continue this energy by hosting a member of Congress at their plant or project site.
GET IN TOUCH