Clyburn Encourages Congress to Act on Transportation Bill

"I really believe we ought to find a way to get the transportation bill passed," said House Democratic Whip James Clyburn, D-South Carolina. "It has always been a big job creator. Not only that, it also provides a tremendous service to states and communities that rely on federal funds to help pay for transportation.?EUR??,,????'?????< Courtesy of National Urban League

Congress needs to act quickly when it returns from recess next month to pass a key multiyear surface transportation reauthorization bill aimed at creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, a leading House Democrat said Monday.

Congress returns to session the week of Sept. 13. It is scheduled to meet until Oct. 8, then adjourn for the remainder of the year. Many Capitol Hill observers have said, however, they expect a lame-duck session after November's midterm elections. The current extension of federal surface transportation authorization law expires Dec. 31.

Leading equipment industry trade groups, meanwhile, are launching efforts to get U.S. House and Senate candidates from across the country to commit to making surface transportation and water infrastructure investment a top priority in the next Congress. Improvements in transportation could lead to improvements in our cities, translating into more opportunities for landscape professionals.

The Infrastructure Campaign Pledge is part of the Start Us Up USA! national grassroots campaign led by the Associated Equipment Distributors and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The groups said their campaign is necessary because of the dire economic conditions in the equipment industry. It needs sustained and substantial investment to address the nation's highway and water infrastructure needs.

- Courtesy of AASHTO