AED Tells Congress to Demonstrate Leadership, Invest in Infrastructure
Congress can no longer shirk its constitutional responsibility to invest in our country’s crumbling infrastructure, Associated Equipment Distributors’ (AED) President and CEO Brian P. McGuire told a House panel this morning.
In a letter delivered to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways & Transit in conjunction with a hearing on building a 21st century infrastructure for America, McGuire informed lawmakers that the federal highway program is at a breaking point as the Highway Trust Fund races toward insolvency. He also highlighted the fact that many states have raised their fuel taxes in the past five years to make up for a substantial funding shortfall and Congress’s failure to act.
McGuire wrote, “Congress must take the hint from outside the Beltway and raise revenues to fund long-term infrastructure projects. The positive impact on the economy will be felt for decades to come and there is no better time to make bold decisions to position our country for long-term economic growth, job creation, competitiveness and security. It’s time for action.”
The hearing comes on the heels of participation from AED’s Chairman Wes Stowers of Stowers Machinery Co., at an exclusive White House briefing with senior administration officials on President Trump’s infrastructure plan. While no funding details were revealed, the administration’s framework centers around encouraging states and localities to raise revenue for infrastructure investment, providing targeted federal investment for rural areas and for “transformative projects”, and streamlining the permitting process to expedite project delivery. More details are expected from the Trump administration in the coming months.
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