Virtual Washington Policy Briefing – Customer Association Panel Recap
The second panel discussion featured trade association lobbyists representing AED member customers, including the Associated General Contractors of America, American Road & Transportation Builders Association and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.
The panel began with a discussion on how the pandemic has impacted each association’s members. For the most part, the construction industry was deemed essential as other sectors were shutdown. However, the panelists expressed concern over future work as contractors are working through existing backlog and federal and state funding dries up.
The panelists also expressed optimism that Congress would approve a one-year extension of the FAST Act before September 30 and avert a government shutdown. However, the outlook for a COVID-19 package was less positive, as Democrats and Republicans are so far apart on details.
Finally, similar to the OEM panel participants, the association representatives agreed that the prospects were good for a substantial infrastructure bill early in 2021, as both parties will want to stimulate the economy, and finding revenue sources will be of less concern with the economy sputtering.
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