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Participate in Hardhats for Highways – Your Company’s Future Depends on It This week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released their semi-annual Economic and Budget Outlook, in which they have updated their ten-year solvency projections for the Highway Trust Fund.

Preparing the Next Generation of Managers  What do the future leaders of the highway, transportation and utility markets look like? How to those future leaders communicate? What will their management style be? Learn what the current generation of construction industry managers are looking for in future company leaders at every level at the 2014 Highway & Utilities Contractors Conference on Nov. 13-15 in San Diego, Calif.

Still Time to Meet with Your Members of Congress in August First, thanks to those of you who have already participated in the Hardhats for Highways campaign and communicated our message with your members of Congress, either through in-person visits or by sending “e-Hardhat” letters.  Your efforts were part of nearly 12,000 letters sent to nearly 500 Congressional offices in 49 states, which led to the passage of a short-term funding patch through May of 2015.

Tell Them to Fix the Highway Trust Fund When They Return to Capitol Hill in September Congress is in recess and working in their home states for the month of August.  While they are home, they need to hear from you.  Please contact your Representative and Senator and urge them to fix the Highway Trust Fund before the end of the year. 

On Tuesday, Missouri voters defeated a proposed statewide sales tax that would have raised billions of dollars for transportation improvements. Constitutional Amendment 7, rejected by nearly 59 percent of voters, would have increased the sales tax by three-quarter percent for the next ten years and generated about $5.4 billion in revenue directed specifically for transportation.

 A new AP-GfK poll finds that six in 10 Americans think the economic benefits of good highways, railroads and airports outweigh the cost to taxpayers. Yet the poll shows there is no consensus on how to pay for needed improvements and upkeep. Among those who drive multiple times per week, 62 percent say the benefits outweigh the costs. Among those who drive less than once a week or not at all, 55 percent say the costs of road improvement are worthwhile. Despite this support, however, the public is divided over how to address the Highway Trust Fund shortfall.

New government data today show the uneven nature of the construction industry's recovery, as the sector added 22,000 jobs in July, but suffered a pullback in spending in June, according to an analysis by �鶹��Ƶ of America.

After weeks of back and forth between the House and Senate, a short-term extension of the current transportation authorization with a temporary funding patch for the Highway Trust Fund was passed before Congress left town for their August recess. The bill is headed to the president’s desk for his signature.

Resolution Must Come Before the August Recess On Wednesday, Senate leaders reached agreement on how to proceed with consideration of the short-term highway and transit extension bill, which passed the House last week.  The agreement reached by Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would allow for the consideration of four amendments each requiring 60 votes to pass.  If the amendments do not receive the required 60 votes, the Senate would then vote on clearing the House-passed measure as-is, which would provide an $11 billion transfer to the Highway Trust Fund and an extension of the current transportation authorization (MAP-21) – through May 31, 2015.

Today, President Obama announced a new executive action to create the Build America Investment Initiative, a government-wide initiative to increase infrastructure investment and economic growth. As part of the initiative, the administration is launching the Build America Transportation Investment Center – housed at the Department of Transportation – to serve cities and states seeking to use innovative financing and partnerships with the private sector to support transportation infrastructure.