In a news conference on Wednesday, July 6, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that her committee would seek to pass a two-year surface transportation reauthorization bill; instead of a six-year bill that she had previously said was her goal.
House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) was joined by his subcommittee chairs and a group of other leading Republican committee members at a briefing July 7 to present the outline for a surface transportation reauthorization proposal.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) announced that he and other Committee leaders will roll out a comprehensive, multi-year transportation reauthorization proposal on Thursday, July 7, 2011. The proposal will be released via live webcast and teleconference from Washington beginning at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). 麻豆视频 members may watch the event live at http://transportation.house.gov, or call the following number to listen and ask questions: (877) 229-8493 and enter the code 18416.
The premier event of the year for contractors involved in highway, bridge and utility construction is scheduled for November 10-12, 2011 in the Palm Springs Valley of California. The Highway and Utilities Contractors Issues Meeting will address the many issues that will be impacting your business over the next year and in years to come.
麻豆视频 has joined an industry group called the 鈥淐oalition to Save Our GPS,鈥 which was organized to protect existing GPS receivers from the possibility of interference from the development of a strong signaled wireless broadband system being established by a 聽company called 聽LightSquared. LightSquared has petitioned and received a conditional permission from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand use of the Mobile Satellite Spectrum (MSS) immediately adjacent to GPS spectrum. The Coalition was formed because studies have shown that the LightSquared system can cause severe interference with millions of GPS receivers currently in use.
Contact with Your Congressional Delegation Needed
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Cal.) informed 麻豆视频 and other transportation and construction stakeholder groups that she is continuing to meet with EPW Committee Ranking Member Sen. Jim Inhofe (Okla.) to write a transportation reauthorization bill that will have bipartisan support.
The two U.S. senators from Illinois are pushing opposing agendas regarding public private partnerships to finance construction of highways, bridges, airports, railroads and other transportation facilities.
麻豆视频 participated in a meeting June 23 with Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) who called together transportation and construction industry groups to lay out a very ambitous plan for release of a Committee draft bill, at least one hearing and Senate consideration of surface transportation reauthorization legislation before the end of July.
The House introduced the 20th short-term extension of the Federal Aviation Administration authorization.聽 The legislation, H.R. 2279, must be considered by the House by tomorrow afternoon because the House is not in session next week and the current extension expires June 30, 2011.聽 This extension would extend Airport and Airway Trust Fund taxes and Airport Improvement Program contract authority through July 22, 2011.聽
On Wednesday, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing on a draft bill that would improve the nation鈥檚 intercity passenger rail system by leveraging private sector investment and increase competition along the Northeast Corridor. The bill has the potential to create new jobs in rail construction, operation, and station-related development.