Skip to main content

AEM “great disappointment” over US Highway Bill delay

A SENIOR American manufacturing association figure has renewed his call for Congress to pass a Highway Bill – after a 90-day extension of the US federal surface transport programme was agreed by the House of Representatives. Speaking as president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and on behalf of US equipment manufacturers and the I Make America campaign, AEM president Dennis Slater said: "It has been 911 days and eight extensions since the last highway bill expired.
April 11, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A SENIOR American manufacturing association figure has renewed his call for Congress to pass a Highway Bill – after a 90-day extension of the US federal surface transport programme was agreed by the House of Representatives.

Speaking as president of the 1100 Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and on behalf of US equipment manufacturers and the I Make America campaign, AEM president Dennis Slater said: "It has been 911 days and eight extensions since the last highway bill expired. It is a great disappointment to the nearly 21,000 supporters of the I Make America campaign, U.S. equipment manufacturers, and their tens of thousands of employees that Congress must resort for the ninth time to a short-term extension to prevent our nation's critical transportation programs from shutting down.

"Because current funding expires on March 31st, there is unfortunately no choice but for Congress to pass the ninth extension of this vital national program. But enough is enough. The House must act immediately within this extension period to pass its highway bill and move to conference with the Senate.”

Slater said a Highways Bill would “immediately” create American jobs, and drive US economic growth and global competitiveness for the long-term.

Supported by the AEM’s 850 plus member companies, the I Make America campaign for a Highway Bill is also said by AEM to be backed by the memberships of like-minded associations, American business owners, and citizens and local elected officials across the US.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRF General Assembly elects Bill M Halkias as the new IRF president
    July 29, 2019
    Meeting in Costa Navarino (Greece) in the margins of the ASECAP Days, the General Assembly of the International Road Federation (IRF) has unanimously elected Bill M Halkias, PE, F.ASCE, F.ITE as new president of IRF. He takes over from Kiran K Kapila at the end of his third and final mandate as IRF chairman. Halkias brings to the IRF 38 years of experience in transportation and road infrastructure works gained both in the USA and in Europe. Currently managing director and CEO of Attikes Diadromes SA, the
  • AEM voices concern over lower machine exports
    September 8, 2014
    The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) says that US construction machinery exports dropped 17.3% during the first half of 2014 compared with the same period for 2013. In all some US$8.93 billion in exports were shipped to global markets compared to $10.8 billion for first-half of 2013, according to US Department of Commerce data. The AEM off-road equipment manufacturing trade group produces global trends reports using US Commerce Dept. information to assist members’ business planning.
  • A bridge of hope?
    July 18, 2012
    As Russia prepares for a major Asia Pacific conference in nearly four years' time, the economic climate is felt in other countries in the region. Patrick Smith reports AUS$1 billion-plus suspension bridge is to be built to link the city of Vladivostok in the far east of Russia and Russky Island. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has signed an instruction for construction of the 3,150m long bridge, which is intended to provide access to the 24th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, to be held o
  • The radically changing face of UK highways management
    May 14, 2014
    The British Government policy paper ‘Action for Roads: A network for the 21st century’ sets out radical change to the strategic way roads are funded and managed – including plans to turn the Highways Agency into a Government-owned company and a pledge to invest over €33.4 billion (£28 billion) in roads maintenance between 2015 and 2020. Jenny Moten, Highways Agency divisional director for Network Services, gave a keynote presentation on the new approach to strategic highways management during the Road Safet