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

  • AEM reports CONEXPO-CON/AGG success
    March 2, 2012
    According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) The mood was overwhelmingly positive at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE 2011 expositions held March 22-26 in Las Vegas.
  • US infrastructure spending
    January 2, 2024
    US$492 billion in infrastructure funding remains to be allocated, but it all ends in 2026 by Mary Scott Nabers
  • Mixed US transportation outlook for 2012 according to ARTBA
    April 26, 2012
    The outlook for the 2012 transportation construction market is mixed, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association's (ARTBA). The 2012 Transportation Construction Market forecast from ARTBA shows that the industry will face uncertain times during next year.
  • US Highway Trust Fund faces funding shortfall
    July 11, 2014
    In the US, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) released a key statement on HR 5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014. The bill was introduced in the House by Ways and Means chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), and cosponsored by Shuster. He said, “We have an immediate, critical need to address the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and extend the current surface transportation law. This bill does that in a responsible way with policies that have all previous