US highway bill will create “much-needed growth engine,” says AEM president

A leading American manufacturing association figure claims Congress approval of the highway bill would create a “much-needed growth engine” for US jobs, infrastructure, and national and global domestic company trade.
March 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

A leading American manufacturing association figure claims Congress approval of the highway bill would create a “much-needed growth engine” for US jobs, infrastructure, and national and global domestic company trade.

Dennis Slater, president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (676 AEM), was speaking earlier this week ahead of the bill’s consideration by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday, February 2.

 "Our manufacturers believe H.R. 7 is one of the most important pieces of legislation before Congress this session for job growth and for our economic well-being,” said Mr Slater. “AEM urges the House to quickly consider and approve H.R. 7 and to move quickly to conference with the Senate prior to the March 31 deadline of the current stop-gap funding.

"Roads, highways and bridges require long-term project planning. The American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7) provides the construction industry with the market certainty it needs to make capital investments in employees and in equipment with new technologies for improved air quality and operating efficiencies. And in a still tenuous economy, it provides a much-needed growth engine.”

Mr Slater, whose association includes more than 850 company members and more than 200 product lines in construction, agriculture, forestry, mining and utility sectors worldwide, noted that the highway bill maintains federal funding for infrastructure in one of the most difficult budget environments in recent years. If approved, the bill would reform and consolidate existing highway projects, accelerate project approval times, and eliminate earmarks.

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