After attending the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-In May 30-31 in Washington, D.C., and meeting with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to urge swift action on the transportation bill, Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater issued the following statement:

“This week in Washington, I had the unique opportunity to join my fellow TCC members and hear from members of Congress and Highway & Transit Conference Committee members about the current state of the highway bill deliberations. After 1,000 days, nine extensions, and a rapidly approaching June 30 deadline, I’m pleased to hear that a bipartisan group of members are working in Congress to finally get a long-term highway bill passed.

“Millions of jobs are dependent on Congress doing the right thing and working together to pass a strong bill to improve our nation’s infrastructure. Manufacturers and businesses depend on a strong infrastructure system to continue to operate and grow. During these difficult times, nothing could be more important than supporting these industries to create jobs and grow the economy.

“As I return from Washington, I remain optimistic that Congress will be able to reconcile their differences and pass a fully funded transportation bill that significantly invests in our nation’s infrastructure. American workers are counting on Congress to do the right thing, and I strongly urge them to get this bill done without further delay.”