The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) said Tuesday that a bipartisan letter sent to House leadership from 285 Members of Congress echoes the infrastructure priorities for the
US manufacturing sector and is an important step for moving on a multi-year, well-funded surface transportation reauthorization bill as soon as possible. The letter was led by Congressmen Reid J. Ribble (R-WI), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Tom Reed (R-NY) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ).
“As an industry that relies heavily on a well-maintained and modern transportation infrastructure system to move products and raw materials, we thank the signatories for their efforts on behalf of the manufacturing sector,” said Thomas J. Gibson, AISI president and CEO. “In order for domestic industries, like steel, to remain internationally competitive, a long-term surface transportation bill is critical. And after years of short-term extensions for Highway Trust Fund funding, is long overdue.”
“The steel industry needs certainty the domestic infrastructure system will be maintained and improved and that certainty will only come from a long-term bill that relies on a dedicated source of revenue,” concluded Gibson.
In November, AISI’s Board of Directors adopted a position to support a user fee approach to fund the Highway Trust Fund, like a gas tax or similar measure that ensures those that use the nation’s highways also pay for upkeep. The current extension of the Highway Trust Fund will expire on May 31, 2015.