Legislative Alert Archives - RSI

RSI Urges the White House and Congress to Provide an Additional $10 Billion in Public Transit Funding in Build Back Better Act

John Hebert — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 15:04:00 +0000

This week, RSI joined a broad coalition of industry associations and partners in sending a letter to Congressional leadership and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg urging Congress and the Administration to provide at least $10 billion of additional public transit funding in the reconciliation bill, the Build Back Better Act. The letter also urges Congress to provide a source of dedicated high-speed rail funding in the bill.

Click here to read our letter to Congressional leaders and here to view our letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Letter to Congressional Leadership:

Dear Chairman DeFazio, Chairman Brown, and Chair Cantwell:

We write to strongly urge you to provide at least $10 billion of additional public transit investment in the reconciliation bill, the Build Back Better Act, pursuant to S. Con. Res. 14. We also urge you to provide significant, dedicated high-speed rail funding in the bill. Together, these bold investments in public transportation in the Build Back Better Act will enable us to tackle climate change, advance equity, and meet the growing and evolving mobility demands of our communities.

Providing this additional $10 billion of public transit funding will honor the commitment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework agreed upon by President Biden and Senate Republicans on June 24, 2021. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework included an additional $49 billion of new investment for public transit. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), as passed by the Senate, includes $39 billion of new investment for public transit. We urge Congress to honor the agreed-upon Framework funding levels and provide at least $10 billion of additional public transit funding in the reconciliation bill. We also urge Congress to provide significant, dedicated funding to construct high-speed rail in the United States. Investments in both of these funding streams must include strong labor protections for the workers who will build, operate, and maintain these systems.

These bold investments in public transportation in the Build Back Better Act will enable us to tackle climate change, advance equity, and meet the growing and evolving mobility demands of our communities. Investing in public transit and high-speed rail will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and public health, and help transform our nation’s transportation network for a sustainable future. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, a typical public transit trip emits 55 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than driving alone. Moreover, public transportation creates access to opportunities, including jobs, health care, and education, which can help our communities address the equity challenges that they face.

Thank you for your long-standing leadership and commitment to investing in America’s public transportation. We look forward to working with you on the reconciliation bill and urge you to use this once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide the public transportation investments necessary to address our nation’s climate and equity challenges and build back better.

Sincerely,

American Public Transportation Association
Amalgamated Transit Union
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
American Institute of Steel Construction
American Planning Association
American Train Dispatchers Association
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes
Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen
The Bus Coalition
Capital Investment Grants Working Group
Community Transportation Association of America
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
International Union of Operating Engineers
League of American Bicyclists
National Association of City Transportation Officials
The National Campaign for Transit Justice
National Conference of Firemen & Oilers District of Local 32BJ/SEIU
National Precast Concrete Association
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
National Steel Bridge Alliance
National Utility Contractors Association
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Urban Mobility Alliance
North American Bikeshare & Scootershare Association
North America’s Building Trades Unions
Portland Cement Association
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO
Rail Passengers Association
Railway Supply Institute
Safe Routes Partnership
Sierra Club
Steel Manufacturers Association
Teamsters Rail Conference
Transport Workers Union of America
Transportation for America
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
U.S. PIRG
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
The United States Conference of Mayors

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RSI Statement Supporting Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

John Hebert — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 20:24:50 +0000

Washington, D.C. – Railway Supply Institute (RSI) Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs Nicole Brewin released the following statement supporting the recently released Senate bipartisan infrastructure legislation, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:

“RSI commends the bipartisan working group in the Senate for putting together a robust infrastructure bill that would provide funding for transformative investments in our nation’s rail network. Specifically, this bill would provide $66 billion in new spending for intercity rail and more than $39 billion for public transit, allowing Amtrak, freight railroads, and transit agencies around the country to rebuild core infrastructure, update and replace aging fleets, and improve safety and accessibility. RSI also supports the inclusion of provisions that would strengthen American competitiveness and supply chains, allowing the railway supply industry to continue to grow and support its customers. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress and the Administration to help make this bill’s vision a reality.”

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RSI Joins 82 National Organizations in Letter Supporting the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation

John Hebert — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 15:15:00 +0000

Today, RSI joined 82 national organizations in signing a letter to Congress urging all U.S. Senators to support the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IILJA), a bipartisan infrastructure bill that would provide $550 billion in new infrastructure spending over five-years.

Read the full letter here.

August 3, 2021

Dear Senators:

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) represents an opportunity to provide meaningful economic and quality of life enhancements to communities across the country and to build for the future. The investments made in the Senate package would facilitate long overdue repairs and improvements to our roads, bridges, rail, and public transportation systems, as well as investing in airports, ports, broadband, and water systems.

The undersigned organizations encourage all senators to support the legislation.

The bipartisan IIJA would have far-reaching benefits. The investments would create new jobs through project construction in the short term, and provide improved safety, mobility, and quality of life for decades to come. Taken together, the range of improved outcomes for all residents and businesses would help ensure a sound recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

By including a five-year reauthorization of federal highway, public transportation, and passenger rail programs, the agreement would also ensure states and localities have much-needed funding and policy certainty to proceed with planned projects. These programs are currently operating under an extension set to expire Sept. 30, underscoring the need for prompt Senate action.

We are grateful for this generational investment in transportation infrastructure and ask for your support on all procedural votes and final passage of the IIJA when it reaches the Senate floor.

Sincerely,

American Road & Transportation Builders Association
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Agricultural Retailers Association
Airports Council International–North America
American Apparel & Footwear Association
American Concrete Pavement Association
American Concrete Pipe Association
American Concrete Pumping Association
American Council for Capital Formation
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Foundry Society
American Highway Users Alliance
American Institute of Steel Construction
American Iron and Steel Institute
American Public Transportation Association
American Public Works Association
American Rental Association
American Securities Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Concrete Contractors
American Society of Landscape Architects
American Subcontractors Association
American Traffic Safety Services Association
American Trucking Associations
Associated Equipment Distributors
Associated General Contractors of America
Associated Wire Rope Fabricators
Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure
Association of American Railroads
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Auto Care Association
Building America’s Future
Coalition for America’s Gateways & Trade Corridors
Community Transportation Association of America
Construction & Demolition Recycling Association
Corn Refiners Association
Design-Build Institute of America
FP2, formerly the Foundation for Pavement Preservation
Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association
Industrial Minerals Association – North America
Institute of Makers of Explosives
Institute of Transportation Engineers
International Society of Explosive Engineers
International Union of Operating Engineers
Laborers International Union of North America
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
National Asphalt Pavement Association
National Association of County Engineers
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Remodeling Industry
National Association of Surety Bond Producers
National Association of Trailer Manufacturers
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Electrical Contractors Association
National Independent Automobile Dealers Association
National Lime Association
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
National Retail Federation
National Society of Professional Surveyors
National Steel Bridge Alliance
National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association
National Waste & Recycling Association
North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers
Portland Cement Association
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
Railway Supply Institute
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association
Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association
State Business Executives
Steel Manufacturers Association
Subsurface Utility Engineering Association
The Surety & Fidelity Association of America
Tire Industry Association
Transport Workers Union of America
Transportation Intermediaries Association
Travel Goods Association
U.S. Geospatial Executives Organization
U.S. Travel Association
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
United Motorcoach Association

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