Oregon Business Report Chamber promotes Highway Bill to the States

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^[5]By U.S. Chamber of Commerce ^[6]
Free Enterprise Blog

Potholes, cracks, crumbling asphalt, and growing congestion – we experience them in our daily commutes, taking the kids to school, and on family roadtrips. The neglect of our infrastructure is costly, as Sheryll Poe reports for FreeEnterprise.com:

“The consequences of inaction on infrastructure are profound. The U.S. Chamber’s Transportation Performance Index shows that the steady decline in the quality of surface, air, and water transportation systems costs the U.S. economy $1 trillion a year in lost economic growth. In just over five years, U.S. infrastructure has plummeted from No. 1 to No. 15 in the World Economic Forum’s economic competitiveness ranking.”

Last week, members of Congress returned to their states and districts without finishing work on the highway bill, but American’s roads and bridges won’t build themselves. They await needed funding for repairs. So, as The Hill reports, the Chamber is zipping across the country educating Americans about the need to pass the highway bill:

“The business group will be hosting breakfasts, lunches and policy roundtables with local chambers and business associations this week in 12 different cities in Ohio, Idaho, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Louisiana.

Janet Kavinoky, the Chamber’s executive director of transportation and infrastructure, will be on the road trip, along with Alex Herrgott, one of the business group’s transportation lobbyists.

“The idea is to get out, give people a good sense what the bill is and get them talking to their members of Congress and have them get the bill done,” Kavinoky said. “We want Congress to feel like it needs to come back to Washington and get the bill done and put it to bed.”

This “boots on the ground” effort complements Americans for Transportation Mobility’s radio and television ad campaign urging lawmakers in Wyoming, Idaho, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, New Hampshire and Arkansas to get the highway bill passed.