The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) issued a statement today supporting speedy implementation of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009, a transportation bill which calls for a major overhaul of the United States' aging infrastructure.
Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI, stated, “In order to continue to be a global leader, the US must upgrade its crumbling infrastructure. We as an industry support providing an adequate level of funding in the reauthorization for all federal infrastructure needs (highways, waterways, rail, aviation, pipelines) to ensure the US has an effective and efficient infrastructure system.”
The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 is a $500 billion, six-year bill proposed by Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minnesota) to replace the US' current transportation legislature which expires at the end of the federal fiscal year, September 30. However, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood last week announced that rather than taking on these major transportation reforms in the midst of an already-full legislation agenda, the Obama Administration supports an 18-month transportation reauthorization plan, which would extend the current transportation law with only a few changes. In support of the extension of the current legislation, LaHood cited the immediate need to replenish funding to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which will run out of funding as soon as August.