Republicans and the highway bill
July 22, 2010 By: Pit & Quarry Staff
The political landscape in Washington may change this November in a way that would make passage of a multi-year highway bill all the more difficult. That is according to Ken Orski, public-policy consultant and publisher of the Innovation NewsBriefs newsletter. Orski says, “A Republican takeover of the House would add to the already significant political uncertainties surrounding the future of the multi-year surface transportation legislation. A Republican victory would mean almost certain congressional opposition to raising the gas tax in the next Congress.”
It would also mean an organizational realignment in the House congressional committees. He adds, "The coveted chairmanship of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee would pass to Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) who has already gone on record as saying ‘the gas tax is dead.’ ” And, Orski says, Rep. James Oberstar’s (D-Minn.) dream of a $500 billion six-year surface transportation bill might not remain intact under Republican House leadership, “which would be anxious to distance itself from free-spending Democrats and may not fully share current transportation policy priorities of the Obama Administration.”
Also, a National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) executive, speaking at a state association meeting last fall, carefully pointed out that while most aggregate industry executives are right leaning, the Republicans may not be the only party that can help the industry right now.
Still, NSSGA funnels the vast majority of its ROCKPAC dollars to Republican candidates. Though, and I don't quite understand this, the PAC gives $30,000 each to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and National Republican Congressional Committee.
It seems a complete waste of contributions to give equal amounts to opposing sides, but then I'm not going to pretend I understand Washington politics. -- Darren Constantino
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