Last week, NRMCA hosted the 3rd RALLY for ROADS at Union Square at the U.S. Capitol to make the case for swift Congressional action to fix the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The rally was designed to focus attention on the fiscal cliff facing the HTF. Without Congressional action, the HTF will be insolvent by mid-July. This year the rally was held in conjunction with the annual TCC Fly-In; both themes were "The Time is Now: Fix the Highway Trust Fund!" The rally brought together roughly 300 attendees from highway users, construction professionals, material and equipment suppliers and labor representatives to make our voices heard and let Congress know that in the absence of action highway projects will slow, some will stop and people will lose their jobs due to the uncertainty plaguing the nation’s surface transportation program.

Headlining the rally were congressional speakers from both chambers of the Senate and House, including: Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA), Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-03-WV), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Rodney Davis (R-13-IL), House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-04-OR), House Transportation & Infrastructure Highways & Transit Subcommittee Chairman Tom Petri (R-06-WI) and Ranking Member Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). Serving as master of ceremonies was former Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-At Large-MT).

In addition to NRMCA, a host of other organizations sponsored this important and timely event, including the American Highway Users Alliance, American Road and Transportation Builders Association, Associated General Contractors of America, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Traffic Safety Services Association, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, International Safety Equipment Association, International Union of Operating Engineers, Laborers International Union of North America, National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (co-chair along with NRMCA), Portland Cement Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

NRMCA thanks the association members who made the rally possible by attending the event or who donated equipment or resources. In coming weeks we will be uploading pictures from the event and the completed rally video to the RALLY for ROADS Web site.

For more information, please contact NRMCA’s Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org.