High unemployment numbers and continued economic problems are increasing pressure on Congress to enact new legislation—including a multi-year transportation bill—to jumpstart the economy.

ACEC has advocated for many months that a new transportation program to replace SAFETEA LU is essential to the nation’s economic recovery. This week ACEC President Dave Raymond renewed the industry’s call for Congress to move forward now with a new six-year surface transportation program.

“We can't delay moving forward on a new transportation bill—the nation needs this now,” said Raymond. “A new multi-year transportation program would put people to work very quickly designing, building and repairing the nation’s critical infrastructure and restoring safety and efficiency to our transportation systems.

“Failure means state and local governments will hold back on investing in major infrastructure upgrades that will generate sustainable new jobs and economic activity.”

Raising the necessary revenue, by increasing the gas tax or through other means, remains the biggest obstacle to passage of the bill. “You have seen the multitude of options for financing the necessary investments. Now it is time to summon the political will to get it done,” he said.

Click here for the full text of Raymond’s letter to Congress.

ACEC member action continues to be a key priority in helping to promote passage this year of a six-year transportation bill in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Click here to access a sample letter for House and Senate members, which can be customized to individual firms.

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson

Rep. John Duncan

Senior members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee visited ACEC headquarters over the past week to discuss new developments on passing transportation, water infrastructure, and other industry priorities in the near future.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said that a SAFETEA LU reauthorization bill may emerge as a component of a new economic recovery effort. The Texas lawmaker, who chairs the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, has been a vocal supporter of a new transportation program. She also helped to shepherd a major water infrastructure bill through the House earlier this year—HR 1262, the Water Infrastructure Financing Act.

Building momentum for infrastructure investment was a theme echoed by Congressman John (Jimmy) Duncan, Jr. (R-TN), the senior Republican on the Highways and Transit Subcommittee in the House. Duncan has been an influential voice among House Republicans in support of increased federal investment for both transportation and water infrastructure, and will play a critical role in the development of the new six-year transportation program.

Both lawmakers were hosted by ACEC as part of industry events to support their re-election efforts. “These meetings really underscore why ACEC’s political program is so important,” said ACEC President Dave Raymond. “By engaging congressional leaders of both parties on key industry issues, we not only show our support for their good work in Congress, but also emphasize the issues that are important to us, as well as the critical role that engineering firms play in rebuilding our economy.”

For more information on ACEC/PAC or Congressional candidate fundraising events, please contact Greg Knopp, ACEC executive director of Political Affairs, at gknopp@acec.org or Elizabeth Coit, ACEC/PAC director, at ecoit@acec.org or call 202-347-7474.

Tennessee ACEC/PAC Champion Steve Lane

South Dakota ACEC/PAC Champion Monty Miller

Massachusetts ACEC/PAC Champion Robin Greenleaf

ACEC/Tennessee, ACEC/South Dakota, and ACEC/Massachusetts became the latest state organizations to hit their ACEC/PAC fundraising objectives. They join Wisconsin, Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska and Alaska, which have already met their 2009 goals.

ACEC/Tennessee has achieved its fundraising target for six straight years. “We lost some previous donors because of the tough economy, but we picked up many new supporters,” said ACEC/PAC Champion Steve Lane of Smith Seckman Reid. “We knew if we could educate our members on the implications of federal issues before Congress, they would respond—and they did.”

This year marks the fourth in a row that South Dakota met its ACEC/PAC target. “We have a great program already in place thanks to people like past PAC Champion Daniel Eisenbraun of Eisenbraun & Associates,” said newly appointed PAC Champion Monty Miller of Sayre Associates.

One of the state’s most successful fundraising events was raffling off several cases of J. Lohr wine. “J. Lohr is a South Dakota State University engineering graduate who has done well in the wine-making business,” said Miller. “Together with our golf outing and dinner, the wine sale is a fun event that generates over half of the dollars for our goal and gives the members something to enjoy.”

The Massachusetts ACEC/PAC effort was led by ACEC Vice Chairman Robin Greenleaf of Architectural Engineers, Inc. in Boston and Dennis Coffey of HNTB in Chelmsford. “The credit for our effort goes to so many people who helped make calls, especially this month,” said Greenleaf.

Click here to see the progress of each state in achieving its ACEC/PAC goal for 2009 and information on the PAC Champions leading their state fundraising efforts. For more information about ACEC’s political programs, contact Greg Knopp, ACEC executive director of Political Affairs, at gknopp@acec.org or Elizabeth Coit, ACEC/PAC director at ecoit@acec.org.