As the Senate continues its work on a surface transportation reauthorization bill and negotiates the details of a bipartisan infrastructure package, we ask that members of the Republican Conference take a stand against any proposal to increase minimum liability insurance requirements for motor carriers. Such an increase is wholly unnecessary, would do nothing to improve highway safety, needlessly jeopardize countless blue collar jobs, and destroy many small, family-owned businesses.

As the Senate continues its work on a surface transportation reauthorization bill and negotiates the details of a bipartisan infrastructure package, we discourage members of the Democratic Conference from pursuing any increase in minimum liability insurance requirements for motor carriers. Such an increase is wholly unnecessary, would do nothing to improve highway safety, needlessly jeopardize countless blue collar jobs, destroy many small and family-owned businesses, and threaten necessary bipartisan support for any legislation that includes it.

However, legislative proposals like the misleadingly named “Protecting the Right to Organize” (PRO) Act is an unprecedented attempt to fundamentally change dozens of well-established labor laws at a time of tenuous economic recovery. While there have been no reported barriers with workers seeking to consider unionizing in our industry, this legislation would disrupt the rights of workers and employers and add unworkable mandates that would severely impact the ability to efficiently produce and deliver construction materials. It is a solution in search of a problem.

To be clear, our member companies support Buy America policies that ensure American manufacturing is protected and undue influence from foreign adversaries is not reaping the benefits of taxpayer investments; however, since Buy America’s enactment, Congress, and every administration, Republican and Democrat, have long understood that certain construction materials and their inputs should not be included under Buy America’s regulatory framework, and we reiterate this long-standing position.

On behalf of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) and the aggregate industry we represent, we appreciate the House taking up the H.R. 3684, Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act. It is critical that Congress passes a robust, multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill before the current one-year extension of the FAST Act expires on September 30.

The undersigned companies and organizations strongly endorse the Recognizing and Ensuring Taxpayer Access to Infrastructure Necessary for GPS and Satellite Communications Act or the “RETAIN GPS and Satellite Communications Act” introduced today. This legislation would ensure that the costs incurred by the public sector, businesses and consumers as a result of the FCC’s decision to permit Ligado Networks LLC to use spectrum in a way that would cause interference to GPS and satellite communications would be covered by Ligado—the licensee benefiting from the decision.

On behalf of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) and the aggregate industry we represent, we welcome recent developments between a bipartisan group of Senators and the Biden Administration to reach agreement on a framework that will provide roughly $600 billion in new infrastructure investments. We call on you to move this bipartisan infrastructure proposal through congress in the coming months to deliver historic infrastructure investment that the American people have been waiting for.

We appreciate President Biden’s commitment to MSHA in his FY 2022 budget request and urge the Committees to support additional funding for MSHA’s Directorate of Educational Policy and Development (EPD). EPD is essential to promoting mine safety through better training and compliance assistance. Further, we call on the Committees to provide resources for thorough and continuous training of inspectors – particularly newly hired individuals and those who are transitioning from inspecting coal mines to inspecting metal/non-metal operations.

The undersigned trade associations represent millions of individually- and family-owned businesses operating in every sector of the American economy. We write to voice our strong opposition to any reductions or repeal of the 20-percent deduction for qualified business income under Section 199A, including phasing out the deduction above certain income thresholds. Section 199A is an essential part of the Tax Code.

NSSGA appreciate STIA’s five -year, $78 billion authorization of critical safety, trail and multimodal programs necessary for our advancement of our transportation system. We welcome STIA’s authorization for $36 billion in federal investments for rail programs, $27.8 billion for multimodal programs and $13 billion for safety programs. Further we appreciate your efforts to invest roughly $1.2 billion a year in the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight program and improving coordination between federal and state governments regarding freight planning.