Members from 45 states converged on Capitol Hill on March 4-–7 as part of asce’s annual Leadership Training in Government Relations Program. Participants learned about the political issues that are having the greatest effect on civil engineers and civil engineering and brought those issues to the attention of their representatives and senators. This year saw the largest turnout for the event in its eight-year history, and those taking part emphasized the need to improve the nation’s infrastructure in light of such recent disasters as Hurricane Katrina and the collapse last summer of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis. Throughout the week, more than 150 members from around the country attended training sessions and paid visits to their legislators in the hope of educating them on the lamentable condition of the country’s wastewater and drinking water systems, bridges, roads, and dams. They emphasized six issues, many of them reflecting the contents of bills currently being considered by the House of Representatives or the Senate.
The first issue was the National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 3538/H.R. 3398), which would establish a national commission to closely examine the current state of the nation’s infrastructure and make recommendations based on that examination. The act would require that the commission “ensure that the nation’s infrastructure will meet current and future demands and that it will aid in the nation’s economic growth,” according to information prepared by asce’s government relations staff.
The act also requires that the study consider improvements to the infrastructure that promote long-term economic development; include data related to the age and condition of infrastructure; and examine trends in financing and investment.
The commission would be charged with developing recommendations “for infrastructure-related legislation deemed necessary for the next 5, 15, 30, and 50 years,” according to information provided by ASCE’s government relations staff. These recommendations would be contained in a report that would have to be submitted to Congress by February 15, 2009.
The Senate passed its version of the bill (S. 775) on August 2.
Jonathan Byrd, M.ASCE, a program participant, discussed the infrastructure bill, along with other issues, with Jennifer Pino, a legislative assistant to Representative Spencer Bachus (R-Alabama). Byrd cited figures in ASCE’s 2005 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure and emphasized the need to support legislation that would improve the nation’s infrastructure.
The next issue that program participants concerned themselves with had to do with the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2007 (H.R. 3999), which would authorize $1 billion for bridge inspections, repairs, and replacements on the nation’s highway system. The bill would require an immediate update of all bridge inspection standards and a change in the standards for training and certifying those carrying out inspections. It would also mandate that states immediately inspect all of their structurally deficient bridges to determine weight limits and ensure that warning signs are accurate.
The legislation would further require that the reconstruction of structurally deficient bridges be prioritized on the basis of risk. The National Academy of Sciences would conduct an independent review of the methods used by the U.S. Department of Transportation in prioritizing bridge projects. States would also need to utilize bridge management systems to facilitate inspections and collect data.
The bill was passed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last October. It was introduced by Representative Jim Oberstar (D-Minnesota), the committee’s chairman, and cosponsored by Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) and Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota).Representative Charles Boustany (R-Louisiana) was visited by three members taking part in the program, namely, Kam K. Movassaghi, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, the president of C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates, of Lafayette, Louisiana; Luke E. Le Bas, P.E., M.ASCE, an engineer manager for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR); and Christopher P. Knotts, P.E., M.ASCE, the director of the LDNR’s coastal engineering division. In response to the arguments adduced by the three in favor of H.R. 3999, Boustany said that he recognized the importance of the issue as well as the need to address highway congestion caused in part by the huge volumes of freight transport in Louisiana. He also suggested that a national summit be organized to discuss the challenges and issues surrounding the nation’s infrastructure.
The third issue that program participants brought to the attention of their legislators related to the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2007 (H.R. 32