A total of 45 state departments of transportation were represented in Washington D.C. over the last week, gathering for an annual American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) briefing, and to make their voices heard among the halls of federal legislators.
“Once we get to 2020, you’re going to see Washington D.C. lock down pretty tight as presidential politics really comes to the forefront,” Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s executive director, said. “Congress has about seven or eight months to try to get some of their key pieces of legislation done. And I think getting something done on transportation is a priority for both parties – Democrats and Republicans – in the House of Representative and the Senate. And I think President Trump’s administration wants to get something done on infrastructure, as well.”
For state transportation officials, that key legislation takes the form of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and securing funding legislation. Part of this Washington Briefing has seen their numbers descending on congressional delegations to make their concerns heard, lest time run out.
Appealing to those concerns, the organization also hosted a number of federal figures over the course of its gathering. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), and Tom Carper (D-DE), as well as U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Sam Graves (R-MO) were all on hand to discuss legislative priorities.