Truckers join U.S. Chamber of Commerce in push for $1 trillion infrastructure deal

The trucking industry is joining other business lobbying groups for a late push to pass the bipartisan $1 trillion roads and bridges infrastructure plan and leave a much larger $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” package to another day.

Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said he has held “hundreds of meetings” with members of Congress on the merits of the $1 trillion bill, and said it has overwhelming support on Capitol Hill.

“It’s not the substance that people are disagreeing with here,” Bradley said. “The hostage-taking … the willingness to shoot the hostages on the Republican side. Not a single one of them can be fixed today. It’s time for Congress to vote on the bill and send it to the President, then we can argue about the other issues.”

The Chamber of Commerce has launched a six-figure paid advertising campaign in opposition to the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill that it says poses a “significant threat” to the American economy.  

“This reconciliation bill is effectively 100 bills in one representing every big government idea that’s never been able to pass in Congress. The bill is an existential threat to America’s fragile economic recovery and future prosperity,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark. “We will not find durable or practical solutions in one massive bill that is equivalent to more than twice the combined budgets of all 50 states.”

Business interests want Congress to “decouple” the $3.5 trillion human infrastructure measure and instead schedule an immediate vote on the $1 trillion roads and bridges measure.

Bradley said the Chamber will remember “who stands in the way and blocks this bill.” Trucking and other business interests said whatever else Congress decides to do on the larger human infrastructure bill, it should not be “held hostage” on the roads and bridges infrastructure measure that is sorely needed.

“Our drivers see first-hand the dire conditions of our roads and bridges,” said Chris Spear, American Trucking Associations President and CEO, in a conference call with reporters ahead of a scheduled vote in the House of Representatives on Thursday. “This is our shop floor.”

Spear stated that nearly half the roads are in poor or mediocre condition. “This is embarrassing,” Spear said.

A group of 90 or so Democratic members of the Progressive Caucus led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., have joined many Republican House members in a late push to derail what had been bipartisan support for the $1 trillion bill.

“We’re not voting for that bipartisan bill until we get agreement on the reconciliation bill, and it’s clear we’ve got a ways to go,” said Jayapal, the  Progressive Caucus Chairwoman.

Trucking and business lobbyists decried such tactics as dangerous political gamesmanship.

“I have not heard one salient point from the Republican side why they oppose this. My members do not care one whit about political wins. Majorities don’t mean anything if you don’t do anything,” Spear said. “Do the right thing. Vote this bill out. There’s something in this for everyone. It’s an easy, long overdue fix. With one vote today, Congress can turn this into a positive.”

The move comes as Democratic leaders tried to unify the party’s increasingly combative progressive and moderate wings around changes to a separate $3.5 trillion healthcare, education and climate package.

Michael Johnson, president of National Sand and Stone Gravel Association, called the $1 trillion bill “critically important” for the country that has the support of 75% of the American people.

It also has support from a range of politicians across the political spectrum. Johnson said the $1 trillion infrastructure measure has the support of Senate politicians including Finance Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

“That’s why it boggles the mind why progressives in the House have taken a very popular hostage,” Johnson added.

Johnson said he was “confident” the votes were there to pass in the House. It’s up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to schedule the vote – provided she has the Democratic votes to pass it.

“Unfortunately, they are being trapped by politics,” Johnson said. “Some of the members we talked with say they are trapped between a rock and a hard place – pardon the pun.”

Johnson and others said progressives on the Democratic side are playing “naked politics” with the $1 trillion infrastructure deal to hold hostage the larger “human infrastructure” bill.

“I’m not sure anyone knows what the end game is,” Johnson said. “If you are interested in moving the country forward and serving your constituents, you should vote for this bill.”

The Chamber’s Bradley said it is “not cost-free to kick the can down the road” on infrastructure. “The best way to break the fever is to vote today.”

ATA’s Spear said the cost of doing nothing is not free. “The nation’s $8 million trucking-related employees expect them to put America first before their own jobs,” Spears said. “We’re tired of Plan B. We’ve been running on Plan B for five years. It’s time for Plan A.”

Spear said passage of this infrastructure measure will give state departments of transportation the ability to plan for more than one year ahead. “This bill, if passed, gives them certainty. If this bill passes, we’re going to see a lot of road construction over the next three years. It’s a good thing—it’s an investment.”

Johnson of the Sand and Gravel Association said, “We can’t kick that can down the road any longer without that can hitting a pothole. The Chinese want to be the No. 1 economy in the world while we’re kicking cans in the potholes.”