Honorable Pat Roberts, Senator Honorable Jerry Moran, Senator
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Honorable Pat Roberts, Senator Honorable Jerry Moran, Senator Honorable Roger Marshall, Representative Honorable Ron Estes, Representative Honorable Sharice Davids, Representative Honorable Steve Watkins, Representative May 5, 2020 Dear Members of the Kansas Congressional Delegation, The Kansas Contractors Association, Kansas Aggregate Producers Association, Kansas Ready Mix Concrete Association, the Missouri Kansas Chapter American Concrete Pavement Association and the Kansas Asphalt Pavement Association appreciate your continued efforts to address the unprecedented impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the American people and the U.S. economy. As you consider the next relief bill, our associations strongly urge you to provide state departments of transportation (DOTs) with an immediate $50 billion infusion of federal funding to ensure that planned transportation projects move forward and mitigate potentially significant transportation construction job losses in FY 2021. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) requested $16.7 billion to cover revenue losses for the remainder of FY 2020 and $33.3 billion for FY 2021. This crucial funding will prevent cancellation of projects as well as potential job losses in the industry workforce. The pandemic has highlighted and reinforced that a safe, efficient, and reliable transportation system is vital to expeditiously delivering raw materials, goods, and services needed by first responder and healthcare operations, businesses, and the American people during any national emergency. It has also demonstrated that construction workers who build and maintain this system are a safe and essential part of our ability to respond to a national emergency. Transportation construction has been deemed an essential activity during this national emergency across the United States. The continuity of state highway infrastructure improvement, however, is in jeopardy due to declining motor fuels tax, toll receipts and sales tax in states. As the pandemic significantly impacts state transportation revenues, projects are in jeopardy of being delayed or cancelled. Members of the Kansas Congressional Delegation May 5, 2020 Page 2 Recently enacted COVID19 relief bills contained aid to states. The needs of states vary significantly, and we believe additional flexibility is warranted to allow states to address those needs. We urge adoption of language in any future relief or stimulus bill to provide flexibility to states allowing the expenditure of already enacted COVID19 relief funds or future COVID19 relief funds for any Essential Critical Infrastructure as defined in the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency Guidelines. Kansas’ state general fund revenues are now estimated to be $1.3b lower for the next 14 months due to the pandemic. State spending will have to be significantly cut to align with the new revenue estimates and, specifically, state transportation funding will be affected accordingly. Past research has shown that for every $1m spent in Kansas on transportation construction, 130 jobs are supported while creating approximately $5 of state economic activity for each $1 spent. Sustaining that sort of economic impact and return on investment is key for Kansas to best weather the pandemic storm. In the near-term, this immediate infusion of federal funding will help to allow state department of transportations to advance and deliver state projects and ensure workers will remain on the job. However, this one-time backstop is not a long-term solution to addressing the infrastructure needs of our country. A multi-year reauthorization of the federal highway and public transportation programs completed well before the September 30 expiration and with significant investment increases would help facilitate the immediate job creation the nation desperately needs. In working with our national partners, the following parameters are necessary to achieve the goal: 1. Investment increases to improve infrastructure conditions and enhance productivity. 2. A minimum 5-year duration to leverage expansion of state and private sector plans. 3. Ensure rapid delivery of projects and benefits. Congress appropriately recognized the adverse impacts of the pandemic on other transportation modes in previously enacted COVID-19 relief legislation. We urge your support to provide similar relief to KDOT and other state department of transportation. Our associations appreciate your leadership during this unprecedented time and your consideration of this request. If you have any questions or require any additional information, please let us know. Thank you for your leadership in this unprecedented time. Sincerely, Michael White, Executive Director Jerry Younger, Managing Director Kansas Contractors Association Kansas Aggregate Producers Association Kansas Ready Mix Concrete Association Dan Scherschligt, Executive Director Todd LaTorella, Executive Director Kansas Asphalt Pavement Association Missouri Kansas Chapter American Concrete Pavement Association .