May 16, 2026
By Lane Kimble
A trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with federal industry leaders carried even greater importance for WTBA staff this week, with Congress punting once again on discussing a new five-year surface transportation bill.
The current law expires in September, so time is certainly of the essence.
Executive Director Steve Baas joined General Counsel Jodi Jensen and former WTBA Board President Jeff Parisi in the nation’s capital for the three-day ARTBA Federal Issues Program & Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In.
Wisconsin’s group met with USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy, Federal Highway Administration officials, and Congressional leaders during the conference.
“The entire economy runs on the stuff you build,” Duffy told the crowd Tuesday during a Q&A session with ARTBA Board Chair Tony Fassino.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee tentatively planned “markup” sessions on the new surface transportation bill, but those never materialized the past two weeks.
Back in April, House Transportation Chairman Sam Graves said lawmakers were still negotiating what a new five-year surface transportation bill would spend, but that $500 to $550 billion was a reasonable number, with a greater emphasis on roads and bridges.
The current transportation bill–commonly referred to as the BIL– invested more than $1 trillion, but a large portion of that money also went to programs that supported electric vehicles, transit, green energy, and projects focused on reducing vehicle emissions.
Graves told Politico he’d like to see the new spending law focus more on “traditional” construction projects.
WTBA staff used this week’s Capitol visit to remind decision-makers that sustainable transportation funding and long-term project planning aren’t just nice ideas, they’re critical to our country’s future.
“As Secretary Duffy said, our entire economy depends on our members’ work,” Baas said. “This week’s meetings were a great reminder for all of us to be unified, on task and on message when telling our stories in Washington and back at home.”
