Category: Policy Matters
-
What the FEMA Act of 2025 Means for Road Builders: Resilience is Now the Standard
—
by
Last year there were twenty-seven separate weather or climate related disasters which resulted in more than $1 billion in damages. A not insignificant portion of those damages were to essential roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure. States hit hard by these events often expressed criticisms of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and how funds…
-
The Committee For Bad looks
—
by
Almost half of the working days the T&I Committee has spent in session for 2025 have been spent sifting through the Biden Administration’s landmark infrastructure bills (the IIJA and the IRA) to find budgetary measures that don’t conform the current Administration’s idealogical taxonomy. I say it that way, because it remains the best way I…
-
Why EV Fees Won’t Save the Highway Trust Fund—And What Congress Is Ignoring
—
by
Almost half of the working days the T&I Committee has spent in session for 2025 have been spent sifting through the Biden Administration’s landmark infrastructure bills (the IIJA and the IRA) to find budgetary measures that don’t conform the current Administration’s idealogical taxonomy. I say it that way, because it remains the best way I…
-
New Legislation Targets Emissions In Asphalt And Concrete After IRA Rollbacks
In March of 2025, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) reintroduced the Concrete And Asphalt Innovation Act (CAIA) as a companion to House bill H.R. 1534, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support to the tune of 350-73. Currently, it awaits further action by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee before going to…
-
Key Takeaways from the 2025 NAPA Mid-Year Conference in Louisville
As I write this, I just got back from Louisville, Kentucky, and while the bourbon down there flows as freely as a McDonald’s soda fountain—the conversations, ideas, and industry insights at the NAPA Mid-Year Meeting were just as prevalent. As someone who’s spent time in the trenches with the commercial pavement maintenance professionals, I’ll be…
-
U.S. Infrastructure Is Stuck In The 20th Century
On March 10, 2025, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy rescinded certain memos issued by the Biden Administration which added guidelines to federal infrastructure project spending. These guidelines included special considerations for so-called “social justice” issues, environmental concerns, and equity-first design. It was another step in the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the infrastructure…
-
The EPA Answers Your Questions About Asphalt EPDs
Over the last few years, the genesis of the environmental product declaration (EPD) within the asphalt industry, as well as its continued rise in importance for producer and pavers who work on Federal and State infrastructure projects. However, outside of the meetups organized by the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), there are still a lot…
-
Why This New Republican Bill Won’t Save The Highway Trust Fund
Discussions about the insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) have been happening since the early 2000s, and I wrote in 2023 how the booming EV market was going to make matters worse. While several committee hearings were held during the Biden administration, neither the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) nor the Inflation Reduction…
-
Arizona Congressman Sponsors Bill To Abolish OSHA
On January 3, 2025, Andy Biggs (R – AR – 5) introduced a new, if exceedingly brief, piece of legislation that would result in the abolition of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Its formation was the result of the Occupation Safety and Health Act, signed into being by former Republican President Richard Nixon on…