WASHINGTON — With today’s release of the House Democrats’ surface transportation reauthorization package, the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is urging lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to come together and expedite passage of an infrastructure-based recovery agenda.

“Today is just the beginning of the conversation in the House, but we are one step closer to achieving the goal of a long-term recovery program for America,” said Linda Bauer Darr, president and CEO, ACEC. “The final bill must be bold enough to embrace new technologies and resilient design practices while funding the essential road, bridge, and transit work that will pave the way for America’s economic reawakening.”

Action on infrastructure is absolutely the right thing to do for this country at absolutely the right time, said Charles Gozdziewski, chairman emeritus of Hardesty and Hanover in New York City and ACEC board chair.

“Infrastructure investment will drive our recovery, and America’s engineering firms are ready to design the transportation networks necessary to meet the demands of the ‘new normal,’” he said.

“We urge House leaders on both sides of the aisle to focus on getting something done,” Darr added. “We have come too far for the process to be sidelined by partisan division.” 

ACEC has been an active voice in the infrastructure debate in Congress. As part of its Rescue / Recover / Rebuild  virtual advocacy campaign launched in late April, its members have delivered 6,500 letters, emails, and social media messages to Capitol Hill and hosted virtual meetings with scores of lawmakers centered on an infrastructure-first recovery agenda. For more information, visit www.acec.org.