[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 14, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E794-E795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              ``HIGHWAYS AND YOU: THE ROAD TO OUR FUTURE''

                                 ______


                            HON. BUD SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 14, 1996

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to insert the following 
article entitled ``Highways and You: The Road to Our Future'' into the 
Congressional Record. This superb article was written by an old friend 
and respected colleague of mine by the name of Paul C. Mellott, Jr. 
Paul is the chairman of the board and executive vice president of H.B. 
Mellott Estate Inc. and the current chairman of the board of the 
National Stone Association. His remarks represent a keen insight into 
what the future of transportation policy holds and the exciting 
challenges that lie ahead for us as a Nation. Paul's words speak loud 
and clear to all of us who understand that an investment in 
infrastructure is an investment in the future prosperity of our 
country.

                Highways and You: The Road to Our Future

                       (By Paul C. Mellott, Jr.)

       As we approach the millennium and the impending 21st 
     Century, a formidable array of new and exciting challenges 
     loom on the horizon. Many of these issues could in varying 
     degrees, after the way which aggregate producers do business 
     as well as impacting on the ultimate future well-being of our 
     industry.
       While emerging technology continues to open windows of 
     opportunity for streamlining the production techniques and 
     general administration of quarry business, the ever growing 
     impact of government legislation and regulation overshadows 
     virtually everything on our agenda.
       The effectiveness with which our industry interacts with 
     government will be a major determining factor in building the 
     road to our future in the aggregates industry. It entails 
     such crucial aspects as determining the future levels of 
     federal investment in the highway program and other 
     infrastructure activities.
       Because of the central role which government affairs is 
     destined to play in our future, the Association will--during 
     my tenure as NSA Chairman--be placing a major focus on 
     augmenting and upgrading the Government Affairs Program. 
     However, it is important to point out that this emphasis is 
     not intended in any way to detract from any of our other 
     ongoing programs, such as our effort to emphasize the value 
     inherent in aggregate products, our industry recognition 
     activities, environmental stewardship, improved safety and 
     health in the workplace, and the whole range of membership 
     services which NSA provides on a day-to-day basis.


                        a splendid track record

       NSA's Government Affairs Division had a splendid track 
     record in 1995. Our top accomplishment was securing enactment 
     of legislation designating the 160,000-mile National Highway 
     System (NHS) late in the first Congressional session. This 
     ``crown jewel'' of NSA's legislative program establishes an 
     enduring federal presence in the nation's highway network and 
     will provide $13 billion in federal aid for the NHS over the 
     next two years.
       This success certainly was a major milestone in the road to 
     our future. As an added bonus, the NHS bill also contained a 
     provision, strongly advocated by our industry, repealing the 
     mandated use of crumb rubber in asphalt pavement--a provision 
     that had been a part of the original Intermodal Surface 
     Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA).
       As a result of the Transportation Appropriations 
     legislation, funding for the core Federal Aid Highway Program 
     grew by $400 million and highway spending for the current 
     year was set at $19.9 billion. Therefore, our strategy to 
     work toward expanding highway appropriations in a year of 
     declining federal spending on transportation proved to be 
     successful. Furthermore, we believe that this offers tangible 
     proof that Congress realized the inherent value of highway 
     mobility to all Americans.

[[Page E795]]

       But seasoned Capitol Hill observers readily concede that 
     there are no ``final victories'' in Washington. Indeed, there 
     is little time--if any--for complacency and savoring our 1995 
     wins, because there is much to be done in the second season 
     of the 104th Congress in preparation for such crucial issues 
     as ISTEA reauthorization and taking the Highway Trust Fund 
     off-budget.


                        division re-engineering

       A centerpiece of our government affairs emphasis activity 
     will be a ``re-engineering'' of NSA's Government Affairs 
     Division, which will be implemented on my watch as Chairman, 
     I wish to emphasize at the outset that this revamping was not 
     generated by any shortfall in meeting legislative goals and 
     expectations. It is a recommendation that was generated from 
     within the Division, and is intended simply to involve 
     substantially more of our industry's leaders in developing 
     policies and positions regarding legislation. Another 
     important aspect of the re-engineering effort is to 
     significantly broaden involvement of industry laymen in the 
     political process via our rapidly growing Grassroots Network.
       The initial step in re-engineering the Government Affairs 
     Division was to create an expanded Steering Committee. This 
     30-member unit consists of a broad cross-section of leaders 
     throughout the industry. The Steering Committee--headed by 
     Government Affairs Division Chairman Craig Bearn of the 
     Melvin Stone Company--will provide leadership for the 
     Association's legislative, political action and government 
     affairs programs. It also will serve as the mechanism for 
     developing NSA policy and positions on key issues facing the 
     industry in areas such as transportation infrastructure, 
     federal spending, tax policy, labor/management relations and 
     regulatory reform.
       Our plan is for the Steering Committee to meet 
     semiannually--once at the spring Government Affairs 
     Conference, in Washington, and once at the call of the 
     Chairman. A key element in the success of the Steering 
     Committee concept is vigorous member participation. By 
     agreeing to serve on this group, the participants are making 
     a solemn commitment to the industry--either to participate in 
     Committee deliberations personally, or by designating a 
     senior representative from the company as an alternate.
       The Steering Committee Chairman will appoint a limited 
     number of ad hoc Task Forces on specific legislative issues 
     especially crucial to aggregates industry interests, such as 
     the upcoming ISTEA reauthorization and/or the percentage 
     depletion allowance, both of which are high on the 
     Congressional agenda in 1996.
       Besides the Steering Committee, our re-engineering master 
     plan calls for only one other standing committee--the 
     Grassroots Network Committee, chaired by Bill Sandbrook of 
     Tilcon New York Inc. I am extremely enthusiastic about NSA's 
     Grassroots program, because I have long felt that the key to 
     successful lobbying is grassroots member involvement.
       There is a definite role for lobbyists in the legislative 
     process and NSA has utilized its lobbying staff very 
     effectively. Lobbyists can cite facts and figures and 
     articulate policies and positions, but Congressmen want to 
     hear from the folks back home. Often, when it comes time for 
     the lawmaker to cast his vote on a critical issue his 
     thinking can be tempered by strong constituent response. As 
     the late Speaker of the House ``Tip'' O'Neill so aptly 
     observed ``All politics are local!''


                         Employee Participation

       Currently, NSA's Grassroots Network has grown to more than 
     550 individuals who are committed to contacting their 
     Congressmen and Senators on issues vital to the aggregates 
     industry when the need arises. In 1995 alone we made more 
     than 1,500 Congressional contacts on issues ranging from the 
     National Highway System to the pending Ballenger Bill on 
     regulatory reform.
       This provided an excellent start for getting the Grassroots 
     program off the ground. But I am hopeful that our 1995 effort 
     is just the beginning.
       Successful recruitment into the Grassroots Network is not a 
     matter that is limited to the NSA staff. I firmly believe 
     that in a $7.75 billion industry, which employs some 80,000 
     people throughout the nation, the number of participants in 
     the Grassroots Network ought to be at least several times its 
     current size.
       It is incumbent on each member producer to encourage broad 
     employee participation in the Grassroots effort. Because of 
     the ultimate potential of this program, I believe that it is 
     something that an employer would want to encourage all of his 
     employees--and members of their families--to seriously 
     consider participating in.


     FY 1997 APPROPRIATIONS TESTIMONY: ARGUING FOR RELIABILITY AND 
                              CONSISTENCY

       During my appearance before the House Appropriations 
     Subcommittee on Transportation on February 29th, I urged 
     Congress to apply the basic formula of I=P=SL/QL in 
     allocating funding for the nation's future surface 
     transportation mobility needs: an upgraded infrastructure (I) 
     equals increased productivity (P), which in turn paves the 
     way to an increased American standard of living (SL) and 
     quality of life (QL).
       We further urged that, in evaluating competing funding 
     requests, Congress recognize the basic fact that highways are 
     the way we move the vast majority of people and goods in 
     America. Citing research by noted economist Dr. David 
     Aschauer, which clearly demonstrates the role of 
     infrastructure investment in enhancing productivity and job 
     growth, NSA maintained that both equity and practicality 
     argue for increased federal user-fee financed programs to 
     focus their attention on the most productive infrastructure 
     investments--highways, airport runways and waterways.
       My testimony strongly emphasized the need for reliability 
     and consistency in the overall funding process for 
     infrastructure. I pointed out that 40 to 60 percent of any 
     quarry's market typically comes from road and construction 
     repair. It is important for us to receive accurate and 
     reliable forecasts for the future Federal Aid Highway Program 
     so that we can prepare our business plans accordingly.


               HIGHWAY INVESTMENT: THE ROAD TO OUR FUTURE

       In our legislative deliberations with Capitol Hill, NSA has 
     increasingly articulated the need for American investment in 
     transportation infrastructure as a necessary requisite for 
     securing the United States' position in a global economy. And 
     simultaneously we have clearly stated our own industry's need 
     for a reliable source of infrastructure funding in order to 
     successfully carry out our role in ensuring our nation's 
     mobility.
       Our message has been clearly articulated, but because of a 
     growing number of competing interests, it must be perpetually 
     reinforced--on an almost daily basis. It must be reinforced 
     by NSA's own lobbyists: it must be reinforced through 
     participation in coalitions which share our mutual interests; 
     and it must be reinforced by our Association's own members, 
     via our Grassroots NSA work.
       I urge everyone to participate, because highway investment 
     is truly the road to our future!

                          ____________________