A luncheon keynote address at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2025 Washington Briefing provided insights to attendees on how to establish “common agreement” on transportation issues with members of Congress.
[Above photo by AASHTO]
Rodney Davis – head of government affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a former Republican Congressional representative from Illinois – stressed that key transportation issues are different between members of Congress, so it is important to meet with them on the items that matter to them and their constituents the most.
“When you go to Democrats, talk about the virtues of transit in your areas,” he said. “When you talk to Republicans, talk about permitting reform to get projects to completion faster and at reduced taxpayer expense. Even if you disagree, and no one agrees with anyone 100 percent of time, this offers a chance to sit down to work on areas of common agreement. And get in early to advocate on those areas.”
Davis – who served on the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for 10 years – added that broader overarching issues affecting transportation funding also change from year to year as well.
“The IIJA [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021] represented a big victory on infrastructure investment. That was great,” he explained. “But will we see another IIJA-level of investment? I highly doubt it. There is more talk now about reining in federal spending. Crushing debt is killing our economy. It is getting to the point where we are asking, what does the deficit mean for the future of the country? That is what you have to face now.”
That being said, Davis stressed that President Trump wants to get things done as he wants to enter into a “golden age” of transportation infrastructure investment. “He wants to provide an opportunity to build,” he explained. “So do not get caught up in news of the day. I do believe we will see a successful reauthorization bill come through House.”
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