Chambers For U.S. Infrastructure Investment

Chambers for U.S. Infrastructure InvestmentMarch 3, 2015Dear Members of Congress:Transportation infrastructure investments in our cities and towns are key to America’s long-term economiccompetitiveness. That’s why leaders of local and regional chambers of commerce and economic developmentorganizations from across the country urge you to resolve the impending insolvency of the federal Highway TrustFund and pass a long term federal transportation authorization bill this year that restores confidence and stabilityfor investments within our regions.Without a sustainable source of funding, the Trust Fund will be in a deep deficit that will require major cuts infederal highway and transit funding or a potential halt of the entire federal transportation program, which wouldjeopardize much needed economic and job growth in our cities and regions. Indeed, many states have alreadyhalted certain projects in anticipation of such cuts. We need your support to ensure the viability of this criticalcomponent of the nation’s economy, including its ability to accelerate job growth.With the expiration of MAP-21 looming at the end of May, we also urge you to include in a long-termauthorization bill the following provisions and programs that we believe our regions need to stay competitive in a21st century global marketplace: Ensure that federal funding is flexible and supports all modes of surface transportation. Expand the existing TIFIA loan program and include the proposed America Fast Forward bond programthat would create a new class of federal tax credit bonds to help local and state governments constructtransportation infrastructure at a significantly lower cost. Empower local communities and metropolitan regions with more authority over both federal funding anddecision-making. Innovation is happening at the local level and yet our local decision makers don’t haveenough of the tools, and control less than 10 percent of the funding, which limit the ability to advance keyprojects that can grow the economies in communities big and small. Support a comprehensive and strategic approach to move freight by providing a strong emphasison intermodal solutions that target the very worst bottlenecks to create more reliable and efficientlyinterconnected highway, rail, port and airport networks.As members of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, we represent businesses of all sizes thatform the backbone of the nation’s economy. Our business members know a reliable and resilient transportationnetwork is vital to construction employment, getting other workers to their jobs, ensuring efficient and costeffective freight delivery, and providing residents with an outstanding quality of life, which is critical to attractinga talented workforce.Thank you for your leadership on this important issue.

AlabamaCaliforniaAlexander City Chamber of CommerceAnn A. Rye, President & CEOChamber of Commerce Alliance of Ventura & SantaBarbara CountiesScott Eicher, IOM, Board PresidentBirmingham Business AllianceW. Brian Hilson, President & CEOChamber of Commerce of West AlabamaJim M. Page, CCE, President & CEODecatur-Morgan County Chamber of CommerceJohn Seymour, President & CEOMobile Area Chamber of CommerceWilliam Sisson, President & CEOShoals Chamber of CommerceSteve Holt, CCE, CEcD, PresidentAlaskaGreater Fairbanks Chamber of CommerceLisa Herbert, Executive DirectorArizonaBuckeye Valley Chamber of CommerceDeanna K. Kupcik, President & CEOGlendale Chamber of CommerceRobert W. Heidt, Jr, President & CEOGreater Flagstaff Chamber of CommerceJulie M. Pastrick, President & CEOGreater Phoenix Chamber of CommerceTodd Sanders, President & CEOLake Havasu Area Chamber of CommerceLisa J. Krueger, IOM, ACE, President & CEOMarana Chamber of CommerceEd Stolmaker, IOM, President/CEOTucson Hispanic ChamberLea Marquez Peterson, President/CEOTucson Metro ChamberMichael V. Varney, President & CEOArkansasCross County Chamber of Commerce/WynneEconomic DevelopmentChristopher Clifton, CED, IOM, President & CEOGreater Hot Springs Chamber of CommerceJim Fram, CEcD, CCE, FM, President & CEOLittle Rock Regional Chamber of CommerceJay Chesshir, CCE, President & CEOChamber of Commerce Mountain ViewOscar Garcia, President/CEOFullerton Chamber of CommerceTheresa Harvey, President & CEOGreater Lakewood Chamber of CommerceJohn Kelsall, President & CEOHispanic Chamber of Commerce Silicon ValleyDennis King, Executive DirectorHuntington Beach Chamber of CommerceJerry Wheeler, IOM, ACE, President/CEOLos Altos Chamber of CommerceJulie Rose, PresidentLos Angeles Area Chamber of CommerceGary Toebben, CCE, President & CEOMilpitas Chamber of CommerceLiz Ainsworth, PresidentMurrieta Chamber of CommercePatrick Ellis, President/CEOPalm Desert Area Chamber of CommerceBarbara deBoom, ACE, IOM, President & CEOPalo Alto Chamber of CommerceJudith G. Kleinberg, JD, President & CEOPasadena Chamber of CommercePaul Little, President and CEOSan Francisco Chamber of CommerceBob Linscheid, President & CEOSan Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of CommerceMatthew R. Mahood, President & CEOSan Rafael Chamber of CommerceJoanne Webster, President and CEOSanta Clara Chamber of Commerce & ConevtionVisitors BureauSteve Van Dorn, President & CEOColoradoColorado Competitive CouncilMizraim S. Cordero, DirectorDenver Metro Chamber of CommerceKelly Brough, President & CEOPhillips County Chamber of CommerceDoug Friedlander, Executive DirectorGlenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association &Film CommissionMarianne Virgili, IOM, CCE, President & CEOSpringdale Chamber of CommercePerry E. Webb, CCE, Iom, President and CEOGreater Woodland Park ChamberDebbie Miller, IOM, ACE, President

Greeley Chamber of CommerceSarah L. MacQuiddy, ACEParker Chamber of CommerceDennis Houston, IOM, President & CEOConnecticutBridgeport Regional Business CouncilPaul S. Timpanelli, President & CEOBusiness Council of Fairfield CountyChristopher P. Bruhl, President & CEOChamber of Commerce of Eastern ConnecticutTony Sheridan, President & CEOEast of the River Chamber of Commerce AssociationShari Fiveash, Executive Director, South WindsorChamber of CommerceOcala/Marion County Chamber & EconomicPartnershipKevin T. Sheilley, President & CEOStuart/Martin County Chamber of CommerceJoe Catrambone, President & CEOWalton Area Chamber of CommerceKellie Jo Kilberg, President & CEOGeorgiaGreater Macon Chamber of CommerceMichael Dyer, President & CEOMetro Atlanta ChamberHala Moddelmog, President & CEOHawaiiMetroHartford AllianceR. Nelson Griebel, President & CEOChamber of Commerce of HawaiiSherry Menor-McNamara, President & CEOMiddlesex County Chamber of CommerceLawrence D. McHugh, PresidentIdahoSimsbury Chamber of CommerceLisa Gray, Executive DirectorDelawareCentral Delaware Chamber of CommerceJudy Diogo, PresidentNew Castle County Chamber of CommerceMark Kleinschmidt, PresidentFloridaBoise Metro Chamber of CommerceBill Connors, President & CEOCaldwell Chamber of CommerceTheresa E. Hardin, Executive DirectorIllinoisAurora Regional Chamber of CommerceJoseph B. Henning, IOM, CAE, ACE, President & CEOChicagoland Chamber of CommerceTheresa E. Mitle, President & CEOBoca ChamberTroy M. McLellan, CCE, President & CEOGreater Decatur Chamber of CommerceMirinda Rothrock, PresidentBonita Springs Area Chamber of CommerceChristine A. Ross, CCE, MBA, President & CEOMcLean County Chamber of CommerceCharlie Moore, IOM, CCE, President & CEOCentral Florida PartnershipJacob V. Stuart, PresidentNaperville Area Chamber of CommerceNicki Anderson, President & CEOCentral Pinellas Chamber of CommerceTom Morrissette, PresidentQuad Cities Chamber of CommerceTara Barney, Chief Executive OfficerGainesville Area Chamber of CommerceTim Giuliani, President & CEORockford Chamber of CommerceEinar K. Forsman, President & CEOGreater Naples Chamber of CommerceJohn S. Cox, CCE, CEcD, IOM, President & CEOIndianaGreater Sanford Regional Chamber of CommerceFrank S. Hale, President & CEOGoshen Chamber of CommerceDavid B. Daugherty, PresidentGreater Tampa Chamber of CommerceRobert J. Rohrlack Jr., CEcD, CCE, President & CEOGreater Bloomington Chamber of CommerceJeb Conrad, President & CEOJax ChamberDaniel Davis, President & CEOGreater Elkhart Chamber of CommerceKyle Hannon, IOM, President/CEOIndy ChamberMichael Huber, President & CEO

Kosciusko Chamber of CommerceMark Dobson, IOM, President & CEONorthern Kentucky Chamber of CommmerceTrey Grayson, President & CEOOne Southern IndianaWendy Dant Chesser, CEcD, President & CEOPaintsville/Johnson County Chamber of CommerceFran Jarrell, ACE, Executive DirectorSouthwest Indiana ChamberChristy Gillenwater, CCE, President & CEOWest Kentucky Regional Chamber AllianceGene Gilliland, Board ChairSt. Joseph County Chamber of CommerceJeff Rea, President & CEOLouisianaIowaBaton Rouge Area Chamber of CommerceAdam Knapp, President & CEOCedar Rapids Metro Economic AllianceDee Baird, President & CEOCentral Louisiana Chamber of CommerceDeborah Randolph, PresidentGreater Burlington PartnershipJason Hutcheson, President & CEOEast St. Tammany Chamber of CommerceDawn Sharpe-Brackett, CCE, IOM, Chief ExecutiveOfficerGreater Des Moines PartnershipJay Byers, CCE, Chief Executive OfficerIowa City Area Chamber of CommerceNancy Quellhorst, President & CEOQuad Cities Chamber of CommerceTara Barney, Chief Executive OfficerKansasGreater Topeka Chamber of CommerceDoug Kinsinger, CCE, PresidentJunction City Area Chamber of CommerceTom Weigand, President & CEOManhattan Area Chamber of CommerceLyle A. Butler, President & CEOOverland Park Chamber of CommerceTracey Osborne, CCE, PresidentWichita Metro Chamber of CommerceGary Plummer, President & CEOKentuckyGreater Shreveport Chamber of CommerceRochard H. Bremer, PresidentJefferson Chamber of CommerceTodd P. Murphy, PresidentMonroe Chamber of CommerceSue Nicholson, PCED, IOM, President & CEOSouthwest Louisiana Economic Development AllianceGeorge Swift, President & CEOSt. Tammany West Chamber of CommerceLacey Toledano, President & CEOMaineDamariscotta Region Chamber of CommerceToni L. Crouch, Executive DirectorMarylandAnnapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber ofCommerceBob Burdon, President & CEOChristian County Chamber of CommerceMarian Mason, President & CEOBaltimore Washington Corridor ChamberH. Walter Townshend, III, President & CEOColumbia-Adair County Chamber of CommerceSue C. Stivers, Executive DirectorGreater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber ofCommerceGinanne M. Italiano, IOM, President & CEOCommerce LexingtonRobert L. Quick, CCE, President & CEOGreater Louisville Inc.Kent Oyler, President & CEOKentucky Network for Development, Leadership &EngagementBrad Schneider, Chief Executive OfficerMadisonville-Hopkings County Chamber ofCommerceLee Lingo, PresidentHoward County Chamber of CommerceLeonardo McClarty, President/CEOMassachusettsCape Cod Chamber of CommerceWendy K. Northcross, IOM, CCE, Chief ExecutiveOfficerFall River Area Chamber of Commerce and IndustryRobert A. Mellion, Esq., President & CEO