I Make America and Equipment Manufacturers Call on Congress to Pass Highway Bill

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On behalf of U.S. equipment manufacturers and I Make America's nearly 20,000 grassroots supporters nationwide, Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater issued the following statement urging congressional leaders in the House and Senate to pass their respective highway bills (H.R. 7 and MAP-21) and move quickly to conference:

"AEM's I Make America national grassroots campaign, launched in 2010 in support of manufacturing policies that create jobs, foster economic growth and promote American competitiveness, has grown to nearly 20,000 supporters nationwide. Starting today, AEM will be calling upon these supporters, together with our more than 850 member companies, to make calls to legislators, sign petitions, and engage across social media to urge the House and Senate to pass their bills and quickly reach a bipartisan agreement in conference.

"While we are encouraged to see that the House and Senate leadership recognize the critical importance of moving infrastructure investment legislation through their chambers, the real work lies ahead. There are significant differences in the House and Senate versions of the highway bill that must be resolved in conference. House and Senate leadership and conferees will need to put partisanship aside and work together to quickly achieve an agreement on a comprehensive, fully funded highway bill to send to President Obama before the stopgap extension expires next month.

"There is no single piece of legislation now before Congress that will do more to immediately create American jobs and sharpen our global competitiveness. U.S. businesses are suffering and millions of Americans are still out of work. The finish line is now in sight, and it will take the commitment of both political parties and both houses of Congress to successfully cross it.

"On behalf of America's equipment manufacturers and the tens of thousands of people they employ nationwide, today we call on Congress to work together to pass this critical legislation."

About I Make America – www.imakeamerica.com

I Make America is supported by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and its 850+ member companies. We are joined by the memberships of like-minded associations, American business owners, and citizens and local elected officials across the nation. To learn more about I Make America, visit us at www.IMakeAmerica.com. View short videos of employees and small business owners around the country telling the real life stories of how manufacturing affects the national economy at www.ADayinAmericanLife.com. Keep up to date on the latest I Make America campaign news on Twitter @IMakeAmerica and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IMakeAmerica.

About the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) – www.aem.org

AEM is the North American-based international trade group providing innovative business development resources to advance the off-road equipment manufacturing industry in the global marketplace. AEM membership comprises more than 850 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors worldwide. AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with offices in the capitals of Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Beijing and a European presence in Brussels.

SOURCE Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)