Letter to Congress: Support American Manufacturing in Surface Transportation Reauthorization

Dear Chairwoman Capito, Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Whitehouse, and Ranking

Member Larsen:

As you prepare to lead congressional efforts to write the next surface transportation

authorization bill, I urge you to prioritize measures that will maximize support for American

manufacturing, construction, and economic growth. Common Sense America (CSA)

advocates for policies that strengthen U.S. economic independence and improve national

security, and this year’s reauthorization has the potential to lay a strong foundation for

future generations.

The investments that you will make through this critical piece of legislation have the

potential to unleash a new era of American infrastructure development. To ensure that the

benefits of that development are fully shared by American workers, it will be critical to

include provisions that not only invest in transportation infrastructure but also rejuvenate

America’s manufacturing sector.

The Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs

Act included domestic requirements for “iron, steel, manufactured products, and

construction materials” used in federally funded infrastructure projects. While these

requirements were an important first step, they failed to include other essential inputs. For

example, cement and cementitious materials are excluded from that designation, raising

serious questions about the quality of cement used in U.S. infrastructure projects.

America’s aging infrastructure has received subpar ratings, and we urge Congress to

invest in public infrastructure to secure our country, starting with our foundations.

Cement and concrete are the bread and butter of U.S. construction projects, forming the

backbone of essential infrastructure, from highways, roads, and bridges to airport runways,

ports, transit systems, and more. In the U.S., transportation infrastructure projects require

36.1 million metric tons of cement each year. The legislation that you will write has the

potential to increase those requirements and create demands that will also compete with

the needs of data centers, housing, and other construction projects. Americans deserve to

know there will be adequate supplies of reliable, American-made cement to enable these

projects to move forward.

Yet cement manufacturing is under threat in the U.S., with overly burdensome regulations

and plant closures contributing to industry headwinds. More concerning, cement

production declined in 2024, and 22% of cement consumed in the U.S. was imported that

year.

Americans are on edge from recent infrastructure mishaps, some with tragic outcomes,

such as the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. We can’t afford to worry

about the quality of the cement underpinning our transit systems that we use every day.

That is why it is essential to use this year’s surface transportation reauthorization to

expand “Buy America” standards to include cement for government-funded infrastructure

projects and promote import transparency.

The cement and concrete industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in

annual economic impact. Congress can help sustain economic growth here at home by

ensuring that American infrastructure is built with high-quality U.S.-made cement.

On behalf of CSA, thank you for considering our letter. We commend your commitment to

creating a safer, more prosperous America.

Sincerely,

Steve Crim
President and Founder
Common Sense America

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