NASBP Joins Coalitions to Expand Outreach on Government Procurement and P3 Issues

Recently, NASBP joined two coalitions to expand the Association’s outreach to legislators, the industry, and the public. The first Coalition NASBP joined recently is the Business Coalition for Fair Competition (BCFC), ”a coalition of trade associations, businesses, and organizations dedicated to free enterprise, relief from unfair government sponsored competition, and smaller, more efficient government.” NASBP foresees participation in the BCFC will increase NASBP’s outreach to construction organizations and to members of Congress and their staff who share the same philosophical goals concerning government procurement. This may be realized soon as the BCFC will host three important events in December, which NASBP plans to attend. These include a meet-and-greet session with staff representing offices of several U.S. House of Representatives to discuss issues of importance, a strategy session held for Coalition members to learn how their organizations’ policy goals for 2014 overlap with other Coalition members’ goals, and a meet-and-greet session with a potential Alabama House candidate to discuss issues, such as the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) and the Highway Reauthorization Bill.

Prior to becoming a BCFC member, NASBP was given the opportunity to attend a number of BCFC’s policy round-table events where elected members of Congress and candidates seeking office shared their ideas concerning fair competition for private, for-profit firms that procure goods and services on federal projects. NASBP valued the opportunity to converse with these individuals and to educate them on the importance of surety bonds on federal construction projects. Other organizations that have joined the Coalition and signed onto BCFC Congressional letters include the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Construction Industry Round Table (CIRT), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and Women Construction Owners and Executives (WCOE), just to name a few.

The second coalition that NASBP joined is the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure (AIAI). The AIAI is a non-profit organization of members that share an interest in shaping the direction of the national public-private partnership (P3) marketplace through education and legislation. AIAI advocacy efforts focus on providing legislative leaders with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about all of the benefits of public private partnership-economic development, life cycle cost savings, risk transfer, and accelerated project delivery, according to the AIAI web site.

NASBP anticipates that the Association’s involvement in these coalitions will benefit NASBP outreach in many ways.

P3s in the U.S. Congress

On Tuesday, November 19, NASBP attended the Congressional Public-Private Partnership (P3) Caucus, chaired by Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL-3rd) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11th). The mission of the Congressional P3 Caucus is to raise awareness to Members of Congress about the growing use of P3s and to collect, exchange, and disseminate information through the legislative process on P3 issues. Briefings such as this one help demonstrate how the private sector is creating jobs and growing the U.S. economy by helping government become more efficient, disciplined, and transparent in how it spends tax dollars and delivers services. The P3 Caucus showcased examples how some states are using P3s to deliver public services faster, and in some cases cheaper, than traditional financing methods.

According to Rogers’s and Connolly’s “Dear Colleague letter,” for the United States economy to grow, create new jobs, and remain competitive in the 21st century, the U.S. must invest new resources to provide essential services, from national defense, homeland security, and telecommunications to transportation, schools, water systems, and energy production. Yet, because of long-term fiscal challenges, budgets at all levels of government have been constrained, limiting the nation’s ability to not only maintain, but also invest in new services to meet public demand. Over the past decade, the quality of America’s infrastructure has fallen from 7th to 23rd on an international ranking of 139 countries. During the Caucus private sector attendees who represented George Mason University, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Council of Engineering Companies, and Honeywell addressed the need for P3 agreements. NASBP continues to seek opportunities in state legislatures and on Capitol Hill to ensure that P3 projects include bonds for 100% of the construction portion of the project.