Equipment Dealer Rep Demands Lawmakers Rebuild Crumbling U.S. Infrastructure

In the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, Michael Vazquez of MECO Miami, Inc., demanded bipartisan congressional action on infrastructure investment legislation. Vazquez serves on the Executive Committee of the Associated Equipment Distributors as the association’s vice president of membership.

Vazquez spoke during a Capitol Hill press conference, where he was joined by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a senior member of the House Ways & Means Committee, and Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the top Republican on the House Highway & Transit Subcommittee, as well as several other senior construction industry leaders. The event was organized by the Highway Materials Group, a coalition of trade associations representing companies that provide the materials and equipment essential to building America’s roads, bridges, highways, airports and water infrastructure. AED is a leading member of the Highway Materials Group.

Echoing the sentiment of AED members across the country, Vazquez said, “For the last decade, the construction industry has been plagued with uncertainty due to inaction on a long-term infrastructure plan. In particular, the Highway Trust Fund’s inadequate resources prevent states from planning significant projects, which, in turn, means contractors aren’t investing in new equipment, hindering economic growth for equipment dealers.”        

Vazquez further detailed how Congress’ failure to invest in infrastructure impacts his company, employees and customers, while demanding congressional action. “I routinely talk to customers that forego purchasing equipment due to the uncertainty about how much construction work will be available,” Vazquez said. “My employees who are delivering equipment to customers or servicing machinery on a job site are wasting time and fuel in traffic due to the country’s inadequate infrastructure. Our failure to invest impacts everyone’s quality of life, the competitiveness of our businesses, and the safety and security of our country.”

Vazquez’s participation in the press conference coincides with the Highway Materials Group sponsoring national television advertisement buys over the next two weeks calling for Washington to fund infrastructure investment now. The ads, titled “Life Won’t Wait,” shows the human consequences of our crumbling infrastructure, and how it affects our daily lives. Targeted at the White House and Republican and Democratic congressional leaders, the ads will run in the Washington, D.C. media market on Fox News, CNBC, CNN and MSNBC.

With infrastructure discussions heating up, AED’s Washington Fly-In from June 11 to 13 comes at a pivotal time. It’s going to take the personal engagement of business leaders around the country to make infrastructure investment legislation a reality. The Washington Fly-In is your chance to join other industry leaders to advocate for your company and the construction equipment sector. Click here to register.

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