Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Brian Baird used House passage of the major transportation funding bill to further his work to promote local workers and domestic steel production.  In addition to project funding he secured last week (listed below) in the Transportation Committee, Rep. Baird proposed, and the House passed, an amendment to the bill eliminating a loophole in the Buy America Act and strengthening the commitment to stimulate job creation and production in America.

The original Buy America Act directs federal transportation projects to use domestic iron and steel unless their use increases the “overall project contract” by more than 25 percent.  Project managers are trying to circumvent the Buy America law by breaking bridge projects into smaller component parts and applying the 25 percent test to each section, rather than the entire bridge project.  By breaking the project into smaller components, foreign steel providers are advantaged because domestic bids could exceed the 25 percent rule on individual sections, but would not if the entire project were considered. 

“Those who attempt to use this loophole undermine American workers, American steel production and the very intent of the Buy America Act,” said Rep. Baird.  “It is vital, not only for local jobs and our transportation and manufacturing sectors, but also for homeland security that we have a strong domestic steel fabrication industry.”

Rep. Baird’s amendment clarifies the law and closes the loophole before it completely subverts the intent of the original act as passed by Congress. Locally, a number of SW Washington steel fabricators have joined forces (Bay Bridge Fabricators) to bid on the San Francisco / Oakland Bay Bridge project.  Together with U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Rep. Baird has been working to promote domestic job creation and the local steel industry.  Both Baird and Murray are strong supporters of the Bay Bridge Fabricators’ upcoming bid on the San Francisco project.
Local projects secured by Rep. Baird include:

I-5 Columbia River Crossing preliminary EIS - $10 million
Provides some of the necessary funding for preliminary engineering and an Environmental Impact Study for improvements to Interstate 5 (I-5) between SR 500 in Vancouver, Washington, and Marine Drive in Portland, Oregon. The funds will be used to carefully explore Columbia River crossing options within the I-5 corridor between the two states. Improvements will address the ever-increasing passenger and freight congestion that create severe delays for commuters and traffic safety concerns in the Portland/Vancouver region.

I-5/Salmon Creek Area Improvement Project: - $12.354 million
Provides funding for road improvements in the NE 134th Street/I-5/I-205 corridor in the northern urban area of Clark County. Funds will be used to alleviate congestion and improve safety in the vicinity of the freeway interchanges.

I-5: Delta Park to Lombard: - $5 million
Provides funding to move forward on the Delta Park project, which will construct an additional southbound lane between Delta Park and the Lombard Interchange on I-5. Because the freeway narrows from three lanes to two in this area, freight haulers and commuters experience significant delays during peak hours. The secured funds will be used to increase freeway capacity, thereby improving traffic flow and safety for those traveling through this area.

I-5/SR 503 Access Study and Development Plan: - $300,000
Provides funding for a project aimed at modernizing the interchange at I-5 and SR 503. Funds will be used for an Access Study and Development Plan to modernize and improve the existing interchange and corridor.
SR-501 Overpass-Rail Improvement: - $1 million
Provides funding for a project that will construct an overpass bridging the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe mainline and Lake River. The project will serve the Port of Ridgefield, the city of Ridgefield, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Other improvements included in the project are the widening of SR-501 and the expansion and realignment of exit ramps.

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