Washington, DC - An inspiring day of advocacy on Capitol Hill brought members of COMTO and Congress together for our first-ever hybrid A View from The Hill. Nearly 100 members gathered inside the Rayburn House Office Building and via live webinar for our 2025 legislative briefing. 

“Come and occupy the space,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) Michigan told attendees, “That's what our residents and our families and the people we fight for in our communities that we live in, need us to do. This is incredibly important, more than ever, transformative change doesn't happen from the White House, nor does it happen from Congress. It's when the outside makes them move.” 

Indeed, the day focused on our call to action: connecting COMTO’s network of transportation professionals to lawmakers poised to decide on such critical issues as the Surface Transportation Reauthorization. The 2021 Reauthorization, which was included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), expires September 30, 2026.  

Rep. Shomari Figures (D) Alabama told the group the bill is currently in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in which he serves as a member. Rep. Figures said the bill has bipartisan support and is expected to move through the committee by December.   

“One of the reasons I wanted to be on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was making sure that those dollars don't just continue to flow through the places and the cities that always get those dollars,” the Congressman shared, “they need to get to, and who historically have not been getting them, a lot of underserved communities, a lot of rural communities, and I'm talking black and white communities.” 

Rep. Figures then fielded questions from the audience about getting funds to shovel-ready projects, challenges in aviation, and his legislative priorities. 

“I don't have the best answers for what the future of the industry looks like. You guys do,” Rep. Figures said, “You guys can help us and work with us to form those answers and form those solutions, so I really like hearing from you guys.” 

“That’s what I love about the work that you all do,” added Rep. Tlaib, “because I think you have lived experiences that are so valuable.” 

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D) Maryland and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D) California provided recorded remarks.   

“We're a group of transportation professionals that are ready and willing to provide expertise and support as elected officials make critical decisions in transportation. It affects all our communities - 41 chapters across North America,” said COMTO President & CEO April Rai. 

To that end, advocacy letters were then signed by each in-person attendee. Virtual guests were emailed a copy of the letter to send to their Congressperson. Members then delivered the letters and our 2025 legislative priorities to lawmakers, offering COMTO’s network of professionals as industry experts to advise and support on critical infrastructure and transportation issues. COMTO stands ready to assist.   

WSP was a proud sponsor of COMTO’s 2025 A View from The Hill.  

“WSP is a leading global professional services firm that leverages engineering, advisory, and our sciences to really shape communities and uplift communities, but also advance humanity overall,” said WSP USA Senior Vice President Wes Mitchell, “Creating a vibrant transportation network that allows safe, efficient movement of people and goods is fundamental to economic vitality.” 

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