A View from the Hill
COMTO’s A View from The Hill is a series of legislative advocacy that occurs every September on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, bringing together legislative and industry experts to discuss relevant issues facing the transportation industry.
The program begins with a legislative panel discussion and concludes with COMTO members making visits to their respective Congressional officials and representatives. These Congressional meetings serve to share COMTO’s message, legislative agenda, and views on the rehabilitation and revitalization of America’s transportation infrastructure.
Thank you to our Industry Partners for making events like this possible.
To view the 2025 Congressional Calendar, click here. To view COMTO's 2025 Legislative Agenda, click here.
A View from The Hill 2025
Advocacy in Action for COMTO’s First Hybrid A View from The Hill
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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A View from The Hill 2024
“COMTO, we need you now more than ever,” said Acting Under Secretary of Transportation Chistopher Coes. That was our call to action during the transportation briefing at the White House.
COMTO Headquarters had the honor of hosting nearly one hundred members, from across North America, for an engaging tour and exclusive briefing at the White House Wednesday for our annual A View from The Hill legislative event.
The rain did not dampen our spirits as we soaked in all the splendors and history of the White House during an exclusive tour. Members then walked the halls of power at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to participate in a high-level briefing with our federal partners.
Administration representatives engaged with COMTO members on Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) implementation, legal challenges impacting the DBE program, and strategies to strengthen the association’s outreach and influence.
The briefing aligned with COMTO’s 2024 Legislative Agenda, highlighting the successes and continued work needed to ensure initiatives like the DBE program, Justice40 and IIJA fulfill their promises to historically underserved communities.
“This is more money than the Roosevelt and Eisenhower administrations combined,” said Andrea O’Neal, Special Assistant to the President for Racial and Economic Justice, “Let’s keep up the fight because they don’t take any days off which means we can’t either.”
The Presidential Personnel Office coordinated Wednesday’s White House briefing. COMTO is a close partner to PPO, helping advance the Administration’s mission of recruiting and retaining diverse talent and building an Administration that looks like America. COMTO has recommended dozens of candidates for positions across the Administration, many who are currently serving as Presidential appointees.
A View from The Hill 2023
In 2023, A View from The Hill took members to The White House! COMTO members enjoyed participating in an exclusive tour of The White House, a private discussion with Ryan Berni, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Infrastructure Implementation and a briefing from the Presidential Personnel Office. Special Assistant and Senior Advisor Berni discussed the Administration’s strategies for leveraging IIJA and associated programs to reimagine infrastructure in America and ensure equity and sustainability are the guideposts. Members were excited to hear about the current and future infrastructure projects and the various initiatives to build an equitable workforce for all.
COMTO appreciates everyone who attended and contributed to making last year’s A View From the Hill activities impactful and change-making!