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Congress' failure to renew the federal highway program has real economic consequences for Texas and the rest of the country, construction equipment industry leaders said at a rally today at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

The event was part of a national grassroots campaign called Start Us Up USA! by Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the nation's two leading equipment industry trade groups. Following the rally, a caravan of trucks carrying large pieces of construction equipment idled by the industry depression and draped with banners made its way through the streets of downtown San Antonio.

AED and AEM are seeking to draw attention to the economic crisis facing construction equipment distributors and manufacturers, as well as the consequences of Congress' failure to reauthorize federal highway and transit programs. According to a recent study by IHS Global Insight, since 2006 the U.S. equipment industry has lost 37% of its workforce and 40% of its economic output. All indications are that construction industry business conditions are getting worse and what is happening -- or is not happening -- in Washington, D.C., is only adding to the misery.

SAFETEA-LU, the most recent federal surface transportation law, expired at the end of September. Distracted by health care reform and climate change legislation, neither the U.S. House of Representatives nor the Senate has made headway on a reauthorization bill. As a consequence, the highway program is operating under a series of short-term extensions that have added to historic volatility in the construction markets.