AIA National - Rebuild & Renew - CALL TO ACTION

Dear AIA/LA POC Member:  the following email is from AIA National and it encourages your CALL TO ACTION before Tuesday, February 10.  -WrW

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On February 6th, a bipartisan group of Senators negotiated a compromise amendment to the economic recovery bill that cuts about $110 billion from the bill.

The proposed Senate bill would make many important investments that support the design and construction industry:

-    $7 billion for design, construction and renovation of federal buildings, including $4.5 billion for energy efficiency
-    $10 billion for affordable housing, including $2.2 billion for green housing
-    $8.4 billion for mass transit
-    $4.2 billion for energy efficiency and conservation grants for cities
-    $1.6 billion for making schools and hospitals energy efficient


So what is missing? The compromise plan eliminates $16 billion for K-12 school modernization and $3.5 billion for modernization of higher education facilities that was in the original Senate draft bill. The plan also cuts $2 billion for federal buildings greening and modernization.

These two cuts represent half a million design and construction job opportunities cut out of the bill by the Senate.

Next Steps: 

The House and Senate are working hard to negotiate a final bill to send to President Obama by President's Day. If we want to make sure that the final version of the bill includes our key provisions, we should take the following steps before Tuesday, February 10:

1.    Letters to the Editor: Click here for a sample letter to the editor that you can send to your local newspaper to show support for the infrastructure investments that need to be a part of the economic recovery bill including for your community and state.
2.    Letters to Members of Congress: In the coming days, the AIA government relations staff will send an all-member action alert urging our members to contact their representatives in Washington in support of restoring funds for school construction and other infrastructure. Encourage members to visit the AIA Advocacy Center at http://www.aia.org/advocacy/index.htm.
3.    Share information with other AIA members: Please share your Grassroots experiences with your fellow AIA members, and let them know that the Institute has resources for them on the "Navigating the Economy" and through our "Rebuild and Renew" campaign to help architects weather these trying economic times. In addition, encourage your fellow members to visit the Advocacy Blog at http://blog.aia.org/angle to get updates on the bill as it continues to move through Congress.


Together, we can make a difference for the profession, and for the country – but only if we act now.

Thank you for your action. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at govaffs@aia.org or (202) 626-7438.

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Will Wright,  Director of Government & Public Affairs

American Institute of Architects / Los Angeles

3780 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 639-0777 phone | (213)639-0767 fax

will@aialosangeles.org | www.aialosangeles.org