ARLINGTON, VA – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted today to remove truck weight reform language from the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act, also known as the highway bill.

Following the vote, NMPF President & CEO Jerry Kozak issued this statement:

"We are disappointed by the committee’s vote today to remove the truck weight reform language from the highway bill under consideration in the House Transportation Committee. As dairy farmers and members of dairy cooperatives, we are affected every day by transportation policies that do not reflect the needs and demands of today’s commercial environment. Building on the overwhelming success of pilot programs in Maine and Vermont, which Congress recently extended for an additional twenty years, truck weight reform has proven to be a responsible approach to raising truck weight limits. This allows American businesses to meet consumer demand with fewer trucks, removing unnecessary congestion from the roads, lessening our dependence on fossil fuels, reducing our carbon footprint and improving shipping productivity. We need reform now, not after a three year study.”

For additional background, a letter was sent by a coalition of dairy industry organizations to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica ahead of today’s markup.


The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 31 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.