Trucking industry urges House to follow suit after August recess Arlington, Va. - Following the Senate’s passage of a long-term highway bill, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves issued the following statement:  “The American Trucking Associations congratulates the Senate on passage of a highway reauthorization bill that represents a significant step toward addressing our nation’s transportation infrastructure needs.   “We now look forward to working with the House of Representatives to pass a well-funded bill that provides sufficient revenue for at least six years, with the goal of moving a bill out of a House-Senate conference committee before the next expiration.  Passage of a long-term bill is well overdue, and it is past time for Congress to provide states with the certainty they need to address the enormous backlog in critical highway and bridge improvements.” In addition, Graves praised the House and Senate for including a provision that equalizes the tax rates on liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas with the rates on diesel and gasoline in their 90-day Highway Trust Fund extension.  “By equalizing the tax rates between LNG and traditional fuels, Congress has eliminated an unfair disadvantage in the taxation of LNG that has impeded wider use of natural gas vehicles,” Graves said.