FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2009                   
MEDIA CONTACT:
STEVEN ENGELHARDT (314) 504-4029

-WASHINGTON, DC. – In a letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri is urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to grant the Missouri and Illinois Departments of Transportation a waiver to exercise separate hiring goals for minority-owned and women-owned businesses for the new $640 million Mississippi River Bridge.  Clay’s personal appeal to Secretary LaHood comes as the Federal Highway Administration has launched an Inspector General’s investigation into disparities in minority hiring in stimulus projects across Missouri.  Mr. Clay’s effort to win separate DBE goals comes as it was revealed late today that the waiver has not yet been requested by MODOT and IDOT.

In his letter to Secretary Lahood, Congressman Clay stated, “It is imperative that action be taken to remove the inequities that currently exist within IDOT and MODOT.  Recently, the Missouri Department of Transportation released a report which detailed that out of the $198 million spent in stimulus-funded projects, $2.7 million (1 percent) went to minority firms, while $15.3 million (8 percent) was awarded to women-owned firms.” 

Mr. Clay’s letter continues, “MODOT’s own analysis has revealed that a disparity currently exists between the availability of minority-owned firms to do work on the project and their actual utilization.  According to MODOT, 62% of DBE firms are minority-owned.  However, only 12% of minority-owned firms received work, contrary to 38% of certified women-owned firms having received 88% of the work.  I strongly recommend that the U.S. Department of Transportation separate the DBE goals for women and minorities for the new Mississippi River Bridge project.”

Late Monday, Congressman Clay learned that both MODOT and IDOT are awaiting the results of a study before requesting any DBE separation waiver from the U.S. Department of Transportation.  The Congressman expressed his outrage at the delay in the waiver request. “I was astounded to learn that MODOT and IDOT have failed to request the waiver, even with the deadline for contracting on the new $640 million Mississippi River bridge project fast approaching.  It would be outrageous and completely unacceptable to allow this contracting process to go forward without having this waiver in place.  I urge MODOT and IDOT to immediately file this urgent separation waiver request.”


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