News Analysis: A Mitt Romney administration would knock down regulatory hurdles that get in the way of contractors and depart from President Obama's policies on labor and taxes. But how much a Romney administration would cut transportation and water infrastructure spending remains something of an open question, several sources say.
"I don't think anybody knows. The truth of the matter is, there is not a specific plank in either candidate's platform" for transportation funding, says Dave Bauer, senior vice president of government relations for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Bauer says the next transportation secretary—and what he or she says during confirmation hearings—will offer the best clue as to winning candidate's priorities in that sector.