A caravan of bulldozers and other pieces of construction equipment will descend on Washington, D.C., this Wednesday, Oct. 28, to send a message to lawmakers that they must act now to stop the job bleeding for men and women in the construction equipment industry. To make their point, equipment dealers, manufacturing representatives, labor leaders and others will stage a rally of the Start Us Up USA campaign on the National Mall against a backdrop of idle construction equipment and surrounded by a sea of 5,500 orange flags, each representing 100 jobs already lost in the construction equipment industry.

The equipment caravan, displaying Start Us Up USA! Banners and waving orange flags, will parade the major streets surrounding the National Mall and Capitol Hill throughout mid-day after cruising past the campaign rally in progress.

Start Us Up USA! is a joint effort by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and the Associated Equipment Distributors.

StartUsUP USA! organizers said the scarcity of new federal funding for transportation improvements is contributing to a deep depression and significant job loss in the construction equipment industry. Eight percent — or two of every 25 jobs lost since the start of the recession — can be traced to this ailing industry. The current law that funds the majority of the United States’ transportation investments is just days from expiring on Oct. 31, and Congress and the Obama administration have yet to move on a new multi-year reauthorization bill. Leaders in the campaign are calling for a new transportation bill before the spring construction season begins in early 2010.

The rally begins at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the National Mall at 7^th St. NW.

More information is available at www.StartUsUpUSA.com.