On Dec. 19, the Senate passed federal funding legislation that the House agreed to on Dec. 17. Pending President Trump’s signature, this measure will fully fund government operations through fiscal year (FY) 2020. Among the many AGC priorities in this legislation, full funding for surface transportation programs at FAST Act authorized levels and an additional $2.676 billion from the general fund for highway and transit projects were included. Although this marks the third straight year Congress provided general fund dollars above authorized levels, this supplemental amount was slightly decreased in this year’s negotiations, resulting in flat funding for the highway program and a net decrease in transit formula funding. Congress also continues to favor the BUILD grant program, which funds multi-modal projects, by increasing program funding by $100 million above last fiscal year’s level to $1 billion. Additional information on funding for other transportation programs is included in the table below. As this funding is for the final fiscal year authorized by the FAST Act, AGC will continue to urge Congress to enact a surface transportation reauthorization bill prior to the end of FY 2020 avoid any future disruptions to highway and transit funding.
For the eleventh year in a row, AGC of America has been named as one of the nation’s top lobbying operations by Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill. The publication’s annual ranking of top lobbyists lists AGC CEO Steve Sandherr as a top lobbyist. Sandherr said the listing is a really an acknowledgement of the quality of the association’s government relations team, noting that the team secured $7.6 billion in federal highway funding that Congress had planned to cut, a disaster aid package with billions of dollars dedicated to rebuilding impacted communities, and regulatory reforms to lower the bureaucratic burden on the industry, among other accomplishments this year.
On Dec. 17, the Senate passed S. 1790, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020. This compromise legislation overwhelmingly passed the House on Dec. 9 and will now head to the President’s desk for his signature. This measure includes roughly $11.8 billion for military and military family housing construction. While the bill rejected the Administration’s request for more than $7 billion for border wall construction, it did not include earlier provisions that would have barred the reprograming of funds for projects along the southern border. The agreement also did not include controversial provisions surrounding PFAS substances, instead opting for less stringent measures that give direction to EPA and DOD to regulate.
In December 5 US DOT announced a set of changes to its approach to rulemaking, guidance and enforcement. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, calling the changes the "rule on rules," said the change will provide greater transparency and strengthen due process in enforcement actions. The regulation "outlines the department's regulatory priorities, such as ensuring that there are no more regulations than necessary, that where they impose burdens, regulations are narrowly tailored to address identified market failures or statutory mandates, and that they specify performance objectives when appropriate," according to the rule language. Specifically, it codifies several of President Donald Trump's orders on regulation, including a directive to eliminate two regulations for every one enacted, budgeting procedures and the implementation of a Regulatory Reform Task Force.
The second in a series of informational webinars to highlight successes in the Highway Construction Workforce Partnership (HCWP) will be held Thursday, December 12 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The webinar is an opportunity to learn about the HCWP, and how the Public Workforce System and highway industry can work together to identify, train, and place individuals into high need highway construction jobs. The December 12 webinar will feature presentations by Los Angeles and Arizona HCWP locations. Participation information:
On Dec. 3, the AGC co-chaired Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) urged House and Senate negotiators to complete action on the fiscal year 2020 transportation appropriations bill. Both the House and Senate have passed their own versions of the legislation and must now agree to a compromise bill. The TCC applauded both the House and Senate versions for fully funding the program levels authorized by the FAST Act. It also called for the final bill to include at least $2.7 billion in supplemental highway funding and $750 million in supplemental public transportation funding to address surface transportation needs in all states, $1 billion for the BUILD grant program, and additional funding for Airport Improvement Program grants. The U.S. Department of Transportation programs, along with other federal programs, are currently operating under a short-term continuing resolution that expires on Dec. 20.
AGC joined with a coalition of 33 other organizations calling for the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to finalize revisions to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations as proposed last year. In a letter this week the groups told CEQ the proposed changes would allow for increased infrastructure investment and project development in a manner that strengthens our economy and enhances environmental stewardship. The letter also pointed out that revisions to the NEPA review process should aim to increase transparency and predictability as well as coordination between federal agencies to eliminate unnecessary barriers that prevent or delay the implementation of important projects. AGC participated in a Nov. 20 meeting at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to further discuss the need to update these rules.
Passes Funding Legislation that Repeals Federal Highway Cut
On Nov. 21, Congress sent FY 2020 funding legislation to President Trump that includes AGC-backed repeal of a $7.6 billion cut to federal highway funding, known as a “rescission,” that was scheduled to take place on July 1, 2020. This rescission—required by the current federal highway and transit law, the FAST Act— would have affected all 50 states and the District of Columbia by limiting local flexibility and possibly hindering the ability to plan and carry out critical projects. AGC applauds Congress’ action to repeal this rescission and will continue to monitor the progress of FY 2020 spending legislation to ensure continued investment in our nation’s infrastructure.