Description:
Congress is advancing various pieces of legislation to invest trillions of dollars in public and private infrastructure. There are bills to invest record levels of federal funds in road, bridges, drinking water, public schools, commercial real estate and renewable energy infrastructure, among others. But what will Congress realistically pass at this point and when could construction firms anticipate bidding this new work? Join AGC of America's seasoned team of Capitol Hill insiders and experts to answer this question and more.
During this webinar, join AGC of America's seasoned team of Capitol Hill insiders and experts to answer this question and more, including the status and projections for:
- The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework
- The Biden Infrastructure plans and $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill
- Federal-aid highway and transit reauthorization legislation and prospects for enactment before these programs expire on September 30, 2021;
- Clean drinking water and wastewater construction investment legislation;
- Public schools’ construction bills;
- Commercial real estate tax incentives; and
- Renewable energy legislation
In addition, the panel of experts will address a host of new requirements that could be included on projects with new federal funds for infrastructure, including provisions of the PRO Act, local hire requirements, government-mandated project labor agreements, registered apprenticeship goals, Buy America requirements, and climate change performance measures, among others.
Speakers:
Jimmy Christianson
Vice President, Government Relations
The Associated General Contractors of America
Jimmy Christianson leads the Associated General Contractors of America’s government relations efforts in Washington D.C., both on Capitol Hill and in the federal agencies. In this role, he is responsible for advancing the interests of construction firms on issues including but not limited to public and private construction investment, workforce development, tax, labor, safety and health, environmental and procurement.
Prior to joining AGC, Jimmy worked as an attorney for the international law firm of K&L Gates and as a government affairs specialist for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Jimmy received his Bachelor of Arts degree with magna cum laude honors from the University of Pennsylvania and Juris Doctorate degree with cum laude honors from the University of Maine School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.
Alex Etchen
Senior Director, Infrastructure Advancement
The Associated General Contractors of America
Alex Etchen joined AGC in early 2021 as the Senior Director for Infrastructure Advancement. Prior to joining AGC, Alex served as Associate Administrator for Highway Policy and External Affairs for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He served to advance the mission and goals of FHWA while working with Members of Congress and external external stakeholders. Prior to joining the Department, Alex worked in Congress for nearly seven years; first for a Member of Congress from Idaho and then on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. During his tenure on the Committee, he worked on the federal-aid highway portfolio and drafted provisions included in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.
Matt Turkstra
Senior Director, Congressional Relations for Building and Infrastructure Finance
The Associated General Contractors of America
Matthew Turkstra is Senior Director, Congressional Relations for Building and Infrastructure Finance. Matt joined AGC in June 2017, and oversaw the group's advocacy efforts during Congress's consideration of tax reform. He manages the AGC's participation in various coalitions and represents AGC's members before Congress and the Administration. Prior to joining AGC in June 2017, Matt was the Senior Manager of Government Relations at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Matt has extensive experience on Capitol Hill, working as the Legislative Director for Rep. Nan Hayworth (NY), and the Senior Legislative Assistant for Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ). He also worked on the Committee on Ways and Means.
James Young
Senior Director, Congressional Relations for Labor, HR and Safety
The Associated General Contractors of America
James Young is the Senior Director of Congressional Relations for Labor, HR and Safety for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). In this role, he works directly with members of the U.S. Congress, AGC members and press on a multitude of issues that directly affect the construction industry. Previously, Mr. Young worked for Direct Impact, a grassroots firm in Washington and Democracy Data and Communications which provides a comprehensive array of grassroots and political action solutions. Mr. Young began his career on Capitol Hill working for Congressman Benjamin Gilman (NY).
WebEd Recording:
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