Bill Reduces Funding for Military and VA Construction Accounts On June 4, the House voted by a 421-4 margin to approve its version of the FY 2014 funding bill for military construction and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill provides $9.95 billion for Department of Defense military construction accounts—a $670 million reduction from pre-sequestration FY 2013 levels and $1.057 billion for VA construction accounts—about an $82 million decrease from FY 2013 levels, as VA accounts were exempt from sequestration.

TAKE ACTION: Urge Your Representative to Support Counting Lower-Tier Small Businesses On June 4, House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.), along with Reps. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.), Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), introduced the AGC-supported Make Every Small Business Count Act of 2013, H.R. 2232. Please take action now and urge your Congressman to support H.R. 2232.

Issue Discussed Last Week at OSHA Advisory Committee for Construction Safety and Health Meeting On May 22, 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced plans to extend the compliance date for its crane operator certification requirement to Nov. 10, 2017, in order to re-open the record on operator certification.

TAKE ACTION: Urge Your Representative to Oppose Bid ListingLegislation Rep. Carolyn Maloney recently introduced the Construction Quality Assurance Act of 2013, H.R. 1942, which would mandate general contractors’ bid listing of subcontractors for federal projects. Specifically, if enacted, H.R. 1942 would require general contractors who bid directly with federal construction agencies on projects over $1 million to list each subcontractor that will perform over $100,000 of work on their bids. AGC urges members to TAKE ACTION and urge your Representative to oppose H.R. 1942.

AGC Advocacy Efforts Help Bring Large Bipartisan Victory On May 15, the Senate overwhelmingly passed its version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA) by an 83-14 vote. Although the Senate passed the bill by a large, bipartisan margin, 14 senators voted against the bill. Those senators include: Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Lee (R-Utah), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Please click here to thank or to express disappointment to your senators on their vote.

On May 16, AGC sent a letter opposing the possible use of a project labor agreement (PLA) mandate posted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District for large scale dredging projects—over $25 million— within Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

This week on the Senate floor, Senators debated amendments to S. 601 – the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA). Debate is expected to continue through early next week. Please TAKE ACTION NOW and urge your senators to pass WRDA.

Projects in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas On May 6, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) identified nearly $600 million in environmental restoration projects in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to help address the damage of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. While this development represents significant construction investment, it is important to note that these identified projects are not yet at the solicitation phase, but rather still face a period of public comment and environmental review before becoming “street ready.”

On May 9, AGC sent a letter opposing the possible use of a project labor agreement (PLA) mandate posted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District for the construction of a conference center and dormitories for the U.S. Customs & Border Protection's advanced training center in Harpers Ferry, W. Va.

Next week, the Senate will consider passage of S. 601 – the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA). If passed, WRDA will help provide funding to address our nation’s aging navigational system of inland waterways, coastal harbors and ports, locks and dams, and flood control protections. It will also provide funding for the restoration of many critical environmental areas in our country. Take action NOW and urge your senators to pass WRDA.