Congress Wraps Up Stimulus Package

While Congress has not yet voted on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, House and Senate negotiators have released details of the plan and expect a vote before the weekend. All reports indicate significant infrastructure investment, as outlined in the AGC summary of infrastructure and public building investment provisions. Highlights include $4.6 billion for the Corps of Engineers; $1.2 billion for the VA hospital and medical facility construction and improvements; $3.1 billion for repair, restoration and improvement of public facilities; $4.2 billion for facilities sustainment, restoration and modernization; $2.33 billion for Department of Defense Facilities; $1 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation; $48 billion for transportation infrastructure; $14.5 billion for environmental clean-up and clean water programs; $39.5 billion to local school districts for modernization or other purposes; and $4.5 billion for increased energy efficiency in federal buildings. AGC will alert all members as soon as more information is available. In addition, www.agc.org/stimulus is updated regularly with stimulus news and AGC's efforts related to the bill. Thanks to a strong grassroots effort nationwide, AGC of America, AGC's nationwide network of Chapters and members can be proud that combined efforts resulted a bill that will bring work and jobs back to the construction industry. AGC committed thousands of hours over the last several months to advocating for investment in infrastructure and public buildings. AGC submitted written and oral testimony to six Congressional hearings and delivered four letters to Capitol Hill on behalf of member companies advocating for investment in infrastructure and public buildings. In addition, activity on AGC's legislative action center was unprecedented, ultimately sending 12,000 letters to Senators and Representatives in support of the stimulus plan while countless phone calls were made to Congressional offices. AGC and its coalition partners stirred grassroots efforts with five new advertisements and significant media coverage, and AGC's petition for investment now includes more than 3,000 supporters. AGC Presents Podcast on Details of Recovery Plan, Requests Member Help AGC created a 30-minute podcast February 2 to update members on the status of the stimulus plan then circulating on Capitol Hill and urged members to contact their Senators in support for infrastructure investment as part of the stimulus plan. Visit www.agc.org/stimulus. AGC of America: Working for You In January alone, members of AGC benefited from three free webinars and thousands of man and woman hours working in support of infrastructure investment in the pending stimulus plan. Two webinars, For CEOs Only: Where Do I Turn for Answers in Tough Times? and Have We Hit Bottom?, were designed to help members cope with the economic downturn. Last week's webinar, Understanding the New FAR Requirements for Mandatory Disclosure and Stronger Compliance Programs, provided detailed analysis of the federal government's new Mandatory Disclosure Rule for federal contractors. View AGC's other stimulus-related activities here.