Congressional hearings and negotiations on how to fund the federal government for the FY 2017 are underway, and GOP Congressional Leaders have voiced their interest in passing individual appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year in September. However, the upcoming November elections and the vacant Supreme Court seat could complicate the congressional schedule for 2016 and make passing individual appropriations bills unlikely.
This week, AGC sent a letter to congressional leaders and members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees detailing the construction industry’s priorities for the fiscal year 2017 funding bills. In the letter, AGC urged appropriators to prioritize infrastructure investment and pro-infrastructure policies, which include prohibiting implementation of regulations like the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “Waters of the U.S.” rule, the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council and Department of Labor’s Blacklisting proposed rule, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s local hiring initiatives for federal-aid highway and transit projects. AGC continues to meet with members of Congress to stress the importance of infrastructure investment and the need to slow down the regulatory onslaught.
While prospects for individual funding bills are slim, AGC has provided input on the industry’s priorities.
For more information, please contact Jim Young at youngj@agc.org or (202) 547-0133.