Hundreds of federal construction contractors descended on Washington, D.C., last week to meet with major federal construction agencies and members of Congress at the AGC Federal Contractors Conference. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, Small Business Administration, Bureau of Reclamation and Natural Resources Conservation Service participated, with several agencies making significant announcements about their respective programs.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) after months of heated and contentious negotiations among Republicans and the administration on the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). AGC originally opposed the ACA because we did not believe that it created a framework to reduce health care costs, but instead increased new compliance and complexity problems for employers. The reforms provided in the AHCA will reduce complexity and compliance problems for employers and help reduce the cost of health care so employers can maintain and expand the health care benefits they offer their employees.

President Trump signed a new executive order concerning the use of American made products and materials and American labor on federal and federally assisted procurements and projects. The "Buy American" portion of the order intends to narrow the universe of iron, steel, and manufactured goods that are able to comply with domestic materials and products sourcing laws already on the books. This web of confusing laws and regulations governs which products can be incorporated on federal and federally assisted construction projects.

AGC’s head of Environmental Law and Policy Leah Pilconis testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works at a hearing entitled "Infrastructure Project Streamlining and Efficiency: Achieving Faster, Better, and Cheaper Results." AGC took the opportunity to discuss many of the ideas in its new document "Reforms for Improving Federal Environmental Review and Permitting," which were well received.

May 17-19, 2017
TCC Fly-In 2017
Washington, District Of Columbia

May 23-24, 2017
2017 ACI-NA/ACC/AGC Airport Construction Strategy Summit
Los Angeles, California

June 6, 2017
WebEd: The 10 Most Critical Factors in Construction Safety
2-3 p.m.

June 8, 2017
WebEd: Advocating for YOUR Construction Industry and Career
2-3 p.m.

July 19-21, 2017
AGC Safety & Health Conference
Denver, Colorado

Maintains Funding for Federal Construction Accounts
Last week, the House and Senate agreed to a funding bill at an annualized spending rate of $1.165 trillion for the remainder of fiscal year 2017, which ends Sept. 30. The House passed the bill by a vote of 309-118 with 178 Democrats and 131 Republicans voting in support of the bill. The Senate passed the bill by a 79-18 vote. Overall, the bill is mostly status quo with nearly $120 billion for federal construction accounts tracked by AGC. The total number is nearly identical to fiscal year 2016-enacted levels but $17 billion less than the Obama Administration’s fiscal year 2017 budget request. The bill is expected to pass the Senate and be signed by the president prior to the expiration of the current short-term funding bill on Friday.

AGC of America is once again helping to support and promote Infrastructure Week – a national week of education and advocacy that brings together American businesses, workers, elected leaders, and everyday citizens around the message: #TimeToBuild. During the week – May 15-19, 2017 – advocates around the country will highlight the state of our nation’s infrastructure and encourage lawmakers to invest in and modernize our roads, bridges, highways, airports, waterways, ports, and water systems.

AGC Calls for Swift Passage
Legislation reauthorizing and updating the Perkins Act was introduced in Congress last week. The legislation, the Strengthening Career And Technical Education For The 21st Century Act, is similar to an AGC-supported bill that passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly last year but failed to advance in the Senate.

Last week, President Trump released his long-awaited proposal to cut taxes. Both Trump’s proposal and the previously-released House blueprint for tax reform have commonalities with AGC’s goals for tax reform. There is still a long way to go before tax reform is reality, but AGC believes Republicans in Congress and the President are at a good starting point.

Association officials note that many firms report they are struggling to find qualified workers to hire, urge greater investment in career and technical education and other construction prep programs
Construction employment increased by 5,000 jobs in April to the highest level in more than nine years amid strong demand for new construction services, according to an analysis of new government data by the AGC of America. Association officials cautioned, however, that a shortage of available qualified workers likely limited the number of new jobs added last month.