AGC’s Federal Contractors Conference; May 1-3 in Pentagon City, VA.

With more than $50 billion enacted for direct federal construction agencies as part of the FY 2018 government funding bill, contractors attending the AGC Federal Contractors Conference will have the first opportunity to hear from eight major construction agencies about projects they plan to fund and solicitations they plan to issue before September 30 and beyond. Register today for this event so your competition doesn’t get a jump on you and the next solicitation to hit the street.

Congress Urges DOJ to Act

On March 29, more than two dozen members of Congress called on the U.S. Department of Justice to take action against the discrimination (blacklisting) of private companies that work or supply services for the construction of the border wall. Some two dozen cities and states have adopted or are considering legislation discriminating against companies—designers, prime contractors, subcontractors and suppliers—that work on or support construction of the border wall. In some cases, legislation would bar the city or state from contracting with those firms entirely and require their public pension firms to divest from those companies.

How Much Funding will go to Your Construction Markets?

At AGC’s urging, Congress invested $18.5 billion (15 percent) more in FY 2018 federal construction accounts than FY 2017 as part of the federal government funding bill enacted March 23. The funding measure allocates a total of $139 billion for a wide range of construction investment (click here for a breakdown of federal construction accounts). This funding comes in addition to the at least $21 billion (see chart here) allocated for disaster aid construction projects enacted as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act in February.

The FY 2018 federal government funding bill provides good news for direct federal contractors. Specifically, Army, Navy and Air Force military construction accounts would each see increases under the proposal compared to the previous fiscal year. The funding bill provides a total of $10.1 billion – an increase of $2.4 billion or roughly a 31 percent – for military construction over FY 2017 levels. The bill also provides $1.4 billion to fund construction and maintenance for military family housing.

D.J. Gribbin, the White House policy advisor who drafted the administration’s infrastructure plan, has announced his departure. Gribbin has a long list of experience in the infrastructure field including having served as the Department of Transportation’s general counsel and Federal Highway Administration chief counsel under President George W. Bush, as well as having worked at Macquarie Capital, a firm where he led efforts on public-private partnerships.

For more information, contact Brian Deery at deeryb@agc.org or (703) 837-5319.

May 9, 2018
WebEd: CRM Systems: Keys to Success
2 to 3 p.m.

May 22-23, 2018 
2018 ACI-NA/ACC/AGC Airport Construction Strategy Summit 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

June 5, 2018
Two-Part WebEd Series Featuring Lean Experts
2 - 3 p.m.

Share Your Views on Items of Concern with AGC

On April 3, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office released a proposed list of 1,333 Chinese products subject to additional 25 percent tariffs. The list includes items that could negatively impact the American construction industry and includes but is not limited to: concrete or mortar mixers, electric signaling items for traffic or safety control, elevators and conveyors, various metal piping, tower cranes, tunneling machinery, and water pumps. AGC encourages contractors to review the list and share with AGC any items of particular concern. U.S. companies have until May 11 to comment on the proposed product list.

Based on Two Reports from Groups Representing Varying Interests

A pair of competing reports measuring the potential impact of the Trump Administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs have reached a similar conclusion—the construction industry will bear the brunt of the metals tariffs. While employing different models and arriving at drastically different figures, the two reports similarly project that the tariffs will greatly and adversely impact construction employment, especially when compared with other industries.

This year, AGC celebrates 100 years as the leading association for the construction industry. To commemorate this momentous occasion, AGC has created a centennial website where members can learn about the association's rich history, share their own stories, register for upcoming events, and much more.

Average Hourly Earnings Increase to $29.43 in Construction, Topping Private Sector by Nearly 10 Percent; Association Officials Urge Updating and Better Funding Programs to Train Workers for Construction Jobs

Construction employment increased by 228,000 jobs over the past year despite a weather-related dip last month, and the industry's unemployment rate fell to 7.4 percent, the lowest yet for March, according to an analysis of new government data AGC of America. Association officials called for revitalizing and adequately funding career and technical education and training programs to ensure that employment in the high-paying industry would continue to grow.