For ACEC and many other organizations, Hall says having a chamber in operation “has become imperative­.”

Johnson, a strongly conservative, fourth-term House member, has not been a member of the most prominent construction-related committees, including Transportation and Infrastructure, Appropriations, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce and Energy and Commerce.

As a result, he has not been a key player in drafting many major infrastructure bills. In fact, Johnson was a "no" vote on the landmark $1.2-trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Military Construction

But Jimmy Christianson, Associated General Contractors of America vice president-government relations, also says that Johnson is well-versed in military construction, in part because his north and west Louisiana district includes several military bases, such as Barksdale Air Force Base and Fort Johnson, formerly Fort Polk.

It is thus no surprise that Johnson also has been a member of the Armed Services Committee and that panel’s subcommittee on readiness, which oversees U.S. Dept. of Defense construction policy.

Importantly, a proposed 2023-2024 legislative game plan that Johnson sent to his House GOP colleagues on Oct. 23 includes some key infrastructure-related measures. 

For example, Johnson outlines a timetable for passing the individual, full fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills in coming months.

But the most immediate item is addressing the threat of a broad governmental shutdown before Nov. 17. That is the date when a short-term spending measure is due to lapse.

Some 'Give' on a Stopgap Deadline

Rather than digging in and forcing a shutdown, Johnson recommends that if a new stopgap is needed by Nov 17, the House should pass a further extension, to expire on Jan. 15 or April 15. 

He said that such a further continuing resolution, or CR, would “ensure the Senate cannot jam the house with a Christmas omnibus [spending bill].”

Hall says, “It’s encouraging that he’s talking in terms of continuity of government … and is open to a longer-term CR if that becomes necessary.”

Emily Feenstra, American Society of Civil Engineers chief policy officer, said in comments emailed to ENR, "We are pleased that avoiding a government shutdown is high on Speaker Johnson's priority list." Feenstra added, "Keeping the government open is essential for critical infrastructure projects to continue without delay."

Much of the early phases of Johnson's legislative road map focuses on getting the House to finish work on the 12 individual appropriations bills for the full 2024 fiscal year.

He says that reaching that goal would be the only way to achieve "a position of strength" in spending bill negotiations with the Senate and the White House.

The House GOP's aim is to "rein in wasteful spending and put our country back on a path to fiscal responsibility," Johnson says.

In an interview, Christianson said of Johnson, “I think his priorities are going to be the getting down to basics of finding ways to fund the government, while also adhering to the tenets that helped elevate him [to Speaker] and getting spending under control.” 

Hall says ACEC also favors having Congress approve the 12 spending full-year bills. But House Republicans still face a long, tough path to achieve that goal, including Senate approval and Senate-House conference committees to reconcile what are almost surely going to be wide differences between the two versions.

But Hall adds, “Let’s take this a step at a time." He calls Johnson's targets for a January or April CR "encouraging.” 

FAA, WRDA Bills Also on the List

Johnson also proposed more priorities for the period running through November 2024.

Another construction-related item on his list is beginning negotiations with the Senate on a new Federal Aviation Administration authorization as soon as that chamber passes its version of an FAA bill. The House approved its FAA reauthorization in July.

Water infrastructure has a place, too. Johnson envisions completing work on a 2024 Water Resources Development Act in the October-November 2024 period. WRDA bills authorize Army Corps of Engineers locks and dams, harbor dredging, ecosystem restoration other non-military projects.

Story updated on 10/27/2023 with comments from ASCE.