Some of President Obama’s earlier State of the Union addresses had meaty sections about improving U.S. infrastructure, creating jobs and accelerating project reviews. But his final State of the Union speech, delivered on Jan. 12, didn’t mention infrastructure or construction at all.
Industry praises combination of tax "extenders" and $1.1 trillion in spending, including huge increases for GSA, VA construction and solid hikes for DOT, DOD programs.
President Obama’s Nov. 6 announcement that the State Dept. would not allow the Keystone XL pipeline to be built is a blow to contractors and construction unions that had strongly advocated for the project.
Racing against a midnight Sept. 30 deadline, Congress approved a 10-week government-wide spending bill and a separate extension to keep Federal Aviation Administration programs, including construction grants, operating for six months.
The Obama administration has announced a slew of initiatives to drive innovation, investment and development of renewable and energy-efficiency projects.
The U.S. Supreme Court, for the second time in three years, has affirmed the legality of key provisions of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a measure that is viewed as one of President Obama's central legislative achievements.
In separate but related actions, the Obama administration and a bipartisan group of senators have taken steps to break through the logjam over the long-term storage and disposal of high-level radioactive waste.
