Related Links: House Appropriations Committee summary of spending package Federal transportation construction programs have their fiscal 2012 funding locked in, thanks to a newly enacted appropriations package. Highway funding and TIGER grants were sliced, high-speed rail was zeroed out, but aid for mass transit got a boost. The legislation, which President Obama signed into law on Nov. 18, the day after the measure had cleared the House and Senate, provides $128.1 billion in discretionary funds for the Depts. of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Justice and Agriculture. The bill’s total represents a $500-million cut from those departments’
In an unusual show of bipartisanship, House lawmakers have unanimously approved legislation that would repeal the requirement that federal, state and local agencies withhold 3% of their payments to contractors beginning in 2013. The bill, which cleared the House 422-0, also includes a provision that would make it easier for businesses to hire veterans. The President has said he will sign the measure, which the Senate had passed on Nov. 10 by a 95-0 vote. The bill’s approval is a victory for construction, engineering and other business groups, who had lobbied heavily for it. Some of the organizations that were
Action is heating up in Congress on transportation spending bills, both for 2012 and the long-delayed multiyear highway-transit measure. However, it is still up in the air how much money Congress will approve.House and Senate negotiations formally began on Nov. 3 on a fiscal 2012 appropriations package for the Depts. of Transportation, Commerce, Justice, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development. Construction officials like the Senate's numbers for key DOT programs, including a $41.1-billion highway obligation limit, the same as 2011's; $10.6 billion for mass transit, up 6% from 2011; $550 million for TIGER grants for select projects, up 4%; and
In what will be the most closely watched ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court's term, the justices announced on Nov. 14 that they will take up a case that challenges the constitutionality of the 2010 law that revamps the nation's health-care system.
The Senate on Nov. 10 overwhelmingly approved legislation to repeal a federal mandate that government agencies withhold part of their payments to contractors. Construction industry groups and other business organizations, which had been lobbying heavily for the repeal, applauded the 95-0 vote.The withholding requirement, scheduled to go into effect in 2013 , would have required federal, state and certain local agencies to withhold 3% of the dollars they owe to their contractors.The House had approved a version of the repeal bill on Oct. 27 with bipartisan support.But the Senate added a non-controversial amendment to the bill to provide tax credits
Courtesy of U.S. Senate Photo Studio Senate committee Chairman Boxer (R) and Republicans Inhofe (center) and David Vitter worked out bipartisan agreement on new, two-year highway authorization Courtesy of U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Large crowd looked on as Senate panel voted 18-0 to approve highway bill Related Links: Summary of committee bill Text of bill (excludes amendments approved at Nov. 9 committee markup) The two-year-long quest for a multi-year surface transportation bill still goes on, but it has taken a step forward with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s approval on Nov. 9 of a two-year,
Construction industry groups cheered the House's Oct. 27 approval of legislation to repeal a mandate that government agencies withhold 3% of contract dollars from companies doing that work. But their focus quickly turned to the Senate, where they hope lawmakers will agree to the House measure and send it to the White House to be signed. A majority of the Senate recently voted for a different withholding-repeal bill, handicapping the prospects there for the House-approved measure.The House's strong 405-16 vote for the repeal bill has given the industry a lift. Geoff Burr, Associated Builders and Contractors vice president of federal
The U.S. Senate on Nov. 1 approved a package of appropriations bills that includes funding for the Dept. of Transportation at levels similar to levels enacted in fiscal 2011. The Senate cleared the measure by a 69-30 vote. H.R. 2112, which bundled three separate appropriations bills into one large package funding the the departments of agriculture, justice, commerce, housing and urban development and transportation through fiscal 2012, does not include the steep cuts in funding for federal highways that was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on Sept. 8. The White House Office of Management and Budget says it supports
The uncertain future of federal transportation funding loomed large over the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' annual meeting, held in Detroit on Oct. 13-17. Under the theme “Leading in Lean Times,” directors of state departments of transportation discussed ways to weather the choppy financing environment.“In regards to our aging infrastructure, there's generally a pessimistic view of the future funding picture,” said Malcolm Dougherty, Caltrans acting director. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, addressing the attendees, called on them to urge Congress to pass a multi-year highway-transit bill. “Passing the surface transportation bill will put America back to work,”
Engineers and contractors could end up holding the bag if the finances of state and local governments continue to deteriorate, risk experts warn.Government clients can be especially hard to collect from because they are unlikely to place money in escrow accounts. Private-sector protective measures, such as filing a pre-lien against assets, may not apply to public owners. Yet contractors and prime consultants may remain liable for paying subcontractors, consultants and suppliers.That was the grim assessment at the American Council of Engineering Companies' Oct. 19-22 fall conference in Las Vegas, where a panel explored ways of safeguarding against deadbeat government clients.