Photo courtesy of Export-Import Bank of the U.S. ExIm Chairman Hochberg says bank's aid can help U.S. companies that face tough foreign competition for export sales. Related Links: Prepared text of ExIm Bank Chairman Hochberg's speech to bank's annual conference Press release on Sen. Kirk's ExIm reauthorization bill A tussle is likely to heat up on Capitol Hill in coming weeks over reauthorizing the U.S. Export-Import Bank.Conservative groups and lawmakers want to shut the 81-year-old institution; businesses—including engineering and construction-equipment companies—and their congressional allies favor extending the bank's charter for several more years.The debate should intensify in coming weeks because
Related Links: Text of House-passed bill Portman-Shaheen press release outlining bill (04/21/15) Congress has approved a narrowly focused measure that aims to encourage—but not require—commercial-building owners and tenants to improve their facilities’ energy efficiency.Final congressional action on the bill came on April 21, when the House passed it under suspension of the chamber's rules. The Senate approved the legislation on March 27. It next goes to the White House for President Obama’s expected signature.The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), termed it “good for the economy and good for the environment.”Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who teamed with Portman in drafting
Related Links: AAPA State of Freight report (04/21/2015) U.S. ports say they need $28.9 billion in upgrades to roads, rail, bridge and tunnel links over the next 10 years to handle the heavy volume of freight they expect, according to a new American Association of Port Authorities report.The AAPA State of Freight survey, whose results were released on April 21, says, “Investment in America’s port-connection infrastructure is a critical national priority.”AAPA says that, from 2000 to 2013, the container volume that moved through U.S. ports rose by about 50%, to 44.6 million 20-ft equivalent units, increasing the load on their
Related Links: Dodge Data & Analytics report (04/21/2015) Construction starts dropped 13% in March from February’s level, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $633.3 billion, Dodge Data & Analytics reports.In its latest monthly construction report, released on April 21, Dodge D&A also says that megaproject starts in February skewed the comparison. If projects valued at more than $1 billion are excluded from both months' figures, March’s total is up 4% from February’s, Dodge D&A said. (ENR is part of Dodge D&A.)Robert A. Murray, Dodge D&A chief economist, said in a statement: “The presence of unusually large projects will affect
Related Links: The VA's Aurora Hospital Project: How Did Things Get So Bad? (ENR 03/30/2015 issue) [subscription] VA May Cede Lead Role in Hospital Construction Program (ENR 2/2/2015 issue) [subscription] VA Overhaul Includes Some Funds to Upgrade Facilities (ENR 8/18/2014 issue) [subscription] Under continued fire on Capitol Hill for its over-budget, much-delayed hospital in Aurora, Colo., the Dept. of Veterans Affairs has proposed to draw the additional $830 million it says it needs to complete the job from $5-billion that Congress authorized last year for adding to VA's health-care workforce and repairing facilities nationwide.The request, which VA Deputy Secretary Sloan
Related Links: APTA report on need for long-term bill, impact of ending trust fund's transit account (04/09/2015) Stand Up 4 Transportation web page Public-transit advocates are stepping up their campaign for a long-term surface transportation bill and also want to fight off congressional proposals to sever their programs from the Highway Trust Fund, a key revenue source for rail and bus projects for more than three decades. To highlight their messages, transit launched a Stand Up 4 Transportation day on April 9, with rallies and events at cities around the country, featuring top officials of local transit systems and their
Related Links: Congressional Budget Office Highway Trust Fund projections March 2015 State DOTs Plan Ways To Cope With Uncertain Federal Funds (enr.com 2/27/2015) [subscription] It's looking more and more likely that Congress won't approve an industry-desired five- or six-year bill increasing funds for highway and transit programs by May 31, when the current 10-month authorization lapses. Another stopgap appears to be in the cards.Cathy Connor, Parsons Brinckerhoff senior vice president, says, "I think, at this point, it is clear that we're not going to identify sufficient funding to do a long-term bill by May 31. So, it is fairly obvious
Related Links: Bureau of Labor statistics release with data tables ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu's analysis AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's analysis Construction’s March unemployment figures showed a mixed picture as the industry’s jobless rate fell from the year-earlier and February levels, but it also lost 1,000 jobs in the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says.The latest BLS look at U.S. employment, released on April 3, reports that construction’s unemployment rate declined to 9.5% in March from 11.3%, year over year, and also was down from February’s 10.6%. The BLS rates are not adjusted for seasonal variations and one
Related Links: Commerce Dept. Census Bureau's release on February construction spending with data tables AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's analysis ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu's analysis Construction spending in February climbed 2.1%, year over year, but slipped slightly from January's total, the Commerce Dept. reports.The department’s latest monthly construction report, released on April 1, showed that the value of finished construction projects in February hit an annual rate of $967.2 billion, up 2.1% from February 2014’s rate but down 0.1% from January’s level. Rates are seasonally adjusted.Residential, the largest construction category, was off 1.9% year over year, to a $355.6-billion
Related Links: White House Fact Sheet Link to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Website The Obama administration on March 31 formally submitted its plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.World leaders will meet in Paris in December to try to reach an international agreement to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide.Environmental advocates say the formal pledge to reduce greenhouse emissions is an important step that might encourage other nations to follow suit. But even some supporters note that for an international agreement to be successful in helping address
