President Obama's $3.7-trillion fiscal 2012 budget proposal would freeze total non-security related discretionary funding, but within that overall freeze, calls for sharp increases in surface transportation accounts, to kick off a proposed $556-billion, six-year highway-transit-rail measure. On the other hand, Obama's budget request, sent to Congress on Feb. 14, recommends cuts in other construction accounts, including airport grants, Environmental Protection Agency water infrastructure and General Services Administration new construction. The release of the budget proposal intensifies the debate that has already begun over federal spending. Congressional committees will dig into the details in hearings over the next several months. Congressional
After a lengthy delay in picking a site, plans to build a new $500-million Social Security Administration data center are moving ahead. Federal officials finally selected a site in Urbana, Md., in early February and a request for qualifications for a design-build team for the project is on the street. The 400,000-square-foot project is one of the largest new buildings funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The stimulus act provided $400 million to cover the construction cost, plus $100 million to partially fund equipment for the new center. The project was the focus of a Feb. 11
After pouring billions of stimulus dollars into “greening” federal facilities, the White House now wants to spur similar upgrades to commercial buildings, which account for 20% of total U.S. energy consumption. President Obama’s newly proposed “Better Buildings Initiative” includes tax, lending and grant provisions to encourage private owners to install energy-efficiency improvements in their existing buildings. Federal agencies can carry out some of the new steps on their own, but others will require convincing a more heavily Republican Congress to approve them. The plan, announced on Feb. 3, aims to make commercial buildings 20% more energy efficient in 10 years.
Construction's unemployment rate rose in January, to 22.5% from December's 20.7%, partly reflecting the industry's usual winter slowdown, but was improved from January 2010's 24.7% rate. Related Links: Read the Employment Report The Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest monthly employment snapshot, released on Feb. 4, also shows that construction lost 32,000 jobs in January, on a seasonally adjusted basis. About two-thirds of those losses came in the nonresidential specialty trade contractors segment. BLS said another possible factor contributing to construction's January job losses was the severe weather in parts of the U.S. last month. One encouraging sign in the latest
The White House has launched a package of proposals--including a new tax credit and grant competition among states and cities--that aim to make commercial buildings 20% more energy efficient over 10 years. Related Links: Summary of the White House Plan The "Better Buildings Initiative," which President Obama announced on Feb. 3 during an appearance at Penn State University, is targeting commercial buildings, which the White House says account for about 20% of total U.S.energy consumption. Obama said the plan could save businesses nearly $40 billion over the next decade in lower energy costs. The plan has several components, some of
In an attempt to move a longsnarled aviation bill, the Senate again is preparing for a floor debate on a two-year, $34.6-billion authorization measure that includes $8 billion for airport construction grants. Senate commerce committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who introduced the measure on Jan. 27, said the new bill is the same as a proposal the Senate approved last March by a 93-0 vote. Rockefeller’s bill does not provide an increase in the current $4.50 passenger facility charge (PFC), except for a new pilot program that would remove the PFC cap completely at up to six airports. PFCs fund
President Obama’s call in his State of the Union address for more funding for highways, transit and other infrastructure has launched what should be a rugged fight with congressional Republicans this year over public-works spending. Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress will push to Photo: Courtesy of The White House President Obama: Wants a six-year highway-transit bill jump-started with $50 billion and proposes an infrastructure bank to leverage private funds. Promises that all work will be “fully paid for” but didn’t say how. Continues to support high-speed-rail lines spread around the U.S., with a goal of high-speed service available
Contractors see some encouraging market signals for 2011, but they still believe it will be a tough year, according to a survey by the Associated General Contractors. AGC’s member survey, released on Jan. 24, received about 1,300 responses. It showed that, despite predictions of slight growth in demand for several key sectors and an improving employment picture, construction firms are bracing for at least one more difficult year. Fading stimulus spending and overall weak demand will limit the rebound. “While there are some promising and positive signs in the outlook, the bottom line is 2011 will not be an easy
After a slow start, the Dept. of Energy's stimulus act-funded program to weatherize hundreds of thousands of low-income homes has picked up steam, with more 300,000 homes upgraded. Related Links: ARRA Home Weatherization Program Ramps Up Homes Weatherized By State in November 2010 While all of the American Recovery and Reinvestment-funded program's nearly $5 billion has been awarded to states, less than $2.2 billion actually has been spent in the form of outlays. DOE Secretary Steven Chu announced on Jan. 19 that more than 300,000 low-income homes had been weatherized as of Nov. 30. The new total, which reflect reports
A long-running trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada over lumber pricing has flared up again. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on Jan. 18 that he is seeking binding arbitration to settle a disagreement between the two countries over the pricing of British Columbia timber. Lumber produced from that timber is a key component in the construction of single-family housing. To try to resolve lumber-pricing disagreements that stretched back 20 years, the U.S. and Canada in 2006 signed a Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA). The pact set a price threshold at which limits would cease on Canadian lumber exports. A