Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Solicits AGC's Feedback

The Advocate is a bimonthly publication for AGC PAC contributors, and contains the latest political news from "inside the beltway."

Arizona Poll: In the middle of May, OH Predictive Insights (5/9-11; 600 AZ likely general election voters) released their Arizona statewide survey that received considerable attention in the political pundit community due to the Grand Canyon State’s importance in the presidential campaign. With its 11 electoral votes, Arizona is a must-win state for the Trump campaign. The OH poll found former Vice President Joe Biden leading 50-43%, his largest margin to date, but little in the way of analysis accompanied the poll release.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) ended his presidential campaign last week, therefore making former Vice President Joe Biden the Democratic Party’s unofficial nominee. Mr. Biden, still 766 bound delegate votes away from clinching a first ballot victory is now unencumbered in his bid to become the party standard bearer. It is likely that he will secure the 1,991 bound first ballot delegate votes once the June 2 primary, now featuring ten states, is held.

The Battleground Connect consulting firm that predominately polls for Republican clients in the South again surveyed the impending Georgia special Senate election as they did on March 24, but this time added questions about the presidential race.

The open seat count has increased to 43, with 31 of them coming from the minority Republican column. The number of competitive opens, however, at this point in the cycle is likely just nine, as 34 of the incumbent-less seats fall into either the Safe/Likely Democratic (12) column or Safe/Likely Republican (22) category. Today, we look at the competitive open seats.

Department of Homeland Security Advises that Construction is Essential

Commit to a Culture of CARE in Your Company by visiting BuildCulture.org

AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr Sends Message to Member Firms

AGC Calls for Further Measures to Safeguard the Construction Economy

AGC Chapters have been in ongoing contact with state departments of transportation (DOTs) concerning COVID-19 related impacts.

Reporting Required in Limited Circumstance where there is Evidence Employee Contracted the Virus at Place of Work

AGC Advocates for Different Approach to Address Issue

As of March 5, a majority of federal agencies, including the Department of Labor (DOL) and Environmental Protection Agency, have launched guidance portals in accordance with a pair of executive orders (EO 13891 and EO 13892). These measures, signed by President Trump in October 2019, intend to reduce the impact of agency guidance the White House believes has become a back-door means of regulation. The orders target significant guidance that could have the potential to impact the economy, the environment, public health, or state, local, or tribal communities.

Includes Top-line Surface Reauthorization Figures, Additional Infrastructure Investment in Request

Construction Officials Discuss Workforce Shortages Facing the Industry

Review of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or PRO Act for Short, Finds the Measure’s Provisions Would be More Harmful to Union Contractors and Workers than to Open Shop Firms

Outlines Released By Democrats and Republicans Should Inspire Congress to Make Fixing and Expanding Infrastructure its Top Priority, Top Construction Official Notes

On Dec. 20, President Trump signed two spending packages totaling $1.4 trillion, preventing another year-end government shutdown and providing annual funding to all agencies of the federal government through September 30, 2020. Overall, federal construction accounts saw about a nine percent increase—or $12.4 billion—in funding in comparison to FY 2019 funding levels. Click here for a full AGC analysis of federal and federal-aid construction accounts for FY2020.

In a Sept. 24 letter to the California Air Resources Board, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated a process to resolve deficiencies in several of the state’s plans to improve air quality.