On Sept. 19, the Senate Appropriations committee approved its version of the fiscal year (FY) 2020 funding package for U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) programs. The Senate bill, like the House bill passed in June, includes the full $46.365 billion FAST Act obligation limitation for the federal-aid highway program, a $1.1 billion increase over 2019. In addition, the bill includes $2.7 billion discretionary appropriations for highway programs, almost the exact same amount as the House but with different priorities. However, as it appears that the full House and Senate will not approve these bills or negotiate final spending figures prior to the September 30 end of the fiscal year, funding for U.S. DOT programs will be included as part of the Continuing Resolution that will be necessary to keep federal government programs operating.

On Sept. 12, AGC attended the unveiling of a final rule to repeal the 2015 definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rulemaking. 

On August 19, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit seeking to overturn the district court’s decision from March that reinstated the EEOC’s revised EEO-1 Component 2 form. On August 26, AGC—with the help of its Construction Advocacy Fund—joined 13 other associations on an amici brief that explains to the court the problems employers have with the new EEO-1 form; a narrative that was not included in the parties’ briefs.

On September 4, Rep. Mike Cloud visited The Beck Group’s nearly $30 million project for Ascension Seton Bastrop Hospital in Bastrop, TX along with Austin Chapter- AGC and AGC of America.

On September 3, in partnership with Arizona Builders Alliance and Arizona Chapter-AGC, AGC of America hosted U.S. Representative Greg Stanton for a tour of the South Mountain Freeway.

On August 26, AGC of America submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule to establish a new system for government approval of apprenticeship programs that would operate in parallel with the existing registered apprenticeship system.  The new system would provide for recognition of “Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs” through an expedited and streamlined process.  The proposed rule states that the construction industry would not “initially” be eligible to participate in the new system.

On August 29, U.S. Representative Roger Marshall toured JE Dunn Construction and Martin K. Eby’s $75 million joint venture project for a new minor league baseball stadium in Wichita, Kansas. 

The Trump administration has finalized the first steps in AGC-supported changes to streamline and modernize the implementation of the Endangered Species Act, which can be unpredictable and add delay and cost to the permitting and construction of infrastructure projects.

Forty states added construction jobs between July 2018 and July 2019, while construction employment increased in 25 states from June to July, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released on August 16. Association officials said the new jobs totals indicate there is a need for new federal investments in career and technical education programs, along with immigration reform.