Under the Dome - 04-17-2015

Under the Dome
Associated General Contractors
Legislative Update
April 17, 2015
www.agc.org
· April 16, 2015
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AGC Political Toolkit
House Committee Passes Bill Restricting EPA Clean Water Act Rule
By a vote of 36-22, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved
legislation that would send the administration's proposed rule redefining federal
jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act back to the drawing board. Read More
RSS
FEDERAL CONTRACTING
AGC Meets with Secretary of Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Admits to Problems; Seeks AGC Partnership
This week, AGC met with Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert
McDonald, at his request, to discuss the agency's construction program and our
concerns for its future. Secretary McDonald admitted to the agency's difficulties and
expressed his sincere interest in working with AGC and its members to improve its
construction program. AGC graciously accepted his offer to work with him and the
agency to do so. Read More
TRANSPORTATION
Plans Emerge on Highway Trust Fund
As the House and Senate begin discussions on how to deal with the May 31
expiration of the current transportation authorization, two bipartisan bills are emerging
that seek to end the cycle of short-term bailouts of the Highway Trust Fund and set a
path for a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill. Read More
TCC Fly-In Presses for Long-Term Transportation Legislation
Over 500 contractors, material suppliers, equipment distributors and manufacturers,
and other construction industry businesses participated in the 2015 Transportation
Construction Coalition (TCC) Legislative Fly-In, held this week in Washington, D.C.
The groups heard from House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman
Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wisc.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx about the prospects for passage of a longterm transportation reauthorization bill and a fix for the Highway Trust Fund. TCC
members then spent a day visiting with their Congressional delegations pointing out
that the uncertainty of not having a long-term reauthorization bill in place has caused
states to reduce lettings going into the construction season and undermines
contractor hiring and training of new employees and making investments in
equipment. AGC's Highway and Transportation Division Chair Tom Foss participated
in a press conference with Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and ranking Democrat Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) called to
highlight the need for Congress to act. Read More
TAX
AGC Provides Construction Industry Insight to Tax Reformers
On Wednesday, AGC submitted three formal comment letters to the Business
Income Tax Working Group,Savings & Investment Working Group, and
the Community Development & Infrastructure Working Group in response to the
Senate Finance Committee's request for input from stakeholders on how to revamp
the tax code. Submissions from stakeholders will be reviewed by the working groups
and ideas can be incorporated into the each working group's final
recommendations. The five working group recommendations will be delivered to
Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden, and will be considered in developing
bipartisan tax reform legislation this summer. Read More
Death Tax Repeal Advances in House
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1105, the Death Tax
Repeal Act, by a 240-179 vote. This attempt to repeal the federal estate tax was the
first vote of its kind in a decade and the likelihood for Senate consideration is low.
During the fiscal year 2016 Budget vote-a-rama in the Senate late last month, an
amendment (No. 607) was offered by Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) that would
permanently repeal the estate tax passed on a party-line vote 54 to 46. That vote,
mostly symbolic because of its non-binding nature, was more of a policy statement
that provided a gauge of what might happen if a repeal bill is brought to the floor.
Read More
Register for the AGC Financial Issues Summer Meeting
June 8-9, 2015 | Colorado Springs, CO
The AGC Financial Issues Committee (FIC) Summer Meeting will be held June 8-9,
2015 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. The meeting is geared toward
member company AGC member company CFOs, Treasurers, Finance Directors,
Controllers, Tax Directors and other senior accounting professionals. Members have
an opportunity to learn as well as formulate positions on tax and accounting matters
that directly affect the bottom line and operations of AGC member companies of all
sizes and specialties. Current FIF projects include helping construction companies to
prepare for the new Revenue Recognition Accounting Standard Update that goes into
effect in 2017. Read More
Budget Conferees Named, Negotiations to Begin Next Week
This week, House leadership named five Republicans and three Democrats to the
budget conference panel. Senate leaders appointed the entire membership of the
Senate Budget Committee as conferees on the FY 2016 budget resolution, 12
Republicans, eight Democrats and two Independents. Read More
2016 ELECTIONS
Two More Candidates Take the Presidential Plunge
Last Sunday, former First Lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton (D) announced via social media her presidential candidacy, saying "Everyday
Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion." A day after the
Clinton announcement, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) declared at Miami's Freedom
Tower his intention to seek the presidency. Read More
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