Congressional failure to pass federal aviation legislation is putting roughly 70,000 construction and related jobs at risk by forcing a halt to $2.5 billion worth of airport construction projects.  The halt of so many airport projects will have economically "devastating" impacts on the industry, the economist warned.

Senate and White House Opposition Could lead to Shutdown of FAA Amid opposition from the White House and the Senate, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 243-177, the 21st extension of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding and tax extension bill, which would authorize funding for FAA through September 16.  Unlike previous extensions, this bill is not a “clean” extension; meaning it includes policy changes to current law.  The policy change in question would remove 13 of the 103 airports currently receiving Essential Air Service subsidies from the program, which would likely cause  those airports lose all scheduled air service.

EPW Releases Bill Outline, Holds Hearing A bipartisan deal on policy and spending provisions of the highway section of the surface transportation reauthorization has been reached by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-OK).  The bill has not yet been released, but Senators Boxer and Inhofe issued a 3 page outline of their bill on Tuesday.  The bill, called Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP -21) would provide $86 billion in contract authority for the federal highway program over the next two years. 

In a news conference on Wednesday, July 6, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that her committee would seek to pass a two-year surface transportation reauthorization bill; instead of a six-year bill that she had previously said was her goal.

House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) was joined by his subcommittee chairs and a group of other leading Republican committee members at a briefing July 7 to present the outline for a surface transportation reauthorization proposal.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) announced that he and other Committee leaders will roll out a comprehensive, multi-year transportation reauthorization proposal on Thursday, July 7, 2011. The proposal will be released via live webcast and teleconference from Washington beginning at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). AGC members may watch the event live at http://transportation.house.gov, or call the following number to listen and ask questions: (877) 229-8493 and enter the code 18416.

The premier event of the year for contractors involved in highway, bridge and utility construction is scheduled for November 10-12, 2011 in the Palm Springs Valley of California. The Highway and Utilities Contractors Issues Meeting will address the many issues that will be impacting your business over the next year and in years to come.

AGC has joined an industry group called the “Coalition to Save Our GPS,” which was organized to protect existing GPS receivers from the possibility of interference from the development of a strong signaled wireless broadband system being established by a  company called  LightSquared. LightSquared has petitioned and received a conditional permission from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand use of the Mobile Satellite Spectrum (MSS) immediately adjacent to GPS spectrum. The Coalition was formed because studies have shown that the LightSquared system can cause severe interference with millions of GPS receivers currently in use.

Contact with Your Congressional Delegation Needed Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Cal.) informed AGC and other transportation and construction stakeholder groups that she is continuing to meet with EPW Committee Ranking Member Sen. Jim Inhofe (Okla.) to write a transportation reauthorization bill that will have bipartisan support.

The two U.S. senators from Illinois are pushing opposing agendas regarding public private partnerships to finance construction of highways, bridges, airports, railroads and other transportation facilities.