AGC Member Testifies Before House Committee on Infrastructure Stimulus

AGC member Brian Burgett, President and CEO of Kokosing Construction Co., Inc., Fredericktown, Ohio, testified on behalf of AGC Wednesday before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to urge Congress to enact an economic recovery package which would include infrastructure investment to create jobs.  Mr. Burgett described for the Committee market conditions facing his company and the commercial construction company as a whole, including rising unemployment, credit availability issues, and volatile construction materials prices. The Committee asked Mr. Burgett to focus his remarks on the immediate needs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The Corps estimates that a $5 billion investment would create 140,000 direct and indirect jobs and that contracts could be awarded in less than 9 months for large projects, and sooner for on-going and smaller projects. The Committee held the hearing at the request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who, along with the Democratic Congressional Leaders, is considering whether to put before Congress an additional economic recovery package that would include a substantial infrastructure investment component.  It is possible that Congress could consider such a package as early as the week of November 17 when Congress may reconvene for a “lame duck” session.  In September, the House passed H.R. 7110, a bill that would have provided $30 billion in supplemental appropriations for many federal construction programs; however, the Senate was unable to pass a similar measure.  Reports suggest that Congress may consider a larger dollar figure in the next bill. AGC continues to press Congress to enact an economic recovery package with infrastructure investment as soon as possible to prevent further job losses in the industry and to create additional job opportunities for contractors and their workers. Click here to view AGC’s testimony.