On Wednesday, Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) and Railroads Subcommittee Chairman Bill Schuster (R-Penn.) unveiled a plan for privatizing Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor away from the federally-owned passenger railroad. The route runs from Washington, D.C., to Boston. 

Although neither the House nor Senate released a surface transportation bill this week, there is still significant news to come out of both chambers.

The House cosponsor number has grown from 36 during the week of the AGC convention to 162 this week. 

AGC submitted a second set of comments to the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) on its proposal to alter the truck driver Hours-of-Service regulations.  AGC’s comments addressed new studies the FMCSA placed in the public docket to support its effort to change the rules.

The House cosponsor number has grown from 36 during the week of the AGC convention to 148 last week. 

The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee has indicated they may be prepared to release their highway portion of the Surface Transportation authorization bill as early as this week. 

The House Judiciary Committee is expected to introduce legislation in the next few weeks that would require all employers to use the E-Verify program, which is currently voluntary unless one is a federal contractor.

The AGC-sponsored Common Ground Alliance held the final Education and Marketing Committee meeting before production of its new damage prevention process video commences next week.

Last week Republican leadership in the House of Representatives unveiled the “House Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators.”

The House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee has moved the FY12 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, setting the stage for the full committee mark-up scheduled for June 15.