AGC continues to urge Congress to repeal the 3 percent withholding mandate on federal, state, and local government contracts. Starting January 1, 2012, public owners will begin withholding 3 percent of every payment to contractors for goods and services.

Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Kay Bailey Hutchison, (R-Texas) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) announced a new proposal for the creation of a federal infrastructure Bank on Tuesday.  The legislation, which has yet to be introduced, is called the “Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for the Long-Term Development Act” (BUILD Act) and will create a federal government owned but independent financing authority.

This week, Congressman Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) and Congressman Jim Matheson (D-Utah) introduced the Good Samaritan for Construction, Architectural, and Engineering Volunteers Act, H.R. 1145.  

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed - by a vote of 271-158 - a three week continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the federal government through April 8.  The vote on the latest CR was much closer than the three previous with the number of no votes increasing by 67 (48 Republicans 19 Democrats). The CR now awaits action in the Senate where it is expected to be voted on and pass by this Friday when the current CR expires. 

AGC’s 92nd Annual Convention, held in conjunction with the 2011 CONEXPO-CON/AGG tradeshow, will be held on March 21-25 and provide general and specialty contractors with the opportunity to gain the knowledge and expertise needed to survive and thrive in the coming year. The convention offers numerous sessions on federal legislative and regulatory issues.

AGC continues to urge Congress to repeal the 3 percent withholding requirement on federal, state and local government contracts.

On Wednesday the Senate failed to get the required 60 votes necessary on competing Republican and Democratic plans to cut discretionary spending and fund the remainder of fiscal year 2011. 

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made the rounds this week in the Senate defending his agency’s fiscal year 2012 budget in front of three Senate Committees.  The Secretary appeared before the Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Appropriations Committees to discuss the USDOT budget as part of a six-year, $556 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill.

The new Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water at EPA, Nancy Stoner, testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment at a hearing concerning EPA’s FY12 water program budget.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed 314 to 112 a bill that would repeal a tax information reporting mandate included in last year’s health care overhaul bill.