The topic de jour of the national media, political scientists, and pundits is Donald Trump. The bombastic businessman’s rise in the polls has defied political logic and left many Washington insiders puzzled. Conventional wisdom would dictate that the campaign was doomed following Trump’s critical and unrefined remarks on immigrants, Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.), and Fox News anchor and GOP debate moderator Megyn Kelly. However, RealClearPolitics polling average shows Mr. Trump leading nationally as well as in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

AGC Member Videos Highlight Message With the Senate completing action on a six-year transportation reauthorization bill before the August recess, focus has shifted to the House. The House has indicated that they will work on their version of a long-term highway & transit bill when they return to Washington after Labor Day. Use your Congressman’s time in the state to meet with them on the importance of passing a long-term, fully funded transportation bill. Resources to help you schedule meetings can be found on the Hardhats for Highway “Meet with Congress” page.

Fox News and Facebook, in conjunction with the Ohio Republican Party, will kick off the first presidential debate in Cleveland tonight at 9 p.m. EDT. The huge Republican field puts Fox News and the other media outlets sponsoring debates in a difficult situation because the logistics of managing a 17-candidate forum are quite unwieldy.

Register Now and Save at meetings.agc.org/agc_cfma Jointly sponsored by AGC and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), the 19th Annual AGC/CFMA Construction Financial Management Conference will be held Nov. 4-6, 2015 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nev. This three-day conference offers programs and workshops designed specifically for financial professionals in the construction industry. The 32 interactive sessions will cover the latest industry issues and their financial implications.

More Information at meetings.agc.org/highway Get up-to-date information on a variety of issues that will impact the highway and transportation construction markets over the next year. The 2015 AGC Highway Contractors Conference will be held Nov. 5-7, 2015, at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. Industry professionals from companies involved in building highway, bridge, transit, airport runway and rail projects will benefit from this conference. The conference will feature presentations and discussions on major trends in highway construction, including:

AGC will be hosting its first ever Utility Infrastructure Conference, Sept. 29–Oct. 1 in Louisville, Kentucky. Join other contractors, owners and key industry constituents involved in every aspect of utility infrastructure construction for high-quality education sessions, the premier utility construction equipment expo, and networking opportunities.

Yesterday, the House passed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Accountability Act of 2015, which would allow for the department secretary to more easily remove or demote the agency’s civil service employees guilty of misconduct or found to be incompetent. The bill would also require that all probationary periods for new employees be extended from the current requirement of one year to at least 18 months. The secretary would also be able to strip pension benefits from department senior executives who are convicted of a crime that influenced their job performance. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved similar legislation last week and floor action in the Senate is pending.

The highway & transit extension also includes $3.4 billion to cover a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding gap for the remainder of the current fiscal year, ending September 30. The department needed the additional funds to continue to pay for non-Department medical services to veterans, which were enacted last year in response to the VA hospital waiting list scandal. The need for additional funds was also necessary as the department attempts to fix problems that have plagued construction projects such as missing key decision deadlines, poor communication with construction contractors and late completion of design work. The problems on the construction side have negatively impacted health care VA funding accounts.

Significant Disagreements among Corps & EPA U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, Major General John Peabody, cited significant issues in the Waters of the United States final rule prior to its release in a May 15 memorandum to Assistant U.S. Secretary for the Army for civil works, Jo-Ellen Darcy. The final rule redefines ‘waters of the U.S.’ and expands the waters over which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim jurisdiction. The two agencies jointly published the final rule on June 29, and it takes effect on August 28.

Senate Approves DRIVE Act, House to Focus on Long-Term Bill in Sept. The Senate today approved H.R. 22, the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act by a vote of 65-34. Thank you to those who have contacted their Senators over the past week, urging support for this long-term highway & transit bill. Our focus now shifts to the House, which has not yet begun action on a long-term bill. Contact your representative and tell them to pass a long-term bill when they return to Congress in September.