Probable House and Senate Session Next Week This week, fiscal cliff negotiations stalled between President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio).  Instead of moving closer this week, the parties have moved a little farther apart.  The House is voting on two bills that would address both the upcoming tax increases and spending cuts that comprise the fiscal cliff.

Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee named ten new members to the committee this week.  The committee currently has 32 Republican members, with the possibility that one additional member may be added.

This week, the Senate followed the White House’s request for $60.4 billion in emergency spending in response to the damages caused by Hurricane Sandy.  The Senate bill, the Fiscal Year 2012 Disaster Assistance Supplemental, provides the same level of funding as the President’s request, but makes some changes that expand the scope of the bill beyond direct relief from Sandy.

With just over two weeks before we go over the fiscal cliff, Congressional leaders and the White House appear no closer to reaching a deal.  Although House Speaker John Boehner and President Obama met earlier this week – and plan to meet again this evening –  members of Congress are now preparing to work up to – and possibly after – Christmas in an attempt to resolve the outstanding fiscal cliff issues prior to Jan. 1, 2012. 

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) has proposed federal contactor submission of a health and safety checklist as an evaluation factor for the award of contracts directly from the federal government.

On Dec. 4, the Senate passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2013 (NDAA) by a vote of 98 to 0. As the Senate considerate the legislation, AGC sent a letter to senators urging their inclusion of small business contracting reforms. Among those reforms, AGC especially urged inclusion of: (1) counting small business participation at lower tiers towards the federal small business procurement goals; and (2) addressing the definition a “bundled contract” to include contracts for construction services, thereby forcing federal agencies to justify why they bundle.

During the 2012 National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans (NCCMP) Conference, a presentation was made discussing NCCMP’s Retirement Security Review Commission (RSRC) and some of the conclusions of the commission so far.  AGC is participating in the RSRC, which is a labor-management, cross-industry group of stakeholders established to develop a long-term solution to the multi-employer pension problem. 

AGC has joined Municipal Bonds for America, a new coalition designed to educate lawmakers about the municipal bond market and the impact that the tax-exemption that which enables state and local governments to finance vital infrastructure at the lowest cost to their taxpayers. AGC joins a growing membership comprised of bond issuers, regional bond dealers, and state and local government organizations all dedicated to making sure municipal bonds maintain their current status.

According to a new AGC report, if Congress and President Obama fail to avert the indiscriminate, across-the board cuts--called sequestration--federal construction investment accounts could see upwards of $6 billion in cuts. The possible sequestration cuts could put some 170,000 jobs, $20.4 billion in GDP and $6.6 billion in personal income at risk.

Yesterday, AGC executive board members, along with other AGC tax policy leaders within the association, participated in a call with House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) where McCarthy described the fiscal cliff situation as “going nowhere.”  This statement comes the day after AGC concluded a survey that illustrates how the fiscal cliff is already impacting AGC members and how they conduct their business.