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AGC Advocacy Update: Working with the
House and Senate on WRDA Passage
AGC supports legislation for pension
plans, association health plans, water infrastructure and
other key issues
AGC continues its work toward achieving the legislative priorities
it announced in January, focusing efforts on support for water
resources navigation and flood control funding, expansion
of water and wastewater funding and making the tax cuts permanent.
Water Resources Development Act
On July 14, the House passed a $10-billion reauthorization
of the Water Resources Development Act, which would authorize
funding for major navigation, flood control and environmental
restoration projects carried out by the Army Corps of Engineers.
This legislation is a priority for AGC members, and AGC worked
with House leaders to ensure its overwhelming passage. AGC
is working with the Senate to ensure that its version of the
bill will be considered by the full Senate.
Multi-Employer Pension Plans
AGC is working with a broad coalition to create legislation
that will strengthen the Taft-Hartley multi-employer pension
plans, which will allow workers to maintain one pension plan
as they work for various construction employers throughout
their careers.
Diesel Retrofit Provision
On July 29, Congress passed the long-awaited, comprehensive
energy bill, with a provision authorizing $1 billion over
the next five years in grants and loans to public, public-private
and private fleets to help offset the expense of retrofitting
diesel-powered off-road equipment.
AGC worked with the sponsors of the legislation, Senators
George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Tom Carper (D-Del.), to make
private fleets eligible to receive assistance under the bill.
Before AGC's efforts, individual contractors were not eligible
to apply for funding.
Permits for Storm Water Runoff
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit agreed
with AGC that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
construction storm water permit program is entirely lawful.
AGC intervened in the case in defense of the EPA to prevent
environmental groups from suspending, restricting and perhaps
ending all use of the federal Construction General Permit.
OSHA Reform Legislation
Four Occupational Safety and Health Administration reform
bills, passed by the U.S. House of Represent-atives on July
12 will provide businesses with a more fair process in managing
OSHA citations. The bills will help level the playing field
for contractors and ensure that contractors who are cited
by OSHA for safety receive due process.
AGC PAC's Fundraising Goals
As of June 30, AGC's political action committee (PAC) reported
$303,000 in contributions from members across the nation.
This surpasses the amount raised at the same point during
the 2003-2004 election cycle. AGC PAC's fundraising goal remains
$1 million for the 2005-06 election cycle.
Wetlands Permitting
AGC is working with the National Wetlands Coalition urging
Congress to enact the Federal Wetlands Jurisdiction Act of
2005. The bill clarifies federal jurisdiction of the permitting
program under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to exclude
so-called "isolated" wetlands and waters not connected
or adjacent to navigable waters or their tributaries. The
bill will set up a consistent national policy on wetlands
permitting and reduce ambiguity.
Association Health Plan Legislation
AGC strongly supported legislation (H.R. 525) that passed
the House on July 26 that would allow for the creation of
association health plans, which would allow small businesses
to join together through a trade association to purchase health
insurance.
Water Infrastructure
AGC is working with industry partners on long-term solutions
for the financing of water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
The President recently signed a $26.3 billion FY '06 Interior
Dept. spending bill that provides more than $1.7 billion for
the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (combined).
On July 29, the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee
passed the Water Infrastructure Financing Act, which would
provide $38 billion over five years to address the nation's
aging infrastructure.
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