All Economic Stimulus Articles
Friday, July 31, 2009
AGC released results of a survey that measured the impact of stimulus funds on construction companies' ability to expand payrolls. The survey found that stimulus construction funds have had little impact to date on companies' ability to hire new employees, but has helped companies save existing jobs.
The survey data was announced during a media conference call that included AGC's CEO Steve Sandherr, chief economist Ken Simonson, and the following AGC contractor members.
- Doug Pruitt, Sundt Construction
- Art Daniel, AR Daniel Construction Services
- Paul Diederich Industrial Builders
- Phil Boelter Kraus-Anderson Construction
- Don Weaver Weaver Bailey Construction
- Deena Billings FNF Construction
- Dave Higgins, HMH Builders
- Tim Creson, Austin Bridge and Road
The news has been widely covered by outlets such as Reuters,Christian Science Monitor and The Washington Post.
Friday, July 31, 2009
This week, AGC CEO Steve Sandherr contacted 27 federal agency heads concerning the pace that Recovery Act dollars are flowing through the agencies and in the form of contracts available for bid. With more than one million construction workers having lost their jobs over the past year, AGC expressed concerns that given the high unemployment rate that remains in the industry — over one million employees, totaling 19 percent — the industry is ready to put the Recovery Act to work.
AGC made inquiries as to whether there are schedules for letting work that we can begin to publicize, whether there are impediments to getting the work on the street that we can work to eliminate, and whether there is any information that we can provide the industry so that contractors are ready to bid these important projects.
AGC greatly values its partnerships with the federal agencies and we look forward to continuing to be a resource as we work together to ensure the recovery of our economy.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
On June 22, AGC submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) written comments for consideration in the interim final regulation on federally-assisted projects. These projects would include building, highway and municipal and utility projects funded by the stimulus.
In addition, OMB that same day published Implementing Guidance for the Reports on Use of Funds Pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("Recovery Act"). This guidance details the reporting requirements included in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act for recipients of grants, loans and other forms of assistance. The reports required by Section 1512 will be submitted by recipients beginning in October 2009 and will provide information to the government, such as:
- Who is receiving Recovery Act dollars and in what amounts?
- What projects or activities are being funded with Recovery Act dollars?
- What is the completion status of such projects or activities and what impact have they had on job creation and retention?
The reporting framework in the referenced guidance has been updated and enhanced to capture additional spending data from prime recipients and sub-recipients of federal financial assistance Recovery Act awards. Further, OMB has deployed a nationwide data collection system at the website www.FederalReporting.gov that will reduce the information reporting burden on recipients by simplifying reporting instructions and providing a user-friendly mechanism for submitting required data.
To read AGC's comments to OMB, click here.
To read the OMB Memorandum and Guidance Document click here.
To view the Recipient Reporting Data Model - Template, Data Dictionary, XML Schema, click here.
To read the List of Programs Subject to Recipient Reporting, click here.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides significant funding for states to finance high priority infrastructure projects needed to ensure clean water and safe drinking water. The Act also includes "Buy American" provisions that require Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) projects to use domestic iron, steel, and manufactured goods.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will sponsor a webcast from 2:00-4:00 (EST) on Monday, June 22 to discuss how the ARRA Buy American provisions will affect the implementation of CWSRF and DWSRF projects. This event is free of charge and is provided for the benefit of SRF assistance recipients and contractors, consultants, and manufacturers involved in SRF projects. The webcast will also include opportunities for participants to submit questions on Buy American issues.
To register for this webcast, copy and paste the link below into your Internet Explorer web browser: https://www.eventbuilder.com/event_desc.asp?p_event=4o12b5j3
Note: If you have any technical difficulties questions about the registration process, please contact EventBuilder's customer care line at 1-800-290-5900.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
An AGC Environmental Network and Navigant Consulting, Inc Webinar
Gain insight into the Green Incentives and Sustainability policies contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 during this webinar, hosted by AGC's Environmental Network and Navigant Consulting, Inc., June 25, 1:30-3:00 pm ET.
Learn the details of the sustainable and green provisions outlined in the ARRA as well as the potential impact on construction project financing and lending standards. Information will be provided on the current credit and lending issues as well as the impact on financing contained in portions of the ARRA, specifically green incentives. Register here.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
On June 1, AGC submitted to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Councils written comments on a series of interim rules amending the FAR in order to implement several key provisions set forth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The interim rules were issued March 31 without any opportunity for prior public comment. AGC was the only construction organization to raise concern over the onerous reporting requirements in the interim rules.
To read AGC's comments and view copies of the Interim Rules, please visit the following:
In order to allow AGC members and Chapters to communicate with the government, AGC set up a special portal located at the AGC Legislative Action Center in order to highlight key issues that needed to be addressed.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) also issued its own guidance on April 23 establishing government-wide guidance and standard award terms for agencies to include in financial assistance awards (namely, grants, cooperative agreements and loans) as part of their implementation of the Recovery Act. Public comments are due by June 22:
AGC is now preparing to submit comments to OMB on behalf of the entire association by the June 22 deadline.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
On June 4, AGC held its third session in its new Federal Contracting: Stimulus at Work webinar series, entitled "How to Handle Claims and Disputes." The federal market has changed dramatically over the last six months and this program provided participants with the ins and outs of federal contracts and what makes them unique. The webinar also included information on the AGC's Ethics and Compliance Program Toolkit and AGC's Construction Contractors Guide to Department of Defense Past Performance Evaluation.
The final webinar in this series will provide an overview of the existing process and walk attendees through the evolution of federal contracting. "The Recovery Act" webinar on June 11 will provide information and clarification on some of the most challenging issues surrounding the Recovery package, including new rules governing the following:
- New Buy American Rules;
- Reporting Requirements, including Salary Disclosure for Contractors;
- Inspectors General and GAO Access to Contractors Employees; and
- Establishing Ethics and Compliance Programs.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
 Vice President Joe Biden, left, participates in the roundtable on the Recovery Act with Christian Zimmermann, right, Tuesday, June 2, 2009. Christian Zimmermann from AGC member company Pike Industries represented the association during a roundtable hosted by Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday in New York. The vice president invited business leaders from across the country to highlight the benefits of the stimulus, which has allowed Pike Construction to hire more than 100 new employees.
Read the White House press release here.
Zimmermann was featured on Fox Business, and included in articles in TIME and the New York Times.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
On June 1, AGC submitted to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Councils written comments on a series of interim rules amending the FAR in order to implement several key provisions set forth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. On a finding of "urgent and compelling reasons," the interim rules were issued without any opportunity for prior public comment. To read AGC's comments and view copies of the Interim Rules, please visit the following:
In order to facilitate a dialogue between AGC members, Chapters and the government, AGC set up a special portal located at the AGC Legislative Action Center in order to highlight key issues that needed to be addressed.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) also issued its own guidance on April 23 establishing government-wide guidance and standard award terms for agencies to include in financial assistance awards (namely, grants, cooperative agreements and loans) as part of their implementation of the Recovery Act. Public comments are due by June 22:
AGC is now preparing to submit comments to OMB on behalf of the entire association by the June 22 deadline.
Monday, June 1, 2009
AGC Members Urged to Comment on ARRA Requirements
On March 31, 2009, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Councils issued a series of interim rules amending the FAR in order to implement several key provisions set forth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. On a finding of "urgent and compelling reasons," the interim rules were issued without any opportunity for prior public comment. The FAR Councils will, however, take into consideration public comments submitted on or before June 1, 2009 in formulation of the final rule.
In order to facilitate a dialogue between AGC members and the government, AGC has set up a special portal located at the AGC Legislative Action Center and highlighted the key issues that must be addressed:
- Recovery Act - Buy American Requirements for Construction Material
- Recovery Act - Publicizing Contract Actions
- Recovery Act - Reporting Requirements
- Recovery Act - Whistleblower Protections
- Recovery Act - GAO/IG Access
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) also issued its own guidance on April 23 establishing government-wide guidance and standard award terms for agencies to include in financial assistance awards (namely, grants, cooperative agreements and loans) as part of their implementation of the Recovery Act. Public comments are due by June 22:
- Recovery Act - OMB Interim Guidance
AGC is preparing to submit comments on behalf of the entire association by the June 1 deadline.
|
RSS Feeds: