The Associated
General Contractors
of
America
333 John Carlyle Street
Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 548-3118
(703)
837-5404 fax
Jeffrey D. Shoaf
Executive Director
Congressional Relations
shoafj@agc.org
202/383-2762
Joan Huntley LaVor
Director
AGC PAC
lavorj@agc.org
202/383-2761
Peter
Loughlin
Director
Construction Markets
loughlip@agc.org
202/383-2766
Loren E.
Sweatt
Director
Procurement and
Environment
sweattl@agc.org
202/383-2760
Phil Thoden
Director
Tax & Fiscal
Affairs
thodenp@agc.org
202/383-2764
Patrick
Wilson
Director
Human Resources & Labor
wilsonp@agc.org
202/383-2763
|
GAO Releases Utility Relocation
Study Initiated by AGC
The General
Accounting Office (GAO) released its study of the effect
of utility relocation delays on the delivery and cost of
federal-aid highway and bridge projects. AGC asked
Congress to include the study in TEA-21 and met with GAO
to provide AGC contacts throughout the country, in
addition to providing other pertinent information. The
study concludes that project construction is often
delayed when utilities are not relocated in a timely
manner. The most common solution among the states is to
minimize delays through early planning and coordination
between the many project participants. Contractors also
informed the GAO that utilities are often unresponsive
to contractors’ requests for needed actions.
AGC Obtains Draft
Blacklisting Regulations: Regulations promised
by Vice President Gore in January 1997 to the AFL-CIO
have been sent to the Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR) Council for approval. The draft contains
provisions to amend contractor responsibility
determinations (FAR Part 9) and allowable costs (FAR
Part 31). If proposed in their current form, the
regulations would make a contracting officer consider
"persuasive evidence" of a contractor’s "noncompliance
with tax, employment, environmental, and anti-trust
laws." A contracting officer could prevent award of a
contract based on allegations and rumors. The rule is
expected to be in the Federal Register for a 120-day
comment period mid- to late June.
EPA Issues Ozone Attainment
Determinations: Ozone designations signed by
EPA Administrator Carol Browner on May 12 were published
in the Federal Register June 9. Ten areas have been
designated as having already attained the one-hour ozone
standard. They are Boston-Lawrence-Worcester, MA-NH;
Memphis, TN; Muskegon, Allegan County, Oceana County,
and Mason County, MI; Portland, ME,
Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester, NH, Providence, RI; and Door
County, WI. The seven areas proposed for attainment of
the one-hour standard are Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY;
Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley, PA; Lancaster, PA; Sunland
Park, NM; LaFourche Parish, LA; Kansas City, MO-KS; and
Spalding County, GA. EPA also indicated that some of
these areas would not meet the more restrictive 8-hour
standard. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals, however,
struck down the 8-hour standard, May 14,
1999.
Superfund Passes
Subcommittee: The Recycle America Lands Act,
H.R. 1300, passed the Subcommittee on Water Resources
and Environment by a margin of 22-9, with 2 voting
present. The bill reauthorizes the Superfund program.
Amendments were offered to address concerns raised by
EPA at a hearing three weeks ago. H.R. 1300 contains a
provision relieving innocent contractors of Superfund
liability when they do not own the site, are operating
under contract, have no historical knowledge of the
site, and contain any hazardous waste discovered on the
property.
House Conservatives’ Tax
Proposal to Include Death Tax Elimination:
Members of the House Conservative Action Team (CATS)
intend to unveil a tax relief proposal within two weeks
that includes full elimination of the death tax, in
addition to capital gains reduction and elimination of
the marriage tax penalty. According to a CATS source,
the proposal will include H.R.8, the Dunn/Tanner death
tax bill that gradually eliminates the tax over a
ten-year period. The CAT’s proposal is expected to cost
within the $779 billion over ten years framework set by
the FY 2000 budget resolution. Meanwhile, Treasury
Secretary Robert Rubin yesterday told Congressional
Democrats that the administration does not believe a tax
cut is necessary this year because of the strong economy
and the importance of paying down the national debt.
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Minority Member Pat
Moynihan (D-NY) also said it's too soon to know if
committee Democrats will be able to work with the
panel's GOP majority to develop a tax cut next month.
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