To win over a few key Republican votes, a small group of Senators has recommended about $108 billion in cuts from an economic stimulus package that had grown to more than $900 billion. The major construction program casualty is the original Senate stimulus bill's $19.5 billion for school construction funding, which the team of lawmakers deleted. In all, a team led by Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) trimmed $108 billion from the bill as it was introduced earlier. Cuts in spending accounted for $83 billion of the reductions and $25 billion came from cuts in tax incentives.
In a bid to kick-start its own slowing economy and reverse growing unemployment, the Canadian government will spend $9.5 billion on road, bridge, public transit, water and other infrastructure over the next two years.
Capitol Hill action on an economic stimulus bill has shifted to the Senate floor, where on Feb. 2 debate began on an $884.5-billion package of spending and tax breaks. The measure’s estimated $160 billion in construction-related spending appears safe, and Senate infrastructure advocates are trying to boost that total higher. But they probably will need to propose offsetting spending cuts to win approval for any increases. Related Links: New Stimulus Bills Are Really More Hurt Than Help Sources: House, Senate Appropriations Committees, Congressional Budget Office, ENR *Construction funding estimated The first key floor vote, on Feb. 3, didn’t go well
Roof construction on the $720-million London 2012 Olympic Stadium began in late January when the first section went up. The U.K.’s Olympic Delivery Authority claims to be on track, but the global banking crisis is spoiling its party. The organization can’t secure as much private funding toward the $13.3-billion construction budget as forecast. Photo: ODA Game venues are on schedule but private money is tight for residential village. Game venues in the London Olympic Park are on schedule, says ODA. But funding negotiations with Australia’s Lend Lease Corp. for the public-private Olympic Village "are continuing," says David Higgins, ODA’s chief
A sagging economy dragged down attendance at this year’s World of Concrete, held Feb. 3-6 in Las Vegas. Officials with show manager Hanley Wood Exhibitions would not disclose preregistration numbers but expected a 10% to 20% decline from 2008, which drew roughly 85,000 people. Vendors were less optimistic, saying that 60,000 people, or a 30% decline, was more likely. Booth spaces also shrunk, while some disappeared altogether. Schwing, the show’s largest exhibitor, cut down its footprint by 14%, selling back-aisle space that bifurcated its display of concrete booms, pumps and mixers. Meanwhile, earthmoving equipment makers New Holland and Kobelco pulled
Capitol Hill action on an economic stimulus bill has shifted to the Senate, which has begun to debate a package estimated at $888 billion. At least several days of discussion and amendments are expected. It appears that the Senate package's estimated $160 billion in construction-related spending is safe and that Democrats may seek to add more money for such infrastructure accounts as highways and Corps of Engineers water projects. Photo: AP Sen. Barbara Boxer favors increasing highway component of stimulus. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee leaders have stated that they favor tripling the $27-billion highway allocation that the proposal
The best word to describe the mood at the National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders Show and the current homebuilding market is “grim.” About 60,000 people attended the show in Las Vegas on Jan. 20-23, 40% fewer than attended the show last year. Exhibitors said they were not surprised at the attendance, given the state of the economy and market. Kohler, the plumbing and fixture giant, said foot traffic was off by at least 20%. “There have been more questions about how we are doing as a company than questions about our new products,” said one Kohler rep. Photo:
Along-awaited economic stimulus bill continues to advance on Capitol Hill as Democrats push to meet their goal of having a final measure on President Barack Obama’s desk by about Feb. 16. But Senate Republicans continue to criticize the packages as being too big and contend that not enough of the money will turn into programs or projects that create jobs in the next year to two years. Still, the GOP may not have the votes to derail the packages. Photo: AP/Wideworld Sen. Thad Cochran (seated) confers with Senate colleague last year. Todd Hauptli, American Association of Airport Executives’ senior executive
The formal negotiations on the $825-billion economic stimulus start now. Two Senate committees on Jan. 27 are scheduled to begin discussing, and probably amending, portions of their versions of the package. The Senate Appropriations Committee is to take up a $365-billion discretionary-spending section, drafted by the panel's new Chairman, Daniel Inouye (Hawaii). The Finance Committee will take up a proposed $275 billion in tax cuts and about $180 billion in funding, including aid to states, the unemployed and those on food stamps. Both committees are slated to begin their "markup" sessions at 10:30 a.m. At $825 billion, the Senate committees'
The Stimulus Bill, Sector by Sector 01/21/2009 Compiled by Tom Ichniowski Construction-related spending in House Democrats' stimulus proposal, released Jan.15, could approach $160 billion. But a precise figure is hard to determine because some of the accounts that would receive funding under the plan can go for other types of capital spending besides infrastructure or buildings. A look at the House Appropriations Committee's explanatory report on the bill shows substantial funding for a wide range of construction programs across many federal departments and agencies. Stimulus aid for buildings is especially widespread among agencies. TRANSPORTATION [$43.75 billion] DOT Federal-aid highways, $30 billion
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