Photo by AP Wide World Obama confers with Senate Majority Leader Reid (left) and Republican Leader McConnell. GOP could gain the Senate in November. Related Links: Even If GOP Wins Senate Control, Gridlock May Persist Construction-industry groups and labor unions are pouring tens of millions of dollars into favored congressional candidates' election campaigns and plan to match or slightly exceed their contributions in 2010, the last midterm election cycle.Officials say one reason for the heavy spending is that party control of the Senate is at stake (see story). They also want to elect candidates who can end the partisan battles

Related Links: Justice Dept. News Release on SAIC Settlement 2010 Federal Appeals Court Decision on SAIC Case Science Applications International Corp.—now Leidos Holdings Inc.—has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve a federal False Claims Act, or FCA, lawsuit alleging conflicts of interest related to the company's work for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission more than 10 years ago. The U.S. Dept. of Justice, which announced the agreement on Oct. 21, said the settlement resolves the claims and that there is no determination of liability.SAIC signed contracts in 1992 and 1999 with the NRC to help develop a regulation for the

Related Links: FERC Approves $3-Billion-Plus LNG Export Project in Maryland Environmental Groups' Petition for a FERC Rehearing Environmental groups have asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to rescind its decision approving a new liquefied-natural-gas export terminal in Maryland. The project's cost is estimated at $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion.In a petition filed on Oct. 15, the groups, which include Earthjustice, asked FERC for a rehearing of its Sept. 29 decision to permit the Cove Point project in Lusby, Md., to go forward. They also want FERC to cancel that ruling and halt construction, arguing that the environmental review it issued

Related Links: National Conference of State Legislatures Ballot-Measures Database With Week to Go, NJ Open-Space Ballot Question Continues to Be Divisive Initiative & Referendum Institute Ballotwatch Report  Voters on Nov. 4 will decide the fate of nearly $10 billion in statewide construction-related bond issues, led by a $7.5-billion water-projects measure in California, which has been suffering from a major drought. Also on some states' ballots are measures to fortify their transportation funds.By far the largest bond proposal is California's Proposition 1. If approved, it would include $2.7 billion for water storage projects, $1 billion for watershed protection and ecosystem restoration,

Photo by Grant Ellis/World Bank World Bank President Kim says new program will be "very ambitious," seeking to raise "billions of dollars" for projects in developing countries. Related Links: World Bank Oct. 9 press release World Bank President Kim's prepared remarks at annual meeting's opening press briefing U.S. Treasury Secretary's comments on Global Infrastructure Facility The World Bank is teaming with private investors on a new financing venture that seeks to raise billions of dollars to help meet developing countries' huge infrastructure needs.The new public-private Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF), launched on Oct. 9 at the bank’s annual meeting in Washington,

Related Links: Letter calling for increased harbor fund spending, with signatures of supporters Text of WRRDA as enacted (See Section 2101 for Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund annual target appropriations) Port officials have launched a heavy lobbying push to get Congress to boost fiscal year 2015 spending for dredging and other improvements. They want appropriators to approve spending that roughly equals the hike authorized in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, or WRRDA, signed in June.The campaign, led by the American Association of Port Authorities, seeks about $1.17 billion in 2015 spending from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund—that's up from

Related Links: FERC fact sheet on its Sept. 29 approval of LNG proposal A proposed liquefied-natural-gas export project in Maryland has advanced with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of Dominion Energy's estimated $3.4-billion to $3.8-billion plan to build the complex.But Dominion's Cove Point project, located in Lusby, Md., on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay, may face a court challenge from environmental groups that strongly oppose the plan.FERC's action, announced on Sept. 29, is its fourth LNG-export-facility approval. The other three are in the Gulf of Mexico; one was approved in 2012, and the other two were approved earlier

Related Links: Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report for September 2014 (including data tables) Construction’s jobless rate continues to improve, dropping to 7% in September, its lowest level in more than six years, as the industry added 16,000 jobs in the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.According to the latest BLS monthly employment report, released on Oct. 3,  construction’s jobless rate last month was down from August’s 7.7% and well below the September 2013 mark of 8.5%.September’s 7% rate was the lowest since November 2007, when it stood at 6.2%.Nearly all construction sectors added jobs in September, led

Related Links: Text of ASCE-Eno Report Text of MAP-21 (see Section 1106 for asset-management plans) A new study calls for transportation agencies to expand the use of life-cycle cost analyses for highway and other projects, saying the process can save money over the projects' long life spans.The American Society of Civil Engineers-Eno Center for Transportation report, released on Sept. 30, says many states have used life-cycle cost analyses, or LCCAs, for highway pavement work, but such evaluations haven't taken off for other transportation projects.LCCAs go beyond design and construction cost calculations to include long-term expenses, such as maintenance and operations.The

Related Links: Commerce Dept report on August 2014 construction put in place AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's statement ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu's statement McGraw Hill Construction report on August construction Construction spending rose 5% in August on a year-over-year basis, to a $961-billion annual rate, the Commerce Dept. has reported.But Commerce’s latest monthly report on construction put in place, released on Oct. 1, also showed that August’s construction volume declined 0.8% from July's rate.The report, from Commerce's Bureau of the Census, said that August’s private construction spending increased 6.3% from August 2013 and public construction was up 1.9%.The strongest