Related Links: House Appropriations Committee draft report on FY15 military construction-VA bill Webcast of committee's April 9 markup of milcon-VA and legislative branch bills In its first action on fiscal year 2015 spending bills, the House Appropriations Committee has voted to slash Dept. of Defense construction and boost the Dept. of Veterans Affairs major-projects program.The panel, which cleared the military construction-VA bill on April 9, sliced DOD construction 33%, to $6.6 billion. Army construction would be hit hardest among the armed services, with a 52% reduction. Navy-Marines and Air Force programs each would be cut by more than 30%.The committee

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Senate Photo Studio Senators (from left) Carper, Vitter, Boxer and Barrasso seek long-term bill, modest aid hike. Video Courtesy of the Office of Sen. Barbara Boxer Senate EPW Leaders' Press Conference (excludes Q&A) Related Links: Boxer Seeks to Unveil New Transportation Bill in April (enr.com 2/18/2014) [subscription] The search for a new transportation bill has passed a key milepost in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW). Leaders agreed on a blueprint for the highway-policy portion of an eventual long-term measure. The bill could span six years with funding set at current levels, plus small

Related Links: DOE Fiscal 2015 Budget Request Highlights Areva Information on MOX Project The Dept. of Energy's proposal to put a 60%-complete mixed-oxide fuel (MOX) facility in Aiken, S.C., on "cold standby" has run into criticism from key senators.The plant, which would convert 34 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel, could cost more than $7 billion to build, plus $30 billion in life-cycle expenses, DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz told a Senate appropriations subcommittee on April 9. Citing "extremely tight budgets," DOE put the project on hold while it evaluates alternatives, he noted.Lawmakers blasted DOE for potentially breaking

Related Links: You Tube video of part of April 10 press conference Boxer Plans Committee Action Soon on New Highway Bill (ENR 4/7/2014 issue) [subscription] Boxer Seeks To Unveil New Transportation Bill in April (enr.com 2/18/2014) [subscription] Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) and other committee leaders have reached agreement on an outline for the highway-policy portion of a hoped-for new surface-transportation measure.A key element of the framework, which Boxer and her colleagues announced April 10 at a press conference, is to set highway funding at current levels plus a increase to account for annual inflation.Boxer

Related Links: Text of settlement agreement Dept. of Justice press release In a federal action involving alleged false claims on construction contracts, five California masonry subcontractors have paid the government about $1.9 million to resolve charges that they misrepresented themselves as small disadvantaged businesses on projects for the U.S. military, the Dept. of Justice has said.Parties to the settlement, which Justice announced on April 9, include Frazier Masonry Corp., F-Y Inc., CTI Concrete & Masonry Inc., Masonry Technology Inc., Masonry Works Inc., Russell Frazier and Robert Yowell The settlement document lists Yowell as president of F-Y Inc.The 19-page agreement also

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Senate Photo Studio and Office of Sen. Carl Levin Senate panel chair Levin wants to close "loophole" for tax transfers like Caterpillar's. Related Links: Senate investigations subcommittee report on Caterpillar overseas taxes Sen. Levin's prepared opening statement from April 1 hearing No one can say Sen. Carl Levin has gone after small fry in investigating U.S. companies' overseas tax policies. The Michigan Democrat has held a series of hearings focusing on Apple, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard and now has turned his attention to heavy-equipment giant Caterpillar Inc.The Senate Homeland Security Committee's permanent subcommittee on investigations, which Levin

Related Links: BLS employment report for March 2014, including data tables Construction's unemployment rate continues to head in a positive direction, improving to 11.3% in March from February's 12.8% as the industry gained 19,000 jobs.The Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest monthly employment report, released on April 4, also showed that construction's jobless rate last month was markedly better than its March 2013 level of 14.7%.Those rates are not adjusted for seasonal variations. Construction is highly seasonal and its workforce tends to grow in the spring and summer months.All construction-industry sectors added jobs in March, led by specialty trade contractors, which

Related Links: Webcast of April 1 Senate subcommittee hearing A Senate subcommittee has turned the spotlight on Caterpillar Inc.'s overseas tax payments, contending that the giant equipment maker shifted billions in profits to a affiliate based in Switzerland, where taxes are lower than in the U.S.The panel's chairman, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), released a report on March 31 criticizing Caterpillar's Swiss tax plan. The report stated that from 2000 through 2012, the company allocated more than $8 billion in non-U.S. profits to its Swiss unit and deferred paying $2.4 billion in U.S. taxes on those earnings.Levin followed up the next

Related Links: Obama Rolls Out $302-Billion Transportation Bill Proposal (ENR 3/10/2014 issue) [subscription] Boxer Seeks to Unveil New Transportation Bill in April (enr.com 2/18/2014) [subscription] Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is moving ahead with the highway-policy portion of a draft new surface-transportation legislative package.Boxer said at a March 27 committee hearing on transportation matters that she would discuss the envisioned bill with the rest of the panel's "Big Four" the week of March 31. Those other senators are David Vitter (La.), the committee's top Republican; Thomas Carper (D-Del.), transportation and infrastructure subcommittee chair; and John

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Proposal would alter list of what qualifies as "waters of the U.S.," which require federal permits for construction near them. Related Links: Text of EPA-Corps of Engineers proposed rule An Environmental Protection Agency-Army Corps of Engineers proposal to redefine which bodies of water are federally regulated has stirred up a storm of criticism from construction groups that contend the new definition is far too broad.The proposed rule, released on March 25, would have a big impact on construction because it changes when firms must get a Corps Clean Water