Photo Courtesy of Senate Environment and Public Works Committee The agency is expected to advance a rule to curb powerplants' air emissions. Related Links: Perez and McCarthy Nominations to Get Full Senate Vote Senate Holds Confirmation Hearings on EPA, DOE Nominees Despite opposition from some Senate Republicans and one Democrat from a coal state, Gina McCarthy was sworn in as the Environmental Protection Agency's administrator. She receives high marks from industry and environmental groups. Both are waiting to see the shape of regulations the EPA issues on McCarthy's watch.McCarthy, whom the Senate confirmed on July 18 by a 59-40 vote,

Related Links: Justice Dept. press release Contrack International Inc., a McLean,Va.-based construction company, has agreed to pay the U.S. government $3.5 million to settle allegations the company submitted false claims related to U.S. Agency for International Development water and wastewater project contracts in Egypt in the 1990s. The Dept. of Justice, which announced the settlement on July 12, said bidders for the contracts were required to be precertified and, in some cases, prove that they were U.S. companies. In a lawsuit filed in 2004, the DOJ contended that members of a joint venture that won the USAID contracts—Contrack, Washington Group

Related Links: Immigration Bill Focus Shifts to House After Senate Vote Video of Boehner 7/11/13 press briefing (C-span) Video of Pelosi 7/11/13 press briefing (C-span) House Republicans’ plan for taking up immigration legislation is coming into sharper focus but still isn’t completely clear.Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), in a July 11 press conference, stated strongly that the U.S. immigration system needs to be changed. He reiterated that the House will take up several separate bills dealing with specific immigration issues and not vote on a wide-ranging overhaul such as the one the Senate recently passed.Boehner didn’t provide a timetable for that

Related Links: Committee release w/summary of GSA bill Text of House committee bill A House committee has approved a bill that would set limits on the number of courtrooms in new federal courthouses and freeze the amount of total real estate space the General Services Administration controls.The measure, which the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee cleared on July 11 by a voice vote, has strong support on the panel. Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and the committee’s top Democrat, Nick Rahall (W.Va.), have signed on as co-sponsors.The bill may go to the House floor before the August recess, a GOP aide

Related Links: Obama, House GOP Skirmish Over Fiscal 2014 Spending Bills (ENR 6/17/13) Summary of Senate Appropriations Committee-approved FY14 DOT-HUD bill Summary of House Appropriations Committee FY14 DOT-HUD bill (excluding committee-approved amendments) As congressional appropriators move ahead on fiscal year 2014 spending bills, some major construction programs, such as highways, are faring reasonably well given the tight budget environment, but others could face cuts.Framing the appropriations action is a wide gap between House and Senate ceilings on overall FY 14 discretionary spending. The Senate cap is $1.058 trillion; the House's is $967 billion. In light of that spread, House appropriators

Related Links: Bureau of Labor Statistics release (with data tables) Construction’s unemployment rate dropped under 10% for the first time in more than four years, hitting 9.8% in June, as the industry added 13,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.Construction’s jobless rate was an improvement over May’s 10.8% and down sharply from the June 2012 level of 12.8%, according to the latest BLS monthly employment report, released on July 5.The last time construction’s rate was less than 10% was in September 2008, when it stood at 9.9%. BLS unemployment rates are not adjusted for seasonal variations.All construction sectors

Related Links: Senate Committee Clears Foxx for Top DOT Post (enr.com 6/11/13) Obama Picks Charlotte, N.C., Mayor to Head DOT (enr.com 4/29/13) As Anthony Foxx moves into his new job as head of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, he will face tough infrastructure issues. Leading the list for Foxx—who was confirmed 100-0 by the Senate on June 27 and sworn in as DOT secretary on July 2—will be addressing the ailing Highway Trust Fund.The trust fund is the prime financing source for major highways and an important revenue stream for transit projects. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the

Photo By Associated Press Key Players Schumer (center), with other members of the Senate "Gang of Eight" who pushed for the bill, called the vote "a giant step forward." Related Links: Text of Senate-passed immigration bill Bipartisan Group of Senators Outlines Plans for Immigration Reform (enr.com 1/28/13) With the Senate's passage of a wide-ranging immigration bill, the legislative focus moves to the House. In contrast to the Senate's comprehensive measure, approved on June 27 by a 68-32 vote, GOP House leaders are going piece by piece, moving bills on various immigration issues through committees.Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), one of the

Related Links: Pritzker picked for Commerce Dept., Froman for USTR (enr.com 5/2/03) Obama National Export Initiative The Senate has confirmed Penny S. Pritzker, a prominent businesswoman and major fund-raiser for President Obama, to lead the Dept. of Commerce. Pritzker’s nomination was approved on June 25, by a 97-1 tally, with Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) casting the lone “no” vote.Pritzker, who was sworn in to her new post on June 26, will lead a sprawling department of more than 40,000 workers. Among its wide range of agencies are the International Trade Administration, which sponsors overseas trade missions for U.S. companies in

Related Links: Senate Committee Clears Foxx for Top DOT Post (enr.com 6/11/13) Obama Selects Charlotte Mayor for Top DOT Post (ENR 5/6/13 issue) The Senate has approved President Obama’s nominee to head the Dept. of Transportation, Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx, to be the next DOT Secretary. Foxx was confirmed for the top DOT post on June 27 by a 100-0 vote. He will succeed Ray LaHood, who has led DOT since January 2009. Many tough issues lie ahead for Foxx as he moves into his new job.  The top construction industry priority will be addressing the flagging financial health of the