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The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said today that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s markup last Thursday of a resolution authorizing $18 million for design costs for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters consolidation project at St. Elizabeths is another important indication of the intention of Congress to complete the DHS headquarters consolidation. Through this funding, Norton said, Congress acknowledges the new Enhanced Master plan that reduces costs by more than $800 million, increases the number of employees now able to be housed at St. Elizabeths from 14,000 to 17,000 and accelerates full consolidation by five years.

In a speech today on the Senate floor, Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) voiced his support for a historic bipartisan bill to fund America’s roads, highways, and bridges for a full three years without increasing taxes or adding to the deficit. The measure, which reauthorizes the nation’s highway programs for six years, marks the longest funded multi-year highway bill in more than a decade.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $349 million in funding for 15 rural electric infrastructure projects to build or improve more than 1,844 miles of transmission and distribution lines for rural electric cooperatives and utilities in 13 states.

Last week Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) announced a plan calling for an increase in federal gasoline and diesel taxes to shore up the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) and prevent a potential nation-wide road construction work stoppage. According to initial reports, the taxes will generate $164 billion increase in HTF revenues

This week, the Congressional Budget Office issued a report (link is external) detailing public spending on transportation and water infrastructure from 1956 to 2014. The report showed that public spending on Transportation and Water Infrastructure has been fairly consistent as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at about 2.4 percent, which is below the 3.0 percent peak in 1959. It did recently rise to 2.7 percent of GDP in 2009 and 2010 because of the increase in infrastructure investment under ARRA, which temporarily boosted infrastructure spending by $55 billion.

A lot of Americans wonder if Congress can organize a two-car parade. When you look at 33 consecutive short-term patches for infrastructure funding, it sure seems like Congress can’t pave the parade route either.

Expanding on a proposal first put forward in a column earlier this year, the Center for American Progress has released an in-depth report into how Congress can pair federal resources with state, local, and private sector dollars to modernize the nation’s aging infrastructure. Known as State Future Funds, this funding mechanism can provide states and cities with the capital they need to make low-carbon and resilient energy and transportation infrastructure improvements that guard against extreme weather events connected to climate change and help reduce carbon pollution.

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-MS, today cosponsored a bill authored by Sens. Mark R. Warner, D-VA, and Roy Blunt, R-MO, to establish a new infrastructure financing authority to help states and localities better leverage private funds to build and maintain the nation’s outdated infrastructure. The Building and Renewing Infrastructure for Development and Growth in Employment (BRIDGE) Act helps to address the nation’s alarming investment shortfall in maintaining and improving our transportation network, water and wastewater systems and energy infrastructure

Following an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack on May 29, 2015, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) today announced that all 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. may now apply for up to $100 million in grants under the Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership (BIP). The funding is to support the infrastructure needed to make more renewable fuel options available to American consumers. The Farm Service Agency will administer BIP

the Committee on Natural Resources approved six bills during a Full Committee markup on H.R. 387, H.R. 521, H.R. 1289, H.R. 1992, H.R. 2295, H.R. 2358, and H.R. 2647. On the passage of H.R. 2295, the “National Energy Security Corridors Act,” introduced by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Rep. MacArthur commented

Balfour Beatty US has been named Southeast Contractor of the Year by Engineering News-Record (ENR), the preeminent magazine for the construction industry. The recognition is based on the combined performance of Balfour Beatty’s U.S. business units in the Southeast region, including Balfour Beatty Construction Services US, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure and Balfour Beatty Investments. ENR recently recognized Balfour Beatty with an announcement on its website

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, discussed her energy workforce bill and urged consideration of carbon reduction technologies. She also raised concerns with existing coal leasing policies, which fail to ensure a fair return to taxpayers or account for carbon pollution.

America’s leading organizations representing the full spectrum of business, labor, and public policy will host Infrastructure Week from May 11-15, 2015. Now in its 3rd year, Infrastructure Week will bring together thousands of stakeholders in Washington and around the country to highlight the critical importance of investing in and modernizing America’s infrastructure systems, and the essential role infrastructure plays in our economy.

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator John Hoeven, R-N.D., today introduced legislation that would bring billions of dollars of investment to state and local government to help grow and repair America’s aging infrastructure. The bill, the “Move America Act of 2015,” would expand tax-exempt private activity bonds and create a new infrastructure tax credit, giving states significant flexibility to pursue infrastructure projects that are badly needed across the country

Wildfires can occur anywhere in the country with the potential to destroy homes, businesses, infrastructure, natural resources, and agriculture. Last year, the United States experienced over 63,000 wildfires that burned more than three million acres. National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is Saturday, May 2, and people across the nation will dedicate time to making their communities a safer place should a wildfire occur

After months of public comment and exhaustive review, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today joined top federal officials to unveil plans that accelerate restoration of the Delta's ecosystem and fix the state's aging water infrastructure

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, (D-Wash.) ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, heard testimony from Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz on the agency’s release of the first installment of the Quadrennial Energy Review.

With America facing a growing infrastructure funding gap, the reality is that government alone can’t fully fund all of the roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure that our economy needs – let along upgrade our infrastructure systems to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Border security is a core mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Department has deployed historic levels of front-line personnel, technology, and infrastructure to the border to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit contraband while, at the same time, fostering legal trade and travel.

Today is Earth Day, April 22, and AGC is celebrating all week long by releasing an article a day exploring how the construction industry contributes to building a green future.  You can help us get the word out by linking to these articles via social media during “Earth Week.”  Today’s article (the third in AGC’s five-day series) explores developments in green infrastructure