Author: agcnews

On March 4, President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, touting his administration’s accomplishments in the first few weeks and outlining his priorities for the next four years. Here are a few highlights that could impact construction: Tariffs. President Trump doubled down on his support for tariffs, saying “it’s a beautiful word, isn’t it?” He went on to say, “Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries.” However, since the speech, Trump delayed tariffs for most goods entering the United States from Mexico for one…

Earlier this year, Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) reintroduced legislation to support nationwide infrastructure investments and promote fairness among drivers by ensuring that electric vehicles pay into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to support the construction and maintenance of American roads and bridges. The Fair Sharing of Highways and Roads for Electric Vehicles (Fair SHARE) Act would impose a one-time fee at the point of manufacturer sale for EV batteries, accounting for an estimated ten years of vehicle use. As Congress works through the budget reconciliation process to extend expiring tax cuts, lawmakers are exploring ways to ensure EVs contribute to…

On Wednesday, March 5, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced new guidance for the Broadband Equity and Access Deployment (BEAD) program, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s (IIJA’s) broadband internet expansion program. The IIJA provided over $42 billion toward the BEAD but unfortunately, broadband projects under BEAD have been slow to receive federal approval and no construction has started on any BEAD projects. Under the guidance, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which has oversight of the BEAD Program, is directed to take a technology-neutral approach to the BEAD program, meaning that states will be able to award funds…

In a major win for AGC and the construction industry, the Trump administration announced that it will suspend all enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) against U.S. citizens and domestic reporting companies. The Treasury Department’s March 2 notice states that it “will not enforce any penalties or fines related to the beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting rule under current regulatory deadlines.” The Treasury Department will be further “issuing a proposed rulemaking that will narrow the scope of the rule to foreign reporting companies only.” To this end, the announcement states the Treasury Department “will not enforce any penalties or…

Construction spending decreased 0.2 percent from December to January with mixed results across residential, nonresidential, and public segments, according to an analysis of a new government report that the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials cautioned that spending on new construction projects could be negatively impacted by proposed new tariffs on a range of goods from Canada, Mexico and China that are likely to make projects more costly. “Construction spending growth has been slowing under pressure from high interest costs and now the prospect of new waves of tariffs,” said, Ken Simonson, chief economist of the Associated…

The first few weeks of the Trump administration have brought rapid changes — revoking executive orders, shifting regulatory priorities, and adjusting federal spending. What does this mean for construction? AGC’s legal and regulatory experts will break down the impact of new tax and trade policies, funding shifts, changes to immigration policy, and workforce regulations. We will then move to a townhall style discussion to allow contractors to ask questions and engage with each other. Please join us on March 19th at 2 p.m. EST for a webinar entitled Executive Orders, Funding Freezes, and Regulatory Reform: What’s Next for Construction? This…

On February 26, Gary Johnson, Vice President of Granite Construction Inc. testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works at a hearing entitled Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation and Case Studies. In his testimony he highlighted that the funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was sorely needed and long-awaited, but delivering the surface transportation network our nation deserves is not just a five-year endeavor. Testifying on behalf of the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), which AGC of America co-chairs, Johnson highlighted three areas for potential policy improvements in the next multi-year surface transportation reauthorization…

President Trump has issued an Executive Order to begin investigations into national security concerns regarding copper imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The results of the investigation are due in November 2025 and will potentially lead to tariffs being placed on all copper imports coming into the United States. This process follows a similar pathway that President Trump took during his first term for steel and aluminum imports. With additional news on tariffs continuously developing, AGC has developed a Tariff Resource Center for contractors to track all developments and navigate tariff challenges. This center includes…

This week the Trump administration released more details on the steel and aluminum tariffs by publishing a list of steel and aluminum derivative products that will be affected by the tariffs. Specifically, they released the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) and corresponding HTS item for each material. You can match the HTS item to the material at https://hts.usitc.gov/. You may recall, AGC previously reported on President Trump’s 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to “close existing loopholes and exemptions.” Be sure to sign up for AGC’s Webinar: The Art of Dealing with Tariffs taking place on February 27 from 3:00-4:00 pm. This webinar will…

At a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing on February 19, AGC’s General Counsel Leah Pilconis highlighted the urgent need for reforms to prevent lawsuits from stalling critical infrastructure projects. AGC underscored how prolonged litigation—sometimes filed years after projects have received final approvals—creates uncertainty, disrupts workforce planning, and drives up construction costs. To address this, AGC urged Congress to standardize the 150-day limited judicial review period (deadline for filing claims) for all critical infrastructure projects and eliminate unnecessary procedural hurdles that create prolonged uncertainty. While Congress has protected some infrastructure projects with a 150-day limit on legal challenges (federally funded…