Author: clara.kinney@agc.org
On July 29, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued new guidance warning all federal agencies and recipients of federal financial assistance that their programs, policies, or activities, including those labeled as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, must fully comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. The memo, “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination,” emphasizes that granting preferential treatment based on protected characteristics (including race, color, religion, sex, or national origin) is unlawful unless specifically authorized by statute or upheld under strict judicial scrutiny. It also provides both a non-exhaustive list of practices that may lead to a…
The delayed reciprocal tariffs that were initially introduced on April 2, 2025 have now taken effect, with reduced rates for most countries effective August 1, 2025. During the pause on the tariffs, the United States made various deals with countries and trading blocs that had separate rates and agreements in place, including: Furthermore, President Trump has imposed tariffs on multiple countries in addition to already existing ones. In addition, President Trump has imposed a 50% additional duty on most copper imports. What’s next? Expect tariff action to continue as the Commerce Department is currently investigating a wide variety of imported…
On August 2, the Senate confirmed Marc Molinaro as the 16th Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). You may recall, AGC supported his nomination and previously reported on his confirmation hearing. As a former U.S. Representative for New York’s 19th Congressional District, Molinaro brings a decades-long record of public service and infrastructure advocacy to the role. Molinaro has been serving as a senior advisor to Transportation Secretary Dean Duffy since his nomination was approved by the Senate Banking Committee in April. In announcing the confirmation, Secretary Duffy praised Molinaro’s leadership, experience, and commitment to “Making Transit Safe Again.” As…
On June 18, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released its proposal to reauthorize the Nationwide Permit (NWP) program under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The Corps issues NWPs to authorize certain categories of construction activities that involve discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, provided those activities result in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects. As a form of “general permits,” the NWP program is an important streamlining tool as individual permits can involve significant time and cost. The Corps reauthorizes the NWPs every 5 years, making…
On July 23, the AGC-backed Small Business Payment for Performance Act (H.R.4615) was introduced on a bipartisan basis in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill requires federal agencies to issue an immediate partial payment to small businesses when a contracting officer changes the contract without the contractor’s agreement, helping to immediately cover the additional costs to the contractor caused by the government’s unilateral action. This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Reps. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), and Donald Norcross (D-N.J.). AGC will continue advocating for greater accountability of the change order process among federal agencies.…
Earlier this month, President Trump signed a rescissions package into law, which cuts federal funding to programs that were previously approved by Congress. With federal spending cuts being a priority of the White House, it is widely believed that additional cuts are due this year. Congress Passes Rescissions Package and Readies for a Second: On July 24, President Trump signed the Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4) into law, rescinding $9.4 billion in unobligated funds that were provided to the United States Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds National Public…
In September of 2023, the Biden administration passed a rule requiring manufacturers and importers of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) to report certain information to the Environmental Protection Agency. In September of 2024 the EPA delayed the reporting period for the rule and then delayed it again in May of 2025. Concerned that contractors who purchase materials containing PFAS may be impacted, AGC reached out to EPA to confirm that members who purchase these materials are not considered an “importer of record” under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Here’s what you need to know: An importer is any person…
Government funding is set to expire on September 30, 2025, and Congress is undertaking the FY2026 appropriations process -needing to pass twelve separate appropriations bills by the end of September to avoid a government shutdown. White House Targets SRFs and Broadband: On May 2, 2025, The Trump administration released their budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026, known as the “skinny budget.” The White House budget proposal included $163 billion in cuts to non-defense discretionary programs, equating to a 23 percent cut of enacted levels from Fiscal Year 2025. Despite the White House proposal, Congress controls spending levels for FY2026, and…
On July 17th, AGC CEO Jeff Shoaf participated in a roundtable discussion with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy to discuss AGC’s priorities for surface transportation reauthorization. During the hour-long meeting, Secretary Duffy heard perspectives from various aspects of the transportation industry, including labor and state departments of transportation. You may recall, AGC has held similar meetings with congressional leaders and senior officials at DOT earlier this year. During the meeting, AGC highlighted challenges with Buy America requirements, specifically surrounding the lack of transparency with the waiver process and how it leads to project delays. In addition, Shoaf…
During the week of July 7th, AGC of America staff and members attended the US Water Alliance’s One Water Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The US Water Alliance is a national membership organization dedicated to advancing policies and programs dedicated to expanding water access. The One Water Summit is the Alliance’s regularly held convention that seeks to advance water policy nationwide and bring water stakeholders together. Summit attendees participate in the conference as Delegations that seek to highlight specific areas of need within the water sector. AGC members attended the Summit as a Delegation to highlight the importance of the EPA’s…