It is shaping up to be an eventful political summer in Washington, D.C. Ordinarily, with the fall elections approaching, Congress books itself a long August “work period” to return home and get an early start on campaigning. Not this year. The GOP leadership has instead decided to keep the Senate in session to confirm federal judicial appointments, which could include filling the vacancy on the Supreme Court created by Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement.
The International Code Council (ICC) will soon vote on proposed code changes that would allow tall wood buildings to be built up to 18 stories, despite taking into consideration the lack of rigorous scientific testing or in-the-field fire and structural testing!
The American Concrete Pumping Association took another step closer to a legislative victory for concrete pumpers. On April 17, Senators Richard Crapo, R-ID, and Sherrod Brown, D-OH, introduced S.2683, the Concrete Pump Tax Fairness Act, the companion bill to H.R.3292 introduced by Representatives Jason Smith, R-MO, and Earl Blumenauer. D-OR, last year. With bi-partisan bills in both chambers, ACPA has tackled a major hurdle.
The American Concrete Pumping Association took another step closer to a legislative victory for concrete pumpers. On April 17, Senators Richard Crapo, R-ID, and Sherrod Brown, D-OH, introduced S.2683, the Concrete Pump Tax Fairness Act, the companion bill to H.R.3292 introduced by Representatives Jason Smith, R-MO, and Earl Blumenauer. D-OR, last year. With bi-partisan bills in both chambers, ACPA has tackled a major hurdle.
As the voice of the concrete pumping industry, one of the ACPA’s missions is to advocate the industry’s concerns in Washington. Through our Washington advocates at Bose Public Affairs, we’re continually urging Congress to consider the critical issues affecting your business and the concrete pumping industry.
Introduced to the House of Representatives in March 2017, the Timber Innovation Act (H.R. 1380) will undermine the safety and soundness of our buildings, expose our firefighters and first responders to undue dangers, and openly choose winners and losers in building materials. H.R. 1380 would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to create a Tall Wood Building Competition administered by the Secretary of Agriculture for the construction of tall wood buildings 85 feet and above. We oppose this legislation because it compromises the safety and soundness of tall buildings.
After a year of fits and starts, Congress finally seems to have begun moving the legislative ball forward. As I write this, the tax reform package is headed to the president’s desk. This bill, which represents the first true legislative achievement of the Trump era, is likely to contribute to a significant increase in U.S. economic growth during 2018, and contains many construction industry policy priorities advocated by ACPA as part of the North American Concrete Alliance, including expanded equipment expensing and the continuation of private activity bonds to support major capital projects.
The Atlantic hurricane season is back with a deadly vengeance. After 11 years of relative calm, two back-to-back Category 4 storms have inflicted significant damage on two of America’s largest metropolitan areas.
While Florida and the Houston area are continuing to recover, there is a lot to be thankful for. While the numbers have not yet been finalized as of this writing, the combined U.S. death toll for Harvey and Irma are likely to remain well below the 1,833 deaths caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Yes, the nature of the storms themselves is different and direct comparisons are risky, but there is no doubt that better planning this time around saved lives.
According to conventional political wisdom in Washington, major legislation has to be passed by Congress and signed by the President in an odd-numbered year, before the campaign-driven politics of even-numbered years shuts down the congressional sausage grinder. The most recent notable exception—the Affordable Care Act, which was signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010—essentially proves the rule. Democrats lost their majorities in the U.S. House and Senate the following November, and the public backlash over Obamacare played a significant role in the electoral debacle.
