ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½

AGC is again attacking agency efforts to use Project Labor Agreements on federal construction projects.  This week AGC sent two more letters questioning the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) potential use of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on upcoming construction projects. These letters are the latest of AGC’s continuing successful efforts to educate government agencies about PLA issues and implications:  

A memo released on Aug. 17 by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jacob Lew could lead to more cuts to federal construction accounts in the coming years.  The memo directed all federal agencies to plan a 2013 budget that is at least 5 percent below their current spending level, and to identify additional savings to bring their 2013 budget requests to at least 10 percent below FY 2011 appropriation levels.

A letter signed by more than 60 House Democrats was sent to President Obama, urging him to sign a draft Executive Order (EO) that would require companies bidding on government contracts to disclose political contributions made within the past two years by their officers and directors to federal candidates and parties.  The draft EO, which was leaked in April 2011, is seen by supporters as an effort to increase transparency in federal government contracting in an effort to halt pay-to-play contracting. 

Now that the House is preparing to finalize an FY 2012 spending plan for the General Services Administration that eliminates funding for design and construction services and allocates only $280 million for repairs and alterations, AGC has been working with numerous partners in the construction and real estate industries to call on Congress to ensure sound funding for these programs. 

A letter signed by more than 60 House Democrats was sent to President Obama today, urging him to sign a draft Executive Order (EO) that would require companies bidding on government contracts to disclose political contributions made within the past two years by their officers and directors to federal candidates and parties.  The draft EO, which was leaked in April 2011, is seen by supporters as an effort to increase transparency in federal government contracting in an effort to halt pay-to-play contracting. 

In addition to major cuts written about last week in funding for wastewater and drinking water construction, the emotional cry to cut spending continues to result in slashed federal construction programs .Significant cuts are in store for the construction programs of the General Services Administration, Military Construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

As of April 15, all information posted in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), excluding past performance reviews, became publicly available (insert attachment) on the FAPIIS website.  FAPIIS contains specific information on the integrity and performance of Federal agency contractors and grantees. FAPIIS provides users access to integrity and performance information from the FAPIIS reporting module in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), proceedings information from the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database, and suspension / disbarment information from the Excluded Parties List system (EPLS).

Congress has been working on numerous FY2012 funding bills. Some significant cuts are in store for GSA, the Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and the Bureau of Reclamation.

New Edition! Includes: Includes Errata Sheet 1 and Change Sheets 1 thru 6 (updated thru 18 July 2011). This manual (EM385-1-1) describes safety and health requirements for all Corps of Engineers activities and operations, including Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) construction contracts. Following this manual will help all contractors working on DoD projects meet all the necessary safety requirements to ensure success on all their current and future federal projects.

The newly released second edition of Federal Government Construction Contracts is AGC's primary guide for contractors competing for and performing such contracts. Given the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the adoption of new and challenging project delivery systems, and the numerous regulatory changes affecting contractors, their obligations and risks, a Second Edition was warranted.