“For stakeholder organizations that care about infrastructure, making sure that all of the [infrastructure law] programs are extended as part of the continuing resolution is ... critical,” says Steve Hall, executive vice president of government affairs for the American Council of Engineering Cos. 

With midterm elections coming up, observers say lawmakers are reluctant to see another government shutdown like the two that occurred in the past year, including one that was the longest in U.S. history. “There’s [been] a lot of pressure on the House to pass the [resolution],” says Josh Leonard, senior manager of legislative affairs for the Associated Builders and Contractors. “A lot of lawmakers want to go back to their districts to campaign in these tough races, and that will be the priority.”

Although a multiyear extension of the Surface Transportation authorization program has not yet been introduced in the Senate, trade groups are focused on seeing the continuing resolution enacted so critical funding programs don’t lapse. “We’re still holding out hope that maybe we can get a vote in the House on the Build Act. But I think for all of us now, the focus is really making sure Congress does the continuing resolution the right way,” Hall says.

With the Senate returning Sept. 14 and both chambers out of session after Oct. 2,  congressional leaders have a very small window to push a number of critical bills.  Top of line for most construction trade groups is enactment of the $580-billion Build America 250 Act, which would extend funding for transportation programs through fiscal 2031. The measure easily passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee May 22 with lawmakers from both parties supporting it. 

But comparable legislation has not yet been introduced in the Senate. “What we’ve been really watching is the Senate Public Works Committee, Commerce Committee, and Senate Planning Committee that would be the key players there,” says Alex Etchen, Associated General Contractors vice president of construction advocacy and risk management. Other priorities include passage of a new Water Resources Development Act and the National Defense Authorization Act, both of which most likely won’t be considered until the lame-duck session after midterms, observers say.

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