On May 23rd, the White House released the president’s proposed budget for the 2018 fiscal year (FY18). Titled “A New Foundation for American Greatness,” Congress is likely to dismiss most or all of the president’s budget -- as they traditionally do with most White House wish lists, but the budget provides insight into White House policy and program priorities. 

On May 15, ABC submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on costly and burdensome EPA regulations and policies. In the comment letter, ABC expressed concern that major federal projects have been unnecessarily delayed or abandoned, resulting in jobs being deferred or never created because of a dysfunctional permitting system. ABC supports a streamlined process for developers to obtain environmental permits and approvals for their projects in a timely and efficient manner, which would help foster job creation and economic growth. 

Throughout Safety Week 2017, May 1-5, ABC, its members and other industry organizations came together to highlight the importance of safety on construction jobsites.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), on May 4, however the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains the law of the land until the AHCA is passed by the U.S. Senate and signed into law by President Trump. The Senate has not taken any action on passing the current version of the bill and Senate leadership has indicated the bill will face changes before coming to the floor for a vote. 

ABC’s peer groups offer like-minded business owners an environment conducive to sharing ideas and discussing business opportunities and challenges–all with the goal of improving their businesses. Peer groups consist of six to 10 ABC member companies within a trade or interest area and with similar annual revenues. Members of the same peer group do not operate in the same competitive market, which fosters trust and an open exchange of information.

ABC recently hosted a golf tournament to benefit Folds of Honor, a charitable organization that provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service-members. The event, held the week of May 8, just outside Washington, D.C., brought in more than $200,000 from ABC and nearly 20 member companies.

President Trump recently signed the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017, or HIRE Vets Act, which directs the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to establish the HIRE Vets Medallion Program. The goal of the program is to reward employers who hire veterans and who support the veteran community.

The U.S. House of Representatives took steps to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act by passing H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on May 4. H.R. 1628 repeals several of the most harmful and burdensome provisions of the ACA, including the employer mandate penalty, costly tax increases and limitations on contributions to and restrictions on the use of flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. ABC sent a letter in support of H.R. 1628 to the U.S. House of Representatives, which passed the House by a vote of 217-213. The bill now awaits action in the U.S. Senate.

Thornton Construction Co. Inc. of Miami, a member of ABC’s Florida East Coast Chapter, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC.The AQC program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, employee benefits, training and community relations.  A company that meets these criteria and has earned Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) Gold, Platinum or Diamond status can apply to be an Accredited Quality Contractor. 

Construction Executive is seeking input from ABC member construction firms that have built a company app geared toward internal staff or external customers. If your company has been through (or is in the midst of) the app development process, email Senior Editor Joanna Masterson, or drop CE a comment on Facebook or Twitter. CE will follow up with interview questions on why the company wanted/needed an app, how the development process worked, challenges encountered, how employees/customers have responded, etc. The article will appear in CE's September issue.