Engineering Inc. - January/February 2007 - 9

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/mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 10 “We will
need to work hard for increased investment in airport improvement
projects, along with improved project delivery regulations.” — JERRY
STUMP, ACEC AVIATIOn SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAn Rep. Wally Herger R-Calif. Sen.
Larry Craig R-Idaho Corps of Engineers to undertake flood control,
navigation and environmental restoration projects around the country. One
sticking point will continue to be the so-called “Corps reform”
provisions that have been championed by Senators John McCain R-Ariz. and
Russell Feingold D-Wis. . They are seeking to amend WRDA to require
projects costing more than $40 million to undergo a review by “an
independent panel of experts.” While ACEC and many of its industry
partners have supported independent peer review of major projects, the
industry is concerned that the approach envisioned by McCain and Feingold
would result in needless delays of critical projects. Passage of WRDA
continues to be a top priority for ACEC, and the Council will press
Congress to act quickly this year so that this legislation can be
completed early in this congressional session. last minute” as an
“offset” to lessen the budget impact of the tax provisions in the
larger bill. It also addressed concerns by some in Congress over possible
tax evasion by government contractors. The Council supported legislation
introduced last year by Senator Larry Craig R-Idaho and Rep. Wally Herger
RCalif. —the Withholding Tax Relief Act of 2006—to correct the
problem. It is expected that Craig and Herger will reintroduce their
legislation this year. “Congress has mandated, in effect, that
businesses float the federal government a three percent interest-free
loan,” says Joan Freitag of Hanson Professional Services, Inc., who
chairs ACEC’s Procurement Advocacy Subcommittee. In a letter to Senator
Craig, ACEC President Dave Raymond indicated that the withholding would
unfairly “impinge on company cash flow needed for day-to-day
operations.” Effort to Pass WRDA Continues in 2007 Congress came close
in December to passing final legislation to reauthorize the Water
Resources Development Act WRDA , but came up short Rep. James Oberstar
amid continued disputes between D-Minn. the House and Senate over project
requests and the need for additional oversight of Corps projects. The new
chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep.
James Oberstar D-Minn. , has indicated that passing WRDA will be one of
his panel’s top priorities in 2007. House and Senate negotiators made
significant progress on major differences in their respective bills prior
to adjournment, an indication that the legislation could proceed quickly
this year. ACEC will continue to push for quick passage of this critical
piece of legislation. Versions of WRDA that moved through the House and
Senate last year authorized more than $10 billion for the U.S. Army
Aviation Reauthorization is a Priority in 2007 Congress is scheduled in
2007 to reauthorize Vision 100 legislation, which provides funding for
airport construction projects. The program expires in September, and ACEC
and other industry organizations will be working with Congress and the
administration to secure funding increases for airport projects around the
country. Adopted in 2003, Vision 100 authorized $14 billion over four years
for airport improvements, and streamlined the process for approving airport
capacity enhancement projects. Vision 100 experienced months of delays in
the legislative process and was signed nearly three months after the
previous bill—AIR-21—had expired. ACEC will urge Congress to take up
consideration of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill
early in the session to ensure timely passage. The reauthorization of
Vision 100 will provide Congress an opportunity to use a new mechanism to
fund critically important enhancements to the aviation system, including
airport improvements and air traffic modernization. ACEC is urging
Congress to identify and consider new federal revenue mechanisms that will
provide stable funding for aviation improvements. To maximize return on
their investment and enhance project delivery, Congress also must examine
reforms that will improve the environmental review process for capacity
enhancement programs and airport improvement projects. “Before long, we
will reach a crisis in available airport and runway capacity unless
something is done,” says ACEC’s Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry
Stump of Wilbur Smith Associates. “We will need to work hard for
increased investment in airport improvement projects, along with improved
project delivery regulations.” FO R MORE NEWS For weekly legislative
news, visit ACEC’s Last Word online at www.acec.org. JAnuARY / FEBRuARY
2007 EnGInEERInG InC. Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid
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Engineering Inc. - January/February 2007

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