Engineering Inc. - January/February 2008 - 8

LEGISLaTIVE aCTION FROM aCEC’S GOVERNMENT aFFaIRS DEPaRTMENT Congress overrides President’s WrdA veto; House CleArs ACeC-BACked Bridge legislAtion Congress overrides President’s WrdA veto House Committee Clears ACeC-Backed The U.S. House and Senate were successful in an ACEC-backed Bridge legislation effort to override President Bush’s veto of the Water Resources The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Development Act (WRDA). The House vote was 361-54, approved legislation prior to adjourning for the holidays to and the Senate vote was 79-14—far in excess of improve the nation’s bridge inspecthe needed two-thirds majority and including tion program. large numbers of Republicans who broke with H.R. 3999, the National Highway the president. Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection ACEC and its industry allies orchestrated a Act of 2007, authorizes $1 billion each grassroots effort ahead of the votes. ACEC member for F.Y. 2008 and F.Y. 2009 to repair firms played a major part in making the override deficient bridges within the National happen through targeted letters, e-mails and phone Highway System. calls to congressional offices. The measure includes a key ACEC WRDA authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of recommendation requiring the secEngineers to proceed with more than 900 projretary of transportation to develop ects. Its $23 billion price tag—with $7 billion for a new risk-based process for idencoastal restoration in Louisiana, nearly $2 billion tifying bridges in greatest need of for the Florida Everglades and the remainder for repair and rehabilitation. Structurally water infrastructure and flood restoration projects HNTB Senior Vice President Ray McCabe at a deficient bridges, as well as bridges throughout the country—was more than the presi- House hearing stressing the importance of a with fracture critical members, will be better rating system for bridges and a cordent wanted. ACEC told Congress that the bill’s inspected annually at a minimum. responding methodology to allocate necessary cost reflected a sizable backlog resulting from a Ray McCabe, senior vice president seven-year delay in enacting a WRDA bill. Projects resources for repairs. and national director of bridges and authorized by the bill still need appropriations funding from tunnels at HNTB, who represented ACEC at a hearing of the Congress next year. House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit in late October, The bill also requires independent peer review of large Corps stressed the importance of a “risk-based” approach to bridge projects and mitigation measures to lessen environmental inspections and the need to allocate resources more efficiently. impacts. In September, Mark Bernhardt, director of facility inspection with ACEC member firm Burgess & Niple in Ohio, testified Congress Clears short-term AMt Fix before the House Committee on Science and Technology on The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed current inspection technologies. legislation prior to adjournment in December to protect middleH.R. 3999 also includes provisions to strengthen training standards income taxpayers from the alternative minimum tax (AMT). for bridge inspectors, including a mandate that bridge inspection proThe AMT, designed to prevent upper-income taxpayers from gram managers be licensed engineers. avoiding federal income tax, was never indexed for inflation and House floor action is expected in early 2008. Companion legislawould affect millions of middle-income taxpayers without contion still is under development in the Senate. gressional action. ISSuES ON ThE MOVE WhaT’S NExT The original House bill also would have extended a number Congress passes aMT fix Tax “extenders” to be of popular tax credits, including the research and development considered in early 2008 tax credit, which is used by some engineering firms. But disputes between the House and Senate delayed consideration of these tax bridge bill clears house Floor consideration in “extenders” until 2008. Committee early 2008 ACEC will remain closely engaged with the House and Senate Expansion of wetlands Possible house committee tax-writing committees to ensure that Congress does not adopt regulation action in early 2008 measures that will add to the tax burden of engineering firms. 8 ENGINEERING INC. JaNuaRy / FEbRuaRy 2008

Engineering Inc. - January/February 2008

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