Engineering Inc. - July/August 2007 - 11

“ACEC is really doing a great job in building support for this (3% repeal) legislation.” —CONGRESSMAN KENDRICK MEEK (D-Fla.), PRIMARY SPONSOR OF H.R. 1023 REPEAL LEGISLATION Anti-Contractor Provisions Part of House Defense Bill ACEC and other business groups are working to remove anticontractor language included in the House-passed F.Y. 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. Included in the bill is language that would make it more difficult for the Department of Defense to conduct public-private competitions, as well as a new program to in-source work already being performed by contractors. The new language would require the Department of Defense to in-source any activity that has been poorly performed by a contractor, no matter when the activity was performed. Poor work may have been done 10 years ago, but performed well by several subsequent contractors. The work could still be in-housed, according to the new language. The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved its version of the defense authorization bill. Although the measure currently has language similar to that of the House bill, ACEC and its coalition allies are preparing for a fight on the Senate floor against anticontractor amendments, which is expected to take place in July. Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas Dies; Strong Supporter of ACEC ACEC and other business organizations are mourning the passing of Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) after a long fight with cancer. He was 74. The Wyoming lawmaker worked closely with ACEC on a number of legislative battles to defend private-sector contracting. “We lost a true friend,” said ACEC President Dave Raymond. “Craig Thomas was a tireless advocate on behalf of the innovation and creativity of the private sector. He will be sorely missed.” Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) ACEC urges More Funding, QBS as FAA reauthorization Process Begins Congress has begun the process of reauthorizing Vision 100, which expires in September. ACEC’s priorities are to boost funding for airport construction projects around the nation, as well as expand the use of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS). Adopted in 2003, Vision 100 authorized $14 billion for airport improvements over four years. The measure also included ACECbacked provisions to streamline the approval process for airport capacity-enhancement projects. Reauthorization legislation has been introduced in the Senate (S. 1300), which would authorize $15.8 billion through F.Y. 2011 for airport improvement projects. Included in the measure, which has been approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, is a new $25-per-flight surcharge on flights using controlled airspace. If the new surcharge becomes law, the money collected would be placed into a trust fund dedicated to modernizing the air traffic control system. Similar legislation has been approved at the committee level in the House. H.R. 2881 also authorizes $15.8 billion for airport projects under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), and increases the current $4.50 Passenger Facility Charge to $7, which will raise an additional $1.1 billion per year for airport projects nationwide. According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), the measure represents “the largest authorization in the history of the program.” House and Senate leaders hope to have their respective reauthorization bills to the floor by the end of July. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that air travel will grow to 1 billion trips per year by 2015. Funding has not kept pace with the expanded use of the airway system, leading organizations like ACEC, as well as Congress, to look for new ways to finance airport improvements. ACEC is working closely with airport advocacy organizations to ensure that Congress expands the AIP and allows local airport authorities to seek additional Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs) to support airport expansions. The Council also is working with the House and Senate and coalition partners to expand the application of QBS, particularly to PFC-funded projects. Van Antwerp Becomes New Corps Chief Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp took over in May as the 52nd chief of engineers and commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Van Antwerp’s previous assignments included chief of staff of the Corps of Engineers, head of the Corps’ Los Angeles District and command of the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. “This is a good choice, both for the Corps and for the engineering industry,” said Stephen Scott of Fuller, Mossbarger, Scott and May Engineers and chairman Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp of ACEC’s Federal Agencies and Procurement Advocacy Committee. “Lt. Gen. Van Antwerp brings a wealth of experience to the job, and is someone with whom we can work effectively on common issues, such as the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act.” n FOr MOrE NEWS For weekly legislative news, visit ACEC’s Last Word online at www.acec.org. JuLY / auGust 2007 EnGInEERInG InC. 11 AlEx BrAndon/AP

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Engineering Inc. - July/August 2007

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