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NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

WASHINGTON OBSERVER ha,s not acted yet, to match the Senate panel. “1 think it’s Appropriations, Energy, going to be tough since the House has a much lower alloca­ tion overall for the transportation program,” .says Cathy Con­ insurance on Hiii Agenda nor, settlor vice president of government affairs for Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc., New York City. ■President Bush is warming up to fight with Congress over In the energy conference, construction is nervous about a ■I* spending as lawmakers race to wrap up 2003 appropria- Senate provision to nearly triple the use of ethanol fuel. The ■ tions bills by Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year. The indus­ federal tax on ethanol is 5.SC a gallon less than gasoline.“We try is worried some construction funding may be swept up in know that’s going to cost the Highway Trust Fund at least a the White House-Capitol Hill tussle. billion dollars, maybe two, over the Appropriations top construction’s BOi course of its phase-in,” says Jeffrey Shoaf, Haw passed five of 1.5 bills as the Associated General Contractors’ agenda as Congress i etiu ns from its Appropriations of August break; Senate passed August break. Also on the list are terror­ thm. Bush takes harder Him on senior executive director for congression­ ism insurance and energy bills—both in spending. al relations. The Senate partly ofisets that House-Senate conferences—and mea­ Energy In House-Senate conference. by shifting 2.5^ a gal in ethanol taxes sures to establish a Homeland Security Expansion at ettiano! M My. Key from the general fund to the trust fund. Dept, and to set procedures for probes of issue; Arctic refuge drilling. Also in conference is a bill providing a building failures. Lawmakers want to fin­ Terrorism Conference ready to start. House, federal backup for insurers in ettse of big ish at least the spending bills by mid­ Insurance Senate bills provide different types terrorism-related claims. Bush is pushing of federal “backstop” lor for a bill, saying the lack of coverage ha.s October, so they can campaign for extraordinary daigis. November’s election. That won’t be easy. hung up J8 billion in construction. Homeland Hom passed, Senate floor action The House approved a bill to have the The House has finished just five of the Security Dent. starts early Sept. Final version will

I 13 measures and the Senate three. be dose to Bush pin. Big hurdle: National Institute of Standards and Tech­ “Something has got to give,” says David Senate Democrats oppose civil nology lead building failure investiga­ Bauer, vice president, of government rela­ service ckanges. tions and give probers authority to get tions for the American Road & Trans­ BulidtagaccMcnl Hoose passe.-! bin potting HIST in needed information. The Senate has not portation Builders Association. “Either iwolw dial* of investig-alions. movtid. ‘They could Just take up the they get them done...or break, come Administration supports ft. Senate House-passed bill,” says Casey Dinges, yet to act. back and do a lame duck. ” Signaling his senior managing director for the Ameri­ SoureK Congressional Record. EM! anti-spending stance, on Aug. 13, Bush can Society of Civil Engineers, cut $5.1 billion in discretionary aid, some for consti uction, The House also approved a Homeland Security Dept, bill from a $28.9-billion bill he signed, “I think that greatly con­ that follows Bush’s blueprint. A Senate committee cleared its

■ tributes to the uncertainty on how this plays out,” .says Bauer The industry cheered when the Senate Appropriations Committee restored $8,6 billion in highway aid Bush pro­ version July 25. But potential .snags include Bush’s desire for civil .service “flexibility” and the .Senate panel’s application of the Davis-Bacon Act to the new department’s construction. —By Tom lehniowski, with Sherie Winston I posed to cut. Construction will push for the House, which

■ Unions Labor Dept, may “We continue to be deeply con­ ■ Safety OSHA creates cerned over the slowdown in the pace office to aid small business revise financial reports of cleanup and the inability of [EPA] to The Labor Dept, may accelerate its make progress at site.s that are ready for The Occupational .Safety and Health effort to revise the annual financial dis­ furtlier action,” Environment and Pub­ Administration i.s seeking to help .small closure documents-LM-2s-that unions lic Works Committee Chairman James businesses wade through the regulatory must file with the government. The rea­ M. Jeffords (I-Vt.) and Barbara Boxer process. OSHA’s creation of an Office sons include public outcry over finan­ (D-Calif), Superfund subcommittee of Small Business is part of a broad cial practices at big corporations and chair, said in an Aug. 26 letter to EP.A restructuring, launched Aug. 27 at the charges that accountants helped a con­ Inspector General Nikki Tinsley. agency. “This reorganization realigns struction union hide certain expenses On June 24, Tinsley reported to our resources and functions around (ENR9/2 p. 18). Department officials senior members of the House Energy’ proven .strategies that will produce the contend that the forms, mandated in and Commerce Committee that efforts best results in reducing workplace 1959, have not been updated and use to clean up 33 Superfund sites in 18 injuries and illnesses,” says OSHA chief broad categories where overspending states would be delayed or terminated John L. Henshaw. could be easily hidden. Many are filed this year because of a lack of money. The .small busine.ss unit is under a late. Unions want a bigger role in a Jeffords and Boxer told EPA to new Directorate of Cooperative and rewrite than they have had before. update tliat report by Oct. It), and State Programs, which will coordinate account for all funds and projects compliance assistance. It’s the first time ■ Superfund Senators seek through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal OSHA has an organization for this work. year. “We are also concerned that OSHA also set up a unit to develop program financing data cleanup delays may create new tlireats all safety and health standards. Hen­ Two top Senate lawmakers are keeping to public health and drive up the cost shaw says the move will streamline rule­ a close eye on what they see as the Envi­ of cleanup,” they said. making. OSHA’s restructuring doesn’t ronmental Protection Agency’s slow EPA officials say the agency plans to affect its Directorate of Construction. pace in cleaning up Superfund sites relea.se an additional $100 million for across the nation. cleanups at the end of September. —Compiled by Sherie Winston

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