Lame-Duck Look Ahead: Energy Permitting Reform Bill
October 13, 2022
In early August, it was announced that Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (D-WV) had reached a deal with Congressional leaders to take up energy infrastructure permitting reform legislation. This deal was made in exchange for his support of the climate change and clean energy reconciliation package known as the Inflation Reduction......
Senate Appropriations Committee Releases FY 2023 Spending Bills
August 03, 2022
Late last week, amid a flurry of pre-recess activity, the Senate Committee on Appropriations released all 12 of their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 spending bills. The nearly $1.7 trillion appropriations package includes $653 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, marking a 10.1% increase over FY 2022 levels, and $850 billion in defense discretionary spending, an 8.7%......
Congress Approves Chips Plus Science Bill
July 28, 2022
Among the flurry of pre-August break activity, Congress approved The CHIPS and Science Act. Led by the Senate, which crafted and passed the bipartisan legislation, the bill injects tens of billions of dollars into the domestic production of semiconductor chips, as well as increases authorizations for a number of science and research programs, which ASCE......
July 21, 2022
On Tuesday, July 19, the New York section of ASCE unveiled its 2022 Report Card for New York’s Infrastructure. The report assigned a cumulative grade of ‘C’ from separate chapters addressing 11 categories, meaning New York’s infrastructure is in mediocre condition. Civil engineers graded aviation (C+), bridges (C-), dams (C), drinking water (C-), ports (C+),......
GAO Reports Highlights Opportunities For The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
May 11, 2022
Late last week, the General Accountability Office (GA0) issued a new report on the status of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). The report includes a number of recommendations focusing on the need for NEHRP to conduct a national assessment to identify progress and remaining gaps in earthquake resilience; develop strategies to better communicate......
May 09, 2022
Guest Blog by EyeVi Technologies The United States infrastructure report card is nothing to write home about. According to the 2021 ASCE Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, the overall score for America’s infrastructure is a C-. This more than imperfect grade is reflected well in the satisfaction rate of amongst everyday Americans with their infrastructure.......
Illinois Earns C- on Its 2022 Infrastructure Report Card While Making Strides on Roads and Transit
April 29, 2022
On Thursday, April 28, the Illinois Section of ASCE unveiled its 2022 Report Card for Illinois’ Infrastructure, the state’s first report card since 2018. The report assigned the state’s systems a cumulative grade of “C-”, which is on par with the national grade of “C-.” A “C-” grade means the state’s infrastructure is in mediocre......
Minnesota Civil Engineers Give the State’s Infrastructure a “C” Grade for the Second Time
April 28, 2022
On Tuesday, April 26, the Minnesota Section of ASCE unveiled its 2022 Report Card for Minnesota’s Infrastructure, the state’s first report card since 2018. The report assigned the state’s systems a cumulative grade of “C”, which is better than the national grade of “C-.” A “C” grade means the state’s infrastructure is in mediocre condition.......
Alabama’s Infrastructure Receives a “C-” Grade for the Second Time
March 31, 2022
On Thursday, March 31, the Alabama Section of ASCE unveiled its 2022 Report Card for Alabama’s Infrastructure, the state’s first report card since 2015. The report assigned the state’s systems a cumulative grade of “C-”, which is on par with the national grade of “C-“ and the same grade the state received in its 2015......
Administration Releases Preliminary Database of Disadvantaged Communities
March 24, 2022
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes significant funding for infrastructure in disadvantaged communities, baring the question, what exactly qualifies as a disadvantaged community? In the past, it depended on who you asked, with different definitions among the federal agencies. Last week, the Biden Administration took a first step toward standardizing the classification when the......