June 05, 2013
Members of the Transportation Construction Coalition hit Capitol Hill this morning as a part of the organization’s annual Fly In. With over 500 construction, engineering, and equipment experts coming into Washington DC, the plan it to make Members of Congress understand the dire impact on their states, districts and the National economy if Congress fails......
National Dam Safety Awareness Day
May 31, 2013
Today marks the 124th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood, the the result of the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam, which was situated 14 miles upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The dam failed after a period of heavy rainfall, however it was not properly maintained for years and in fact modified in ways that......
Delaney Introduces Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
May 22, 2013
Congressman John Delaney today introduced the bipartisan Partnership to Build America Act. The legislation would finance the rebuilding of our country’s transportation, energy, communications, water, and education infrastructure through the creation of the American Infrastructure Fund (AIF) by using repatriated corporate earnings as well as through utilizing public-private partnerships. The AIF would provide loans or......
May 15, 2013
ASCE applauds the Senate today for passing the Water Resources Development Act (S. 601). The 83 – 14 vote on final passage caps off a huge bipartisan effort from Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA). The final $12 billion package includes several of ASCE top priorities for......
Draft Bill Would Change Long Established Peer Review For NSF Research
May 13, 2013
Draft legislation is being circulated by new House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) which would require all research funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to be certified to “advance the national health, prosperity, or welfare” and “secure the national defense” of the United States. The NSF must certify that each funded project is......
WRDA on Senate Floor…Call Your Senator Today!
May 08, 2013
The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) has reached center stage in the Senate this week, with votes beginning on amendments at 2pm today. The legislation provides much needed improvements to locks, dams, levees, and other waterway elements across the country through the authorization of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs. The first hurdle for the......
Senate to Take Up Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)
May 06, 2013
The Senate is expected to take up the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) when Senators return to Washington today. At this time, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has said that he will hold a cloture vote on the legislation Monday evening. Cloture requires 60 votes and limits debate in order to block an attempt at......
Obama’s FY 2014 Priorities STEM Education Programs
April 19, 2013
The President’s FY 2014 budget request places new emphasis on STEM (Science-Technology- Education-Mathematics) education. The total STEM education funding request, across all federals agencies, amounts to $3.1 billion; this represents an increase of 6.7 percent over 2012 funding levels. While the proposed increase is noteworthy, the President’s proposal includes an ambitious reorganization of federal STEM......
Alabama Needs a State Dam Safety Program
April 17, 2013
Op-ed by Shelia Montgomery-Mills, President of the Birmingham Branch of the America Society of Civil Engineers. Originally published in the Birmingham News, April 13, 2013. Alabama continues to be the only state in the country without a state dam safety program. We do not know precisely how many dams we actually have, much less their......
The Panama Canal Expansion and Commerce
April 10, 2013
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing this afternoon on the expansion of the Panama Canal and the effects that the expansion will have on freight movement in the United States. The issue is one that ASCE has been discussing in depth over the past few months, because the economic impacts could......