Archive for May 2022

COMPETES Act As negotiations continue on the COMPETES Act (anticompetition with China legislation), House Democrats and outside groups are pushing for immigration provisions that would attract high-skilled workers and boost critical sectors of the economy. The House-passed bill contains a provision that would allow more immigrants who have a doctorate degree in science, technology, engineering,…

May 17th Primary Day in KY, NC, OR, ID, and PA Tuesday, May 17th marked the busiest primary day this year with primaries in Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.  In North Carolina and Pennsylvania primaries were held for their U.S. Senate seats and House incumbents faced re-election challenges from within their party including…

This Week in Congress Congress returned this week starting a three-week legislative stretch with the House debating a $33 billion aid funding package for Ukraine, legislation to bolster U.S. competitiveness, along with legislation allowing the right of House staffers to unionize.  Additionally, the House voted on legislation that would expand federal benefits for firefighters, allow…

DOL to Abandon or Postpone Their Anticipated Overtime Regulations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act The Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity (PPWO) is urging the Department of Labor (DOL)’s Wage and Hour Division to abandon or at least postpone issuance of its announced proposed rulemaking altering the overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act…

Design Build Industry Disagrees with Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations The design build industry strongly disagrees with the Wage and Hour Division’s interpretation of the Davis-Bacon Act and proposal to revise regulations to classify members of survey crews as “laborers and mechanics” subject to the Act.  The proposed rules seek to unilaterally expanded…

Immigration – The Perennial Legislative White Whale? As reported in Tuesday, May 10th’s Hill Newspaper, which mirrors what Mike Oscar is hearing in meetings with congressional staff on immigration reform, “it’s all about the border.”  As Sen. Cornyn (R-TX) stated in a recent immigration meeting with a small group of senators, “I … said we…

$33 Billion Ukraine Aid Package Negotiations House and Senate negotiators are continuing to work on the Administration’s proposal to provide an additional $33 billion for military, economic, and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and NATO allies. The bill could also include pandemic relief funds, as the White House warns it is running out of money for…

This Week in Congress The House is not in session, and the Senate voted on legislation to aid the U.S. semiconductor industry and boost competitiveness with China, the final step before the bipartisan bill heads into formal House-Senate conference negotiations, along with holding nomination votes. House and Senate negotiators will continue to discuss next steps…

Upcoming Webinar: How Better Contracts Lead to Better Results and How ConsensusDocs Can Help Join us on May 10th, 2022 for the upcoming webinar, “How Better Contracts Lead to Better Results and How ConsensusDocs Can Help”, presented by Brian Perlberg, Esq. Did you know that owners of construction projects pay a premium of 20% according…

ASA Addresses the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP)’s 2022 Annual Meeting “Better Together” Courtney Little (ASA Past President), along with representatives from Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), and the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), addressed the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP)’s 2022 Annual Meeting…