Posts by Jenny Harris

This Week in Congress The Senate voted on legislation to repeal the authorizations for use of military force against Iraq, along with nomination votes.  As highlighted last week, the Senate’s voting agenda is stalled by the continued absence of Sen. Fetterman (D-PA), who continues his inpatient treatment for depression, along with Sen. Feinstein (D-CA), who…

ASA Supports Sen. Thune (R-SD)’s Death Tax Repeal Act ASA supports the reintroduction of Sen. Thune (R-SD)’s the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2023, which would permanently repeal the federal estate tax.  In 2022, the Tax Foundation found that the U.S. could create over 150,000 jobs by repealing the estate tax. A 2012 study by…

ASA’s Michael Oscar Named Chair of Small Business Legislative Council March 22, 2023 Michael Oscar, Government Regulations Director at the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), has been elected as Chair of the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC). The SBLC is an independent, permanent coalition of trade and professional associations who share a common concern for the…

The Construction Industry Needs Workers Per the November 22, 2022, Construction Drive, “the construction industry needs workers, and the current supply is not measuring up to demand. Older workers in the skilled trades are retiring and not enough young people are training to take their jobs as construction workers, plumbers, and electricians. “ That gap…

Health Spending Slows The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) stated that it overestimated projections for federal health care spending between 2010 and 2020 and costs will likely remain lower than expected for at least another decade. The agency said the government spent less money per beneficiary than CBO had foreseen, amounting to $1.1 trillion. Slower growth…

Balanced Budget? House Republicans appear to be lowering expectations that they can adopt a balanced-budget blueprint this year, while still keeping their commitment to cap next year’s spending at the FY22 levels. House Budget Chairman Arrington said the goal to balance the budget has not gone by the wayside, but it’s not the most important…

President Biden Vetoes Anti-ESG Bill President Biden issued the first veto of his presidency, rejecting legislation that would thwart a rule allowing retirement portfolio managers to weigh climate and other environmental, social and governance issues in their investments. The Department of Labor rule was created to undo a Trump-era requirement mandating that workplace retirement-plans focus…

Thank You for Joining Us at SUBExcel! Last week, ASA welcomed 230 delegates to Fort Worth, Texas for the annual SUBExcel conference. The Hilton Fort Worth was the perfect venue for our colleagues to network, share information, and celebrate subcontractors! Highlights of the week include: Welcome Reception hosted by President Rusty Plowman and the Texas…

This Week in Congress This week, the Senate held nomination votes and the chamber was minus three members with Sen. McConnell (R-KY) recovering from a concussion, Sen. Fetterman (D-PA) receiving inpatient treatment for depression, and Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) recovering at home from shingles.  The House was not in session this week. Per Axios Markets, “The…

FDIC Protections On Monday, federal banking regulators said they would protect all Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) depositors, including those above the $250,000 deposit insurance limit provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. “Depositors will have access to all of their money starting this morning.  The FDIC, Federal Reserve and Treasury Department said, “No losses associated…