With COVID-19 taking its toll on construction, AGC has urged businesses to request congress take immediate action to:
- Enact policies and programs that ensure all construction employers’ cash flows so they can pay workers and maintain their essential operations.
- Ensure public construction markets have immediate-term access to additional federal funds to build critical infrastructure.
- Lay the foundation for the long-term recovery of the industry and its markets through enacting multi-year public infrastructure investments.
- Providing additional funding for the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) loan programs for construction small businesses.
- Creating and funding a similar program for construction businesses that do not qualify under SBA loan programs.
- Provide time and money to contractors for losses incurred when public owners delay or terminate projects.
- Suspend the filing of business returns and the payment of all business taxes to the federal government for the duration of the pandemic.
Additionally, AGC and building trades unions agree that Congress must make substantial investments in federal construction accounts and programs to ensure infrastructure is maintained during the crisis. Accounts and programs include:
- Highway Trust Fund
- Clean Water State Revolving Fund
- Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
- Airport Improvement Program
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Lastly, Congress must also help lay the foundation for the long-term recovery of the industry and its markets by enacting:
- A multi-year reauthorization of federal highway and transit programs and a multi-year reauthorization of the state clean water and drinking water state revolving funds programs.
- Long-term investments in USACE Military Construction and Civil Works and Programs.
- Long-term investments in social infrastructure.
