Rep. Wynn Reintroduces TRAC Bill As we anticipated in the Feb. 9 LAST WORD, Congressman Albert Wynn (D-MD) recently introduced H.R. 721, a bill closely mirroring the TRAC legislation that had been introduced in last year's 106th Congress but died (with ACEC's help). Though not yet available for public review, the proposed legislation contains many of the same provisions that made the TRAC bill so egregious, according to ACEC's sources. One such provision is a virtual moratorium on new contracting by any federal department or agency. Currently with 67 cosponsors, the bill is far short of the 150 Wynn was hoping for. Tom Davis (R-VA), Chair of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology and Procurement Policy, has indicated he will hold a general hearing on federal outsourcing in the next few months, though he does not support this bill. ACEC welcomes Davis' hearing and is hopeful that it may put this issue to rest. ACEC has had numerous meetings on Capitol Hill to encourage last year's cosponsors not to sign on to the bill. Preliminary indications show that these educational efforts have succeeded, as several former sponsors will not sign on this year. ACEC members need to be fully engaged in this issue. Call and write your congressman. Our Online Legislative Action Center makes it easy for you to make your voice heard. The site includes a recommended letter, information on contacting your member of Congress, and information on cosponsors. Bush Plans to Open Jobs to Private Sector In keeping with his campaign pledge, President Bush ordered the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a plan to open 400,000 federal jobs to private sector competition. Former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith is charged with spearheading this effort. Goldsmith will begin by reviewing the agency-by-agency accounting of commercial jobs as required under the 1998 Federal Activities Inventory Reform (FAIR) Act. "Today, hundreds of thousands of full-time federal employees perform tasks that could be done by the private sector," Bush said. "I will put as many of these tasks as possible up for competitive bidding. If the private sector can do a better job, it should get the contract." Goldsmith said Bush's priority is government effectiveness, and outsourcing is one way to improve that. "I think we'll speed up the competition process and allow more private companies to compete for more government work." "If the federal work force shrinks further, the ability of federal employees to perform a wide variety of rapidly changing tasks becomes diminished," he said. Water Infrastructure Network Releases Report Last week the Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) released it's report, Water Infrastructure Now, calling for a five-year, $57-billion federal investment in drinking water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure to replace aging pipes and protect public health and the environment ACEC and its Environmental Business Action Coalition (EBAC) are active in WIN. The report will serve as the blueprint for congressional efforts to enact WATER-21, which seeks to close the $23-billion funding shortfall in infrastructure needs and spending. To bridge the gap, the WIN report calls for the authorization of an average of $11.5 billion in capitalization funds over 5 years. States would receive the funds and in turn offer grants and loans to local agencies. Currently, 29 organizations, including ACEC and EBAC, have endorsed the recommendations in WIN's report. To download the report and for more information, visit the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies website at www.amsa-cleanwater.org/. Senate Introduces Brownfields Legislation Last week, Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Superfund; Chairman Robert Smith (R-NH); Harry Reid (D-NV); and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced S. 350, The Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001. This is the same bill that was introduced last year (S. 2700), and supported by ACEC. Last year's bill had the bipartisan support of 67 cosponsors. The key provisions of the bill include: (1) providing critically needed funds for states to assess and clean up abandoned and underutilized brownfield sites; (2) providing legal protections for innocent parties, such as contiguous property owners, prospective purchasers, and innocent landowners; (3) providing for funding and enhancement of state cleanup programs, including limits, where appropriate, on enforcement by the federal government at sites cleaned up under a state response program; (4) creating a public record of brownfield sites and enhancing community involvement in site cleanup and reuse; and (5) providing for deferral of listing sites on the National Priorities List if the state is taking action at the site. Chairman Smith has publicly stated he anticipates that brownfields will be the first bill to move out of the Committee by the end of March. A hearing on the bill is scheduled for February 27. For more information, contact Emily Baker (ebaker@acec.org) at ACEC. ACEC to Play Major Role in Tax Cut Plan One of ACEC's key legislative priorities, the elimination of the estate tax, is moving this year, and ACEC was at the White House last Friday as part of the coalition that has been assembled to help pass the tax cut package. ACEC and 23 other groups presented to President Bush a letter highlighting ACEC's support of the repeal of the estate tax. ACEC had the opportunity to speak to the Secretary of the Treasury, Paul H. O'Neill, and offered to "unleash ACEC's grassroots army" on behalf of the tax plan. In the letter of support, ACEC Executive Vice President David Raymond stated "Your efforts will allow family owned engineering firms to continue designing solutions to America's infrastructure, high tech and commercial needs well into the future. Our membership is excited about taking this message to Capitol Hill." However, it will be an uphill battle, given the current public relations efforts being waged by the plan's opponents and current legislative dynamics. ACEC has been invited to join the steering committee of the Tax Reform Coalition, the primary business coalition that will advocate the President's tax cut proposal. ACEC President Arnie Spiess said in a recent press release, "ACEC's nearly 6,000 firms, which represent some 280,000 engineering professionals, are asking Congress to vote for President Bush's tax cut plan. The overall plan, and in particular the proposed elimination of the estate tax, are welcome initiatives to keep the economy strong and create forward-looking incentives for American business." The following editions of the Last Word are available online, to retrieve a particular issue, choose the date from the drop down box below, and click "Go Get It!" December 17, 1999 November 5th, 1999 October 18th, 1999 January 20, 2000 February 7, 2000 March 24, 2000 April 20th, 2000 April 28th, 2000 June 23th, 2000 July 27th, 2000 August 18th, 2000 September 7th, 2000 October 13, 2000 October 20, 2000 November 10, 2000 November 30, 2000 December 19, 2000 January 12, 2001 January 30, 2001 February 9, 2001