News

And so it begins… In this edition of the Concord Policy Primer, we will explore the latest developments in the tax reform debate and dive into Congress’ action packed legislative schedule in September and beyond.

Welcome to the first edition of the Concord Policy Primer, a monthly news bulletin designed to keep tax and industry professionals informed about tax policy developments in Washington. Prime Policy Group is proud to collaborate with Concord on this initiative, and we hope it will become a useful and insightful tool for those following the debates around tax reform and the Section 179D tax deduction. Prime is Washington’s leading bipartisan government affairs firm, offering decades of expertise in policymaking, strategic counsel, and direct advocacy.

Following two negative months, the Architectural Billings Index rose in October, up to 50.8 from 48.4 in September.

In the third quarter the confidence of U.S. engineering CEOs ticked up from an all time low, according to the Engineering Business Index (EBI), compiled by the American Council of Engineering Companies.

Some 600 businesses and the American Institute of Architects have written the committee reconciling House and Senate energy legislation, urging legislators to resist special interest pressure and preserve the law that sets goals for federal buildings to cut fossil fuel use by 2030.

The Architectural Billings Index has declined for a second straight month, dropping to 48.4 from August’s 49.7.

July’s Architectural Billings Index was 51.5, down slightly from 52.6 in June — the tenth of the past twelve months when it’s been in positive territory. Similarly, the new projects inquiry index was 57.5, down from 58.6 in June.

The Engineering Business Index (EBI), compiled by the American Council of Engineering Companies to measure the confidence of engineering CEOs, dropped in the second quarter of 2016.

Construction spending in June was down for the third consecutive month, although the year-to-date total remains higher than the same six months in 2015, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).