GOP Platform Addresses Several AGC Priorities
The Republican platform that was adopted last week addressed several AGC of America priorities including tax policy labor and employment policies infrastructure investment and energy.
Here is a very short summary of specific issues address in the party platform:
Taxes: The platform includes a goal of a simplified tax system. It calls for extension of the Bush tax cuts repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax and elimination of the death or estate tax. These are all part of the fiscal cliff facing the country at the end of 2012. In addition the platform includes the elimination of tax on capital gains dividend and interest for lower income individuals and a 20 percent reduction in all rates.
Labor and Employment: The platform expresses opposition to card check government mandated project labor agreements and the repeal of Davis-Bacon wage rates.
Infrastructure: The platform expresses opposition to high speed rail Amtrak and smart growth concepts. It strongly expresses the importance of waste water and drinking water infrastructure dams and ports. It recognizes the role of infrastructure investment in promoting public health and economic development and makes positive statements about the important changes made in MAP 21 that provides states with flexibility and expedites the permitting process. The platform also recognizes the need to identify a long-term source of funding for the highway trust fund. The platform does not identify a solution to the problem but does specifically take one possible solution off the table saying that the solution should not be a vehicle miles traveled tax.
Energy: The platform endorses an all-of-the-above energy solution including expanding production of all domestic sources of energy and discourages market manipulation with permanent subsidies for some types of energy production.
Regulation: The platform takes a view that regulations need to be justified and limited.
AGC will do a similar analysis of the Democrats platform when it is adopted.
For more information please contact Jeff Shoaf at AGC of America (202) 547-3350 or shoafj@agc.org.