The Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representative voted to cut about $3 billion from the military construction budget for FY 2015 when compared to FY 2014 funding levels.
The Army would see the sharpest cuts on a percentage basis, with a $578 million, or 52% reduction in FY 2015. However, a provision in the bill provides the Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve Accounts an additional $245 million for use and disbursement at the discretion of the Secretary of the Army.
The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) program, encompassed in the Navy and Marine account, would see a $631 million, or 39%, cut in FY 2015.
The Veteran’s Administration, also impacted by this budget proposal, would be funded at the same level as in FY 2014 ($1.057 billion). The funds for FY 2015 would be evenly split between the two primary VA construction accounts.
The VA’s Major Construction Account—for projects over $10 million—would increase from $342 million in FY 2014 to $561 million in FY 2015. The Minor Construction Account—for projects below $10 million—would decrease from $714 million to $495 million.
The House bill figures are identical to the president’s FY 2015 budget request.
(http://news.agc.org/2014/04/25/house-panel-approves-fy-2015-milconva-funding/)
Related Stories
| May 8, 2014
Report: Top storm-resilient cities have high adaptive capacity
The most resilient cities in the world, including five in the U.S., have attributes that would enable them to recover better than others from devastating natural disasters.
| May 8, 2014
LED lighting helps cities receive Energy Star designation
Thanks largely to an ambitious program to boost the use of LED lighting in its buildings, Los Angeles is the top ranked U.S. city on the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual list of U.S. cities that are doing the most to improve energy efficiency.
| May 8, 2014
Door knob code revisions generating controversy
The City of Vancouver’s ban on doorknobs in all new buildings, which went into effect last month, has drawn a strong reaction from the public and heated debate across Canada as other jurisdictions consider the measure.
| May 8, 2014
Structural concrete code revisions open for public comments
The American Concrete Institute’s completely reorganized ACI 318-14, “Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary,” is open for public review for a 45-day period.
| May 3, 2014
Controversy rages over cost, benefits of proposed OSHA silica dust rule
Introduced in August 2013, the proposal would lower allowable levels of crystalline silica in all workplaces, standardize how the dust is calculated, and require medical monitoring for employees exposed to high levels.
| May 3, 2014
California’s Title 24 promises to reshape the construction industry
California’s recent revisions to Title 24 contain ambitious performance goals: all residential buildings must be Zero Net Energy by 2020 and commercial buildings must reach that standard by 2030.
| Apr 30, 2014
GSA wants to trade D.C. office building for construction and development services
The GSA has issued an RFQ seeking developers who can provide construction and development services in exchange for the GSA Regional Office Building and Cotton Annex located in Southwest Washington, D.C.
| Apr 30, 2014
Mexico City spending big on green roofs to fight air pollution
Although green roofs have been widely adopted in urban areas to reduce the heat island effect and stormwater runoff, Mexico City is hoping that vegetative rooftops can also reduce the city’s air pollution.
| Apr 23, 2014
California bill would make employers responsible for subcontractors' wages, workers' comp
Under the recently revised Assembly Bill 1897, employers would have to pay wages, taxes, and workers compensation on behalf of a subcontractor’s workers if the subcontractor reneges on that responsibility.
| Apr 23, 2014
Obama’s 2015 budget includes $1.7 billion to GSA for building construction, renovations
The Obama Administration has proposed $1.7 billion for construction, renovation, and repairs to federal buildings in fiscal year 2015 under the auspices of the U.S. General Services Administration.