A bipartisan bill has been introduced in the House that would allow visas to be given to migrant workers in sectors, like construction and agriculture , that are facing acute worker shortages.
The “Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act”, or EWEA, would provide temporary visas valid for three years, with two potential three-year renewals.
Little progress has been made in the effort to come to an agreement on Fiscal Year 2026 funding. aWith little time left before the start of the Fiscal Year on October 1, the House and Senate are no closer to a compromise and are in recess all week. Before recessing, the House passed a GOP-drafted “clean” bill to extend government funding until Nov. 21 at current funding levels with no policy changes included.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Sean McMaster as administrator of the Federal Highway Administration on September 18 in a 51 to 47 vote.
McMaster – a former executive with the Boeing aerospace company and also a former vice president with infrastructure consulting firm HNTB – stressed in his hearing in May that safety would be his top priority at FHWA as he seeks to guide the agency in its mission to build and restore roads, bridges, and tunnels across the nation.
A “skinny” farm bill is being considered to complete action on parts of the traditional Farm Bill that have not yet been addressed. The pared-down version of the traditional five-year farm bill, designed to address only the most urgent or unfinished agricultural priorities could be brought up this year. A skinny farm bill would include issues that were not covered in recent legislation including the budget reconciliation legislation, aka “One Big Beautiful Bill”, passed earlier this year.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is the first state to ask the US DOT to waive its requirements for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program since a court ruled the requirements are likely unconstitutional. The DBE program requires 10 percent of federal highway construction funds to be paid out to small businesses owned by "socially and economically disadvantaged" individuals - generally defined as women, African Americans, native Americans and Hispanic Americans, and other defined disadvantaged groups. The program is purported to help remove barriers so qualifying businesses can participate in federally assisted contracts. A U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky last year found that the race- and gender-based presumptions used by the DOT likely violate constitutional protections. US DOT agreed with that finding.
Congress returned from its August recess last week and took no action on putting together a plan to avoid a Federal government shutdown. There are now 22 days until the end of the federal fiscal year when the government runs out of funding authority. Republican Congressional leaders and the Trump White House are still strategizing about how to keep the agencies open beyond Sept. 30. None of the 12 appropriations bills has yet been completed and only a few have actually reached the floor in their respective chambers. Congress is in session this week and next, but then lawmakers depart for a week for Rosh Hashanah.
September 2025 has been designated National Suicide Awareness Month and the construction industry has responded with Construction Suicide Prevention Week to address the unique problems within the industry. Construction Dive reports that contractors across the country will kick off the week with a stand-down and a moment of silence in the afternoon. Other events throughout the week will incorporate education opportunities, such as toolbox talks and webinars, to raise awareness about the mental health crisis and its impact on construction.
John Deere has recently highlighted the significant financial burden tariffs are placing on its business, estimating that they will cost the company nearly $600 million in fiscal year 2025. Company officials said tariff-related expenses were already about $300 million midway through the year, with the final impact expected to roughly double that amount. Deere noted that these added costs are cutting into margins across its core agriculture, construction, and forestry equipment segments.
Farmers across the United States are voicing growing concerns about declining income levels as they face a mix of falling commodity prices, higher production costs, and uncertainty in global markets. Net farm income, which had risen to historic highs in recent years due to strong export demand and government support programs, is now projected to decline as demand softens and farm operating expenses remain elevated. Rising interest rates have added to the pressure, making it more expensive for producers to finance equipment, land, and inputs such as seed and fertilizer. For many operations, these tighter margins are raising questions about long-term financial sustainability.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on issues that should be addressed when Congress takes up reauthorization of the surface transportation legislation over the next year. The information will help DOT prepare its proposal for the reauthorization effort. The department asked for input to prioritize funding, streamline project delivery, and address emerging challenges in safety, climate resilience, and technology integration. DOT officials emphasized that the RFI is intended to ensure that the law is applied in a way that reflects both congressional intent and the practical needs of state and local transportation agencies, as well as the private sector.