The partial shutdown of the federal government is starting to affect some federal construction programs-such as those at the Federal Transit Administration-but other major infrastructure accounts have full 2019 funding and aren't harmed. The biggest federally funded construction account, highways, is open. But if the shutdown is protracted, states may slow bid lettings. At ENR press time, as the shutdown entered its third week, no deal was immediately in sight between President Trump, who continues to push for more than $5 billion for a wall on the southwest U.S. border, and top congressional Democrats, who strongly oppose that plan. Democrats' influence increased with the start of the 116th Congress, as they moved into the majority in the House. Some construction programs escaped the shutdown, thanks to enactment of full-year fiscal 2019 appropriations bills before the Nov. 6 elections. They include Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Veterans Affairs and Army Corps of Engineers civil-works construction, as well as Dept. of Energy defense environmental cleanup.
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