The Multi-Trillion Dollar Budget Reviewed: What it Means for Construction and Glass

The Biden Administration released the Budget of the U.S. Government for Fiscal Year 2023 last week. In about 150 pages, the budget details the spending of more than $5 trillion, and several departments are receiving portions of those funds to create more efficient and sustainable infrastructure and construction projects.

The document requests that the Department of Energy allocate and use $48.2 billion to invest in domestic clean energy manufacturing. The allocation lays out plans for future construction projects, including “$2.1 billion to support clean energy workforce and infrastructure projects across the nation; $502 million to weatherize and retrofit low-income homes; $150 million to electrify [Tribal Nation] homes and transition [Tribal Nation] colleges and universities to renewable energy.”

Much of the glass and glazing industry is comprised of small businesses, and the 2023 budget requests $914 million in discretionary funding for the Small Business Administration. The allocation is “to ensure that small businesses and entrepreneurs have access to the information and resources they need to start, grow, or recover their business.”

The addition of new facilities for Veterans Affairs is also detailed, allocating $3 billion to construct and expand critical infrastructure and facilities.

As the glass and construction industry continues to face a labor shortage, the budget requests $14.6 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor (DoL). According to the budget, this will be to build the skills of America’s workers and protect workers’ rights, health and safety and wages, the document says. To attract future workers, the DoL’s allocation intends to expand access to registered apprenticeships and provide training and employment pathways for young workers.