In today’s construction news, read about a significant portion of the $69 billion requested by the House committee tasked with drafting Trump’s border security plan ($46.5 billion) would go toward border barriers. On the other hand, new research shows that unskilled laborers are driving industry-wide cost increases due to rising construction salaries, which further strains home affordability. Lastly, during Exercise Salaknib 25, which took place from March 25 to 28, 2025, soldiers from the United States Army’s 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, and the Philippine Army’s 522 Engineer Construction Battalion, 51st Engineer Brigade worked together to build structures that would benefit the local community and future military operations.
Construction of the Border Wall is to Receive $46.5 Billion From the White House
Original Source: Construction of the border wall is to receive $46.5 billion from the White House.
This week, a Salt Lake City couple vacationing in Southern California stopped at the San Diego-Tijuana border.
They were surprised by the fence’s height and simple access.
To recall their special encounter, they took a selfie in front of the barrier before departing.
More border walls might be built if Congress funds President Donald Trump’s 700 new miles, 900 river barriers, and 630 secondary walls as part of a larger plan that includes tax breaks and spending cuts.
The House committee developing Trump’s border security measure wants $69 billion, $46.5 billion of which would go to border barriers.
Additional projects would be funded by the remaining funds:
$5 billion for CBP facilities
$4.1 billion for 8,000 more CBP agents, officers, and support staff
$2 billion for CBP employee retention and signing bonuses
Non-invasive inspection technology: $1.07 billion
$2.7 billion for border surveillance tech
$500 million for UAVs
$450 million for FEMA’s Operation Stonegarden grant program
“Considering the amount of people that are in the country illegally, many of them perpetuating crimes, we need the resources to continue doing what President Trump has promised the American people to get these individuals out of our country,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing Tuesday morning.
House Speaker Mike Johnson wants a vote by Memorial Day.
According to the Associated Press, Democrats will battle the “extreme Republican agenda.” House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries says so.
A Senate vote is planned in July if passed.
A Shift in the US Housing Market Due to Rising Salaries for Inexperienced Construction Workers
Original Source: Rising wages for unskilled construction workers reshape US housing market
New research reveals that unskilled laborers are driving industry-wide cost increases, stressing housing affordability as construction wages climb.
The rising pay of construction workers—especially inexperienced ones—are driving up the cost of building homes in the US. A new study by Missouri University of Science and Technology found that unskilled construction laborers have had the highest salary gains over the previous two decades, influencing the whole housing market.
Bahaa Chammout and Islam H. El-adaway examined wage patterns in over 20 construction vocations from 1999 to 2023. It revealed that pay for lower-paid workers who conduct physically demanding tasks like trench digging and site preparation grew 2.75% to 3.5% annually. Most skilled trades rose less than 2.5%.
The researchers found that “unskilled construction laborers emerged as the leading drivers of wage trends across the industry,” indicating that these early-stage workers significantly affect salaries in other trades. According to econometric modeling, unskilled worker wages rise, which frequently leads to increases in associated trades, especially later in construction timelines.
This transition occurs amid a manpower shortage in the business. US construction firms lack almost 500,000 workers annually, according to the survey. Unskilled workers are most affected, with assistance employment plummeting by 50% since 1999.
Wage increases ripple consequences
Housing prices are already affected by labor dynamics. The 1978 median home cost $44,300—less than three times the median household income. More than five times the average salary, it now reaches $419,000. Labor costs are crucial but sometimes underestimated, contributing to these increases along with materials, loan rates, and land availability.
Contractors should constantly track salary increases in early-phase occupations to better estimate project costs, according to the report. “When wages start rising among early-trade or unskilled workers, that is often a signal that broader labor costs are about to rise too,” researchers noted.
Industry upheaval from global events like the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, and trade policy changes continues. The researchers are developing labor trend forecasting and risk management tools with the Missouri Consortium for Construction Innovation to address these concerns.
Building Projects and Creating Bonds with American and Philippine Engineers
Original Source: Salaknib 25: U.S. and Philippine Engineers Construction Projects and Build Bonds
During Exercise Salaknib 25, March 28, 2025, U.S. Army soldiers from the 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command and Philippine Army soldiers from the 522 Engineer Construction Battalion, 51st Engineer Brigade built projects to improve local quality of life and future military operations.
Three locations are being used for road improvements, bridge remediation, and community health clinic building.
“These projects drive us to exercise our ability to plan for and execute projects across the IDL,” said 8th TSC construction engineering technician Chief Warrant Officer 2 Holly Hughes. If we forget a tool or make a mistake in our materials calculations, we must find solutions. Even with meticulous planning, ground conditions are unpredictable.”
Engineers finished Route Maryland road improvements on March 18, 2025. Road improvements enable the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center – Exportable. Adding a culvert improved road drainage, grading, and compacting.
“It was a really great surprise to be able to support Army forces objectives for the exercise and improve such an important local access road,” Hughes added.
Drop zone bridge remediation comprises correcting punch-list items from a final assessment of the bridge built last year during Salaknib/Balikatan 2024. To address erosion around the bridge’s support pads, engineers are building a retaining wall and improving the route to the drop zone.
“In my second year of participating in Salakanib and Balikatan, I am still impressed by the resiliency and ingenuity of our Philippine army partners,” stated 84th Engineer Battalion executive officer Maj. Nick Yager.
“We rely on them to teach us how they do construction in the Philippines, and this year we have opened the door to how our partners maintain equipment and supply chains,” said Yager. “We would feel like foreigners here without our Filipino partners, but through our relationships, it feels like our team doubles in size when we get on the ground.”
All-terrain or 4×4 vehicles could access the drop zone road before. The road modifications will allow passenger cars and heavier military vehicles, offering safer access. Philippine army special forces train on the 2,600-foot road.
Engineers are building a rural Palawan health center outside Rizal. Providing communities with future medical access. The Clinic may reach 1000 rural Barangay Iraan residents and families.
“Our site is five miles into the jungle in a town with no water and no power tasked with constructing the town’s only concrete building,” said 84th Engineer Brigade construction engineering technician Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ellie Pedelty. “We’ve had to adapt and push forward with hand tools and Soldier power.”
A local medical access area is being built with this project.
The Philippine Armed Forces and the U.S. Military conduct Salaknib 2025 annually to improve bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation after decades of shared experiences.
Summary of today’s construction news
In summary, during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing Tuesday morning, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated, “Given the number of people who are in the country illegally, many of whom are committing crimes, we need the resources to continue doing what President Trump has promised the American people to get these individuals out of our country.
On the other hand, the report recommends that contractors keep a careful eye on salary increases in early-phase occupations in order to accurately anticipate the total cost of a project. The researchers noted that when wages begin to climb for unskilled or early-trade workers, it usually means that labor costs across the board are set to follow suit. The results are released while the world continues to be rocked by global events including the COVID-19 epidemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and shifts in trade policies. Together with the Missouri Consortium for Construction Innovation, the researchers are attempting to alleviate these pressures by creating instruments for risk management and labor trend forecasts
Lastly, in Palawan, in a rural region outside of Rizal, engineers are also building a medical clinic. Giving residents in the area a place to go for future medical care. It is anticipated that the Clinic can serve up to a thousand individuals and families residing in outlying regions of Barangay Iraan. Every year, the United States Military and the Armed Forces of the Philippines come together for Salaknib 2025, an exercise aimed at enhancing the mutual trust, cooperation, interoperability, and capabilities that have been developed over many years of mutual experience.
