WASHINGTON, April 15—Associated Builders and Contractors President and Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Bellaman today issued the following statement regarding the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups:

“ABC is honored to be collaborating with the White House and other industry leaders as a member of the construction industry group for the Great American Economic Revival in order to continue to safely deliver and re-open construction projects that have been temporarily shut down due to COVID-19.

“Ensuring the safety and health of our nation’s workforce is vital to a strong recovery, which was echoed by industry leaders on today’s White House call. ABC members are committed to the health and safety of the workforce and continue to leverage existing and establish new industry best practices that allow us to implement enhanced measures recommended by local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, we are encouraged by the commitment to the ongoing development and deployment of effective and efficient testing, which can further augment world-class safety practices.  

“To ensure our economy recovers and remains strong, we must also maintain employment levels through the extension of the Paycheck Protection Program. This vital lifeline has preserved millions of jobs and will ensure the stability of the workforce as we move through the crisis, as well as maintain the vitality of our supply chain, which is largely comprised of small businesses. Another strategy discussed was the enactment of a substantial infrastructure package to address the much-needed repair and modernization of our nation’s transportation infrastructure. ABC is committed to working with the administration and lawmakers to create the conditions for infrastructure projects that would provide the most value for the country—funded appropriately and designed and built efficiently and effectively.

“On behalf of our 21,000-plus members, we thank the administration and congressional leadership for their continued efforts to address this health crisis.”