WASHINGTON, Feb. 4—Associated Builders and Contractors President and Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Bellaman today issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address:

“By modernizing our regulatory framework, supporting job creation policies and focusing on workforce development opportunities that include advancing career and technical education and re-entering citizen programs, President Trump has created the economic conditions for the construction sector to thrive. During his first term, ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator, which reflects projects under contract but not yet executed, reached an all-time high in 2018. Contractor confidence has surged, with nearly 75% of ABC contractor members reporting they expect sales to rise in the first half of this year; and construction spending is projected to reach $1.39 trillion in 2020 alone. On behalf of ABC’s 21,000-plus members, we look forward to continuing our work with the administration on initiatives that support a thriving construction sector and business community, as well as exceeding our pledge to educate and upskill more than 500,000 workers by 2023.