.ABC tanked House Republicans for working diligently with the White House to get a long-overdue tax reform bill off the ground and begin the legislative process. Our members will feel the direct positive impact of this bill with another dollar in their paychecks, allowing them to create jobs and drive growth.

On Nov. 6, three federal agencies issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to withdraw the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces final rule —“blacklisting”— and President Barack Obama’s Executive Order 13673.  Additionally, the Department of Labor withdrew the corresponding guidance document. 

ABC praised the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Save Local Business Act (H.R. 3441) this week with bipartisan support. ABC joined forces with a wide range of business advocacy groups, including the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and the Coalition to Save Local Businesses, to build support for the ultimate passage of H.R. 3441. 

During its Nov. 7 meeting in Orlando, the ABC Board of Directors elected George Nash to serve as the association's 2018 national chair. Tony Rader was elected to serve as ABC’s 2018 chair-elect. ABC’s 2018 Executive Committee takes office on Jan. 1, 2018. 

A new study from the Beacon Hill Institute (BHI) for Public Policy Research shows the economy and the construction industry would benefit if Congress passed the Public Building Renewal Act (PBRA).

The Waters Advocacy Coalition, which ABC is a member of, recently launched a website to educate the public on the impact on America’s job creators under the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2015 final Clean Water Rule. The rule would expand the definition of “the waters of the United States."

ABC President and CEO Mike Bellaman joined President Donald Trump and other business leaders at the White House Tuesday to discuss their support for tax reform legislation. At the meeting, President Trump outlined the necessity for tax reform, and thanked the organizations present for supporting the unified tax framework. 

On Oct. 27, President Trump nominated Scott Mugno for Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S. Department of Labor. Mugno currently serves as the vice president for safety, sustainability and vehicle maintenance at FedEx Ground and previously worked as managing director of FedEx Express corporate safety, health and fire protection.

On Oct. 17, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) announced a short-term deal aimed at stabilizing the individual health insurance market and lowering the costs of premiums.

A record number of project owners joined ABC contractors last week at the fifth annual ABC Users Summit in New Orleans to discuss how to collaboratively improve the planning and delivery of high-quality construction projects. Thank you to our Executive and Associate Sponsors for their support of our fifth annual ABC Users Summit. View the 2017 summit program for additional details.