On Nov. 7, ABC joined Associated General Contractors, the Leading Builders of America and the National Association of Home Builders in a letter to Congressional leaders expressing the construction industry’s concerns regarding the upcoming decisions related to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras. The letter urged Congress to take legislative action to ensure that TPS holders can remain and continue to work legally in this country. 

Operating in 37 states and annually engaging 9,000 high school students, ACE Mentor Program relies on construction managers, architects, engineers and even accountants and marketing experts to inspire students to pursue careers in design and construction.

On Nov. 9, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final rule, Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Certification Extension, which delays its deadline for employers to ensure that crane operators are certified by one year, from Nov. 10, 2017, to Nov. 10, 2018. OSHA is also delaying its employer duty to ensure that crane operators are competent to operate a crane safely for the same one-year period.

.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."

Any additional dollar that can stay in a construction company's cash flow can be invested in hiring and retaining talented workers. That was one of the messages ABC President and CEO Mike Bellaman conveyed this week during two live Fox Business Network appearances, as the House Ways and Means Committee unveiled a bill that reforms the tax code.