On Friday, Jan. 29, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace,” which provides updated guidance and recommendations and outlines existing safety and health standards.

To begin a dialogue with the Biden Administration, ABC has sent a letter expressing our intentions to advance policies that keep workplaces safe and healthy, rebuild America’s infrastructure, create jobs for all Americans and help the U.S. economy continue to rebound from the COVID-19 crisis.

On Jan. 20, President Biden issued Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, which revoked EO 13950 issued by former President Trump regarding race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating in the workplace.

ABC PAC has raised $83,000 in two weeks, which includes twelve max-out contributions of $5,000. Over the 2021-2022 election cycle, ABC PAC is tasked with raising $1,800,000.

Following the inaugural ceremonies for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the president is set to implement 17 executive actions through executive orders, presidential memos and agency directives, affecting a range of federal policies, including immigration, economic relief, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Jan. 15, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration issued its final rule amending the agency's 2016 final rule to allow the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, at night and over people under certain conditions without obtaining a waiver.

On Jan. 13, one day after the U.S. House approved a largely symbolic resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump following last week's deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, the president was impeached for a second time by a vote of 232-197 (5 not voting), a first in the country’s 244-year history.

Following the approval of an additional $284 billion in funds for the Paycheck Protection Program in December, the U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has reopened the PPP for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers.

Democratic U.S. Senate Candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have been declared winners of the two Georgia runoff elections held on Jan. 5. The Democratic wins in the two runoff campaigns, made necessary under Georgia election law that requires majority support to win office, will effectively clinch the narrowest possible majority for Democrats in the U.S. Senate.

To show we are staying safe on jobsites and reducing the spread of the coronavirus, ABC, the National Association of Home Builders and other construction organizations are hosting a COVID-19 Safety Stand Down from Jan. 11-15, with ABC members targeting Thursday, Jan. 14 for member activities.