On March 7, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., wrote letters to the White House in opposition to President Biden’s executive order 14063 requiring federal construction contracts of $35 million or more to be subjected to project labor agreements.

These letters are critical in assisting ABC’s efforts to push back against the Biden administration’s efforts to impose restrictive project labor requirements on taxpayer-funded federal construction projects throughout the country.

Sen. Young’s letter received signatures from 42 of his Republican colleagues. The Senate letter was picked up by The Hill and Bloomberg. Rep. Budd’s letter received support from 58 of his Republican colleagues and was picked up in the Daily Caller and other publications.

In a statement, ABC noted that President Biden’s executive order will exacerbate the construction industry’s skilled workforce shortage of 650,000 workers and needlessly increase construction costs and reduce opportunities for local contractors and skilled tradespeople. Government-mandated PLAs increase the cost of construction by 12% to 20%, reduce competition from 87.4% of the construction industry workforce and steal up to 34% of wages from the few nonunion workers allowed to work on a PLA jobsite.

ABC also joined with 18 other construction and business organizations in a coalition letter opposing the executive order and supporting H.R. 1284/S. 403, Fair and Open Competition Act, which Rep. Budd and Sen. Young introduced in Congress.

ABC will continue to update members on political advocacy efforts regarding President Biden’s PLA executive order and FOCA in Newsline.