On July 31, ABC submitted a letter in support of the cloture motion for the motion to proceed to H.R.7024, the American Families and Workers Act. This legislation, introduced by Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., extends vital tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including the deduction for research and development and the extension of the 100% bonus depreciation. Notably, this legislation maintains provisions that allow for immediate R&D expensing, which provides for lower tax bills, less paperwork and easier compliance for contractors. In addition, the legislation extends the 100% bonus depreciation that allows construction businesses to expense or write off the purchase of tools, equipment and machinery during the year of purchase.

ABC awaits the Senate's vote on the motion to proceed to H.R.7084. While the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act passed the House with bipartisan support on January 31 with a 357-70 vote, Republicans in the Senate have said that they will vote the measure down, which takes 60 voters to pass, as they anticipate having the majority next year and thus hold more negotiating power when it comes to Tax Policy.

On May 23, President Joe Biden nominated National Labor Relations Board Chair Lauren McFerran to serve a third term, threatening Democratic control of the Board through August 2026, regardless of who wins the presidency in November. McFerran’s tenure has been the subject of congressional hearings and oversight letters as well as numerous press reports and editorials highlighting the agency’s failures. In addition, an Office of the Inspector General report found that the Board was operating under “gross mismanagement.”

On July 25, ABC and the ABC-led Coalition for a Democratic Workplace sent letters to the committee expressing concerns over McFerran’s nomination.

Under McFerran’s leadership, the NLRB has issued decisions and expanded interpretations of the National Labor Relations Act that have been rejected by the business community, Congress, and federal courts, including the Board’s joint employer standard and its revived controversial policies through its Representation-Case Procedures final rule.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders has opted to proceed to a markup of McFerran’s renomination without a formal confirmation hearing, allowing her record to go unchecked and unquestioned by committee members.

On July 31, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs held a hearing, "Long-Term Economic Benefits and Impacts from Federal Infrastructure and Public Transportation Investment." Prior to the hearing, ABC submitted a letter to the committee highlighting that the Biden-Harris administration's Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects Final Rule is undermining federal infrastructure investments. Specifically, ABC expressed concern that the rule excludes 89.3% of the private U.S. construction industry workforce, reduces competition and increases costs for the American taxpayer on federal and federally assisted construction projects.

See the full hearing here.

On July 10, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing to analyze actions taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In a letter to the committee, ABC expressed concern with EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers final rule regarding amendments to the definition of “waters of the United States” subject to Clean Water Act regulation aimed at bringing their original January 2023 WOTUS rule into compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s May 25, 2023, decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. ABC noted that the revised rule fails to fully implement the court’s opinion specifically on the definition of “relatively permanent” waters and that it will likely result in continued litigation, regulatory uncertainty and confusion in the business community surrounding WOTUS.

On Aug. 29, the EPA and Corps issued the final rule making adjustments to WOTUS, including:

• Removing the “significant nexus” test entirely
• Removing the “interstate wetland” category
• Adjusting the definition of “adjacent waters” to mean “having a continuous surface connection”

ABC issued a press release criticizing the new rule and urging full compliance with the SCOTUS decision.

On July 10, the U.S. House Committee on Small Business held a hearing titled, “"Main Street Realities: Examining the Current Economic Landscape in America.” Ahead of the hearing, ABC sent a letter to the committee expressing concerns with the numerous regulations that generate substantial burdens for America’s small businesses and loopholes in the Regulatory Flexibility Act that federal agencies use to implement these regulations at the expense of America’s small business community.

Specifically, ABC noted the impact of the U.S. Department of Labor’s final rule on Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as the final rule changing overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Leading up to the hearing, ABC’s Chief Economist Anirban Basu spoke with committee staff to discuss the challenges facing small business contractors.

On July 9, the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials held a hearing titled, “An Examination of the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) In Use Locomotive Regulation.” The hearing focused on the California Air Resources Board’s In-Use Locomotive Regulation. Pursuant to section 209(e) of the Clean Air Act, the regulation would ban all locomotives 23 years or older from operating within California and mandate zero-emissions locomotives by 2030. Prior to the hearing, ABC sent a letter to the committee expressing concern over the regulation and the wide-ranging impact it could have on the construction industry, including new logistical challenges and increased materials prices.

On June 13, the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held a hearing titled, “Environmentalism Off the Rails: How CARB will Cripple the National Rail Network.” The hearing focused on the California Air Resources Board’s In-Use Locomotive Regulation. Pursuant to section 209(e) of the Clean Air Act, the regulation would ban all locomotives 23 years or older from operating within California and mandate zero-emissions locomotives by 2030. Prior to the hearing, ABC sent a letter to the committee expressing concern over the regulation and the wide-ranging impact it could have on the construction industry, including new logistical challenges and increased materials prices.

On June 12, the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing titled “NLRB Overreach: Trampling on Workers’ Rights and Fostering Unfairness.” The hearing focused on the National Labor Relations Board’s bad decisions and degradation of rights and protections under Chair Lauren McFerran’s failed leadership. Specifically, members noted that the NLRB has restricted employee free choice through decisions that impact the right to free and fair representation elections, the definition of an independent contractor under the NLRA, a dangerous expansion of the definition of Joint Employer, and the ability to register a decertification election.

Ahead of the hearing, the ABC-led Coalition for a Democratic Workplace sent a letter to the committee regarding concerns over McFerran’s renomination to serve as chair of the Board.

On May 22, the U.S. House Committee on Small Business held a hearing titled, “Burdensome Regulations: Examining the Biden Administration’s Failure to Consider Small Businesses.” Prior to the hearing, ABC sent a letter detailing concerns with the Biden administration’s rulemakings that disregard small businesses, diminish their ability to compete and undermine their integral role in building America’s infrastructure. The letter specifically highlighted the U.S. Department of Labor’s final rules on overtime and Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council’s final rule on the Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects.

You can watch the full hearing on the committee’s YouTube channel.

On May 22, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing entitled: "Big Labor Lies: Exposing Union Tactics to Undermine Free and Fair Elections.” Prior to the hearing, ABC submitted comments highlighting the harms of salting, card check and neutrality agreements.

The full committee hearing can be seen here.