Contact: Gail Raiman, (703) 812-2073                            For Immediate Release
             Gerry Fritz: (703) 812-2062                              January 28, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today expressed its strong support for the construction infrastructure spending in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1). The stimulus package contains more than $160 billion in infrastructure funding for the construction of federal buildings, schools, highways, bridges, workforce development and additional programs.

“We stand ready to help pull our nation out of this recession. There are specific projects in this legislation that should be selected for the long lasting economic benefit, not for the political ramifications,” said 2009 ABC National Chairman Jerry Gorski, president of Gorski Engineering, Inc., Collegeville, Pa. “Associated Builders and Contractors’ 25,000 members nationwide can put this stimulus money to work immediately while getting their employees back to work.

“We are disappointed that the funding in this legislation requires the use of antiquated Davis-Bacon Act wage requirements on all projects,” said Gorski. “However, we are prepared to work with President Obama’s administration to ensure that all construction contractors have an equal opportunity to compete for future federal and federally funded construction contracts and to protect taxpayers from costly and discriminatory union-only project labor agreements.”

 
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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms in 79 chapters across the United States. Visit us at www.abc.org.

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