Contact: Kinsey Cooper (202) 595-1782               [email protected]

For Immediate Release Jan. 28, 2014

Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today issued the following statement in response to reports that President Barack Obama will sign an executive order to increase the minimum wage on new federal contracts from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour.

"ABC has long held that the market should determine wages in the construction industry, not artificial government interference,” said ABC Vice President of Government Affairs Geoff Burr. “The president is once again demonstrating that he doesn't understand how our economy works. This executive order will have little to no impact on our federal contractor members, who already pay higher wages than the president’s proposal. This seems to be nothing more than a misleading, political maneuver."

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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national trade association representing 22,000 members from more than 19,000 construction and industry-related firms. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 70 chapters help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically, profitably and for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work.