WASHINGTON, June 17—Associated Builders and Contractors, in reaction to the Biden administration’s announcement today of its Talent Pipeline Challenge initiative, released the following statement highlighting how exclusionary and anti-competitive measures promoted by the Biden administration will exacerbate the skilled labor shortage.

“For decades, ABC has offered solutions to address the construction industry’s skilled labor shortage, which is 650,000 workers this year, so ABC appreciates the Biden administration recognizing this shortage will make it difficult to deliver the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other taxpayer investments in America’s infrastructure in an efficient and economical manner,” said Ben Brubeck, ABC vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs. “Unfortunately, the Biden administration’s policies, such as those promoting government-mandated project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted construction projects, will further exacerbate the skilled labor shortage and increase costs because they are designed to exclude 87% of the construction workforce and qualified businesses who have chosen not to affiliate with labor unions from rebuilding America.

“ABC calls on the Biden administration to abandon its exclusionary policies that discourage competition from quality merit shop firms and employees who build the people who build America, safely, on time, on budget and enjoy good paying wages and benefits. Instead, this administration must create policies that create opportunities for all of the 7.7 million people in the construction industry and help deliver the best product at the best price for the American people.”