On July 12, ABC Vice President of Environment, Health, Safety and Workforce Development Greg Sizemore participated in the first meeting of the U.S. House of Representatives Bipartisan Apprenticeship Caucus. The caucus, founded by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Ranking Member Susan Davis (D-Calif.), was created this spring to expand apprenticeships in the United States and raise the prestige of the skilled trades.

ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu predicts the nonresidential construction sector will remain stable for the second half of 2018, yet warns of a potential economic downturn in 2020, according to a recent mid-year economic outlook published in Construction Executive magazine.

ABC has added Massachusetts Chapter member Michael Moran of M.J. Moran, Inc. to the Beam Club Presidential level. The Beam Club was established in 1966 to recognize ABC’s top membership recruiters for their commitment to growing the association. By recruiting five new members, ABC members are automatically enrolled in the Beam Club by their chapter.

In front of a nearly sold-out crowd of more than 41,000 people, 2018 National Craft Championships gold medalists and the Craft Professional of the Year stood on the Washington Nationals baseball field July 3 and were honored for their hard work as trained craftsmen. The crowd cheered them on while the ABC logo spread across the stadium, showcasing the theme of the night—free enterprise.

On July 10, President Donald Trump nominated Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to fill the U.S. Supreme Court seat that will be vacated by Justice Anthony Kennedy when he retires on July 31.

ABC has added Massachusetts Chapter member James Alibrandi of Interstate Electrical Services to the Beam Club Presidential level. The Beam Club was established in 1966 to recognize ABC’s top membership recruiters for their commitment to growing the association. By recruiting five new members, ABC members are automatically enrolled in the Beam Club by their chapter.

On July 11, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee held a full committee markup of numerous health care bills aimed at expanding access to health savings accounts (HSAs) and lowering health care premiums for American employers and employees.

According to an ABC analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, construction material prices rose another 0.8 percent in June and are 9.6 percent higher than they were at the same time one year ago.

On July 5, ABC submitted comments to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on its proposed updates to its standard for cranes and derricks in construction to ensure crane operators are qualified to safely operate equipment.

The White House celebrated the six-month anniversary of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by hosting an event on Friday, June 29. ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman attended on behalf of the merit shop contracting community, acknowledging the positive effects of the tax code reform. At the event, President Trump took a moment to recognize ABC and several others as significant supporters who helped pass the legislation.