Newsline

White House Releases FY23 Budget Proposal

On March 28, the White House released the president’s $5.8 trillion budget for the next fiscal year, which renews calls for tax hikes to support Democrats’ federal spending priorities in the coming years.  

ABC Urges USDA to Withdraw Proposal That Includes New Labor Law Compliance Certifications and Reporting

On Feb. 17, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a proposed rule to make amendments to the Agriculture Acquisition Regulation, which includes new labor law compliance certifications and reporting provisions that present wide-ranging implications for ABC members that perform work on federal contracts awarded under the AGAR. On March 21, ABC submitted comments urging the USDA to withdraw the proposal.

ABC Hails Court Decision Blocking Biden Administration’s Independent Contractor Rulemaking

On March 15, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas dealt a blow to the Biden administration’s efforts to delay and rescind the Trump administration’s 2021 independent contractor final rule. Under a decision applauded by ABC, which had sued to block those actions, the ABC-supported rule went into effect as scheduled on March 8, 2021, and remains in effect today.

ABC Partners with Congressional Leaders to Oppose Biden PLA Mandate, Advocate for Fair and Open Competition

On March 7, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., wrote letters to the White House in opposition to President Biden’s executive order 14063 requiring federal construction contracts of $35 million or more to be subjected to project labor agreements.

ABC, Coalition Support the Fair and Open Competition Act in Letter to Congress Opposing PLA Mandates

On Feb. 23, ABC and a coalition of 19 associations and organizations representing the construction industry and business community sent Congress a letter of support for the Fair and Open Competition Act (S. 403/H.R. 1284), sponsored by Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind. and Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C.

ABC-Opposed America COMPETES Act Passes the House With Anti-Competitive Provisions

On Feb. 4, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4521, he America COMPETES Act by a vote of 222-210. The ABC-opposed bill is filled with anti-competitive provisions that would impose harmful labor policies, including instituting “card-check” provisions, expanding prevailing wage requirements and restricting access to the nation’s registered apprenticeship system for nonunion workers through the ABC-opposed National Apprenticeship Act.

ABC Urges EPA and Army Corps to Withdraw WOTUS Proposed Rule

On Feb. 7, ABC, as a member of the Waters Advocacy Coalition, filed comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed rule to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” applicable to all Clean Water Act programs. The rule would repeal the Trump administration Navigable Waters Protection Rule and codify a definition that reflects the pre-2015 regulatory regime that the agencies are currently implementing. Raising numerous important concerns, the coalition urged the agencies to withdraw the proposed rule, reconsider the rule while addressing the coalition’s concerns and reengaging stakeholders, and repropose a rule that adheres to the CWA and relevant U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

ABC: President Biden's Pro-PLA Executive Order Will Increase Costs to Taxpayers and Worsen Skilled Labor Shortage

White House Union Report Fails to Create Opportunities for All of the Construction Industry

On Feb. 7, the Biden administration’s White House Task Force On Worker Organizing And Empowerment issued its report on how to boost union membership in the federal government and public and private sectors.

ABC Cautions OSHA: Keep Any Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Regs Simple and Flexible

On Jan. 26, ABC, as a steering committee member of the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. CISC members feel strongly that a regulatory approach—if adopted—must be simple and should integrate the key concepts of “Water, Rest, Shade.”