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THE VOICE OF THE MERIT SHOP

ABC is the voice of the merit shop on Capitol Hill! Sending letters to Congress allows ABC to publicly advocate for the views and interests of our more than 23,000 members. By corresponding with U.S. House of Representatives and Senate members, ABC promotes fair and open competition in the construction industry and fights to protect merit shop contractors around the country.

ABC Calls on House Committee to Remove Davis-Bacon Provisions from HUD Program

On July 16, the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance held a hearing titled, “HOME 2.0: Modern Solutions to the Housing Shortage.” The hearing focused on the Home Reform Act of 2025 that would modernize the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the largest block grant program for states and municipalities dedicated to creating affordable housing for low-income Americans. Ahead of the hearing, ABC sent a letter to the committee calling on them to strip onerous Davis-Bacon requirements from the program that increase costs and delay critical affordable housing projects.

In his opening statement, Chairman Mike Flood, R-Neb., touched on the subcommittee’s request for public input on the HOME program, of which ABC members participated, and noted four primary obstacles to the efficiency of the hearing: the environmental review process; Build America, Buy America; Davis-Bacon requirements; and Section 3 requirements. You can watch Rep. Flood’s comments here.

Allison George, Director, Colorado Division of Housing, Department of Local Affairs and one of the witnesses for the hearing, suggested a few recommendations to support HOME Program’s modernization, stating, “we recognize the importance of accountability, but overlapping requirements like Section 3, Davis-Bacon, and Build America, Buy America and environmental reviews have become especially difficult for our small and rural communities to manage.”