ABC Shares the Truth About President Biden’s Harmful Project Labor Agreement Policies at U.S. House Oversight Hearing

ABC National staff and an ABC member testified at the June 27, 2024, U.S. House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee hearing on President Biden’s controversial policies promoting and mandating anti-competitive and inflationary project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted projects.

The hearing––Cutting Competition in Contracting: The Administration’s Pricey Project Labor Agreement Mandate––held by the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation—gave ABC an important platform to shed light on the Biden administration’s controversial pro-PLA policies which are needlessly increasing costs, reducing competition and resulting in delays on taxpayer-funded construction projects.

Chairwoman Nancy Mace, R-S.C., opened with a strong statement cutting to the heart of the Biden administration’s pro-PLA policy schemes, which lock out almost 90% of the U.S. construction workforce because they are not affiliated with unions.

Ben Brubeck of ABC gave opening remarks attacking the Biden administration’s pro-PLA policies and flawed rationale, which echo problems outlined in his written testimony demonstrating government-mandated PLA do not enhance economy and efficiency in government contracting.

The opening statement and written testimony of Aric Dreher of Cianbro––an outstanding ABC member contractor headquartered in Pittsfield, Maine––building federal and federally assisted construction projects described how Biden PLA policies injure Cianbro and other merit shop firms by reducing competition and harming the merit shop workforce. Cianbro signed an affidavit in support of ABC’s federal lawsuit in Jacksonville, Florida, against this Biden rule requiring PLAs on federal construction contracts of $35 million or more.

Glenn Ledet, executive director of the Louisiana Coastal Restoration Protection Authority, discussed the impact of the Biden PLA rule on federal contracts with respect to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracts where Louisiana is a cost-sharing partner covering 35% of project costs. His exceptional opening remarks and written testimony explain how PLAs mandated by the USACE as a result of the Biden PLA rule add risk, increase costs, reduce competition from local bidders and harm the local construction workforce and contractor base that the CPRA contracts with to restore coasts and protect citizens from hurricanes.

The opening statement and written testimony of the minority witness, Jacob Snyder of Enerfab, a unionized contractor with limited federal contracting experience and no direct federal contract awards since 2010, spoke to positive experiences using voluntary PLAs and union labor. He cited studies supporting the use of union labor and Biden’s pro-PLA policies that steer contracts to unionized contractors.

After a hearing break so lawmakers could vote on the House floor, chair Mace submitted into the record coalition letters from construction industry groups and taxpayer-protection groups opposing Biden’s PLA policies.

Republican lawmakers such as Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., Eric Burlison, R-Mo., Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wisc., Clay Higgins, R-La., Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., and Rick Allen, R-Ga., all asked important questions of ABC witnesses, while only two Democrats showed up to the hearing and directed all questions to the minority witness from Enerfab.

Check out this hearing recap for links to key video moments of the hearing.

ABC continues to fight for fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects, and we look forward to the courts striking down the Biden final rule soon. Email NoPLAsFed@abc.org for questions or feedback on the hearing.