During , the U.S. Senate’s unique tradition which gives senators a chance to have votes on numerous amendments to the Senate’s must-pass budget resolution, the an amendment containing language banning government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs).

Amendment 665, (R-Ariz.) to the Senate Budget, would establish a “spending-neutral reserve fund relating to prohibiting the awarding of construction contracts based on awardees entering or not entering into agreements with labor organizations.” 

The Flake amendment passed 51-49 with GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski (AK), Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Steve Daines (Mt.) voting against it with all Democrats, and the Senate passed their budget March 27 with a vote of 52-46.

Even though the amendment and budget votes are nonbinding, it reflects the will of the Senate and is important to ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓbecause it is the first time the Senate has ever approved a legislative effort to prohibit government-mandated PLAs.

This bodes well for the future of ABC-priority legislative efforts in the 114th Congress to restrict government-mandated PLAs, such as the (/), introduced by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) and Sen David Vitter (R-La.), or via amendments to forthcoming appropriations bills.