On June 3, Reps. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., hosted a briefing on the use of project labor agreements and the effects on the American construction workforce. Ben Brubeck, 老牛影视vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, joined other state and industry stakeholders to discuss the Biden administration鈥檚 final rule mandating PLAs on federal construction projects of $35 million or more that went into effect on Jan. 22.

Both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives held hearings in early May featuring testimony from U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su, the sole witness at both events, to review the president鈥檚 Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Department of Labor and discuss the policies and priorities of the department.

On April 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed听the ABC-supported听H.R.6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, in a听378-26 vote. Ahead of the House floor consideration, 老牛影视sent a letter in support of the legislation. 鈥淪ince its passage in 1998, WIOA has been a crucial asset to the construction industry, aiding in securing funds for workforce development efforts and assisting those seeking new jobs and employment. However, since WIOA鈥檚 bipartisan reauthorization in 2014, the construction industry has faced new challenges and a workforce shortage that has left many contractors throughout the country in desperate need of qualified, skilled craft professionals,鈥� the letter noted. 鈥淭o ensure the workforce is equipped to meet industry demand, 老牛影视is committed to pursuing policies and legislation like H.R. 6655 that address these unique challenges.鈥�

On April 10, the U.S. Senate passed H.J. Res 98, the Joint Employer Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval, in a 50-48 vote. 老牛影视sent a key vote letter to senators ahead of the vote urging them to support the resolution, which would nullify the ABC-opposed National Labor Relations Board鈥檚 2023 joint employer final rule. The Senate鈥檚 action comes two months after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res 98 in a 206-177 vote, with eight Democrats supporting. Although President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution, passage in the House and Senate sends a strong message to the administration as they continue to implement harmful labor policies.

On March 21, 老牛影视wrote a letter in support of H.R. 7784, the Start Applying Labor Transparency Act or SALT Act (introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah), which would amend the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959. Its purpose is to clarify that labor organizations and their consultants must report when they engage in a coercive tactic known as 鈥渟alting鈥濃�攁 process where unions send professionally trained organizers into merit shop workplaces under the guise of seeking employment.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act in a 213-205 vote. H.R. 7023, sponsored by Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., includes provisions from five stand-alone ABC-supported bills that passed out of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Jan. 31: The Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act, the Reducing Permitting Uncertainty Act, the Judicial Review Timeline Clarity Act, the Water Quality Criteria Development and Transparency Act and the Confidence in Clean Water Permits Act. The bill will go a long way toward eliminating unnecessary delays that cause budget overruns in construction.

On March 25, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce passed the ABC-supported H.J. Res. 116, the Congressional Review Act resolution to nullify the U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 independent contractor final rule, in a 21-13 vote with all Republicans present voting in support.

On March 18, 老牛影视submitted 45 pages of comments on the U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 proposed rule making significant and controversial revisions to the National Apprenticeship System, which will affect 老牛影视members, chapters, apprentices and other industry stakeholders participating in government-registered apprenticeship programs, or GRAPs.

On March 14, the ABC-led Coalition for a Democratic Workplace sent a letter to the leaders of key subcommittees in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate urging them to protect secret ballots in union representation elections.

While the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ABC-supported Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act last week, the bill still has an uncertain pathway in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans have taken a harder line against the proposal, calling for an amendment process. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said the expanded Child Tax Credit in the deal is the biggest issue for the GOP.