From FCA International – March 31, 2023
FCA International is in strong opposition to H.R. 720, the “Davis-Bacon Repeal Act.” Rather than providing any benefits to taxpayers or the economy, repealing Davis-Bacon would do nothing more than create a race to the bottom in the construction industry to the detriment of working men and women across this country.
The Davis-Bacon Act was enacted more than 90 years ago to provide a level playing field for local contractors and subcontractors, by protecting them from losing out on federal projects to “outside contractors…who recruited labor from distant cheap labor areas.” Specifically, the Act requires that on most federally funded projects, workers are to be paid a minimum of the prevailing wage for the area in which the work will be performed as determined by the Department of Labor.
The Davis-Bacon Act’s guarantee of prevailing wages not only benefits contractors, workers, and their communities, it also supports the types of quality workforce training, project safety, and productivity that prevents delays, repairs, and re-dos of projects and the associated costs they entail. In so doing, the Act provides taxpayers with the best long-term value by ensuring that federally funded projects are built to the highest standards using skilled and well-trained construction craftspeople.
FCA believes efforts to repeal Davis-Bacon are misguided. Previous efforts to repeal the law have faced bipartisan opposition and failed. FCA is urging Congressional representatives to oppose H.R. 720, and we will continue advocating for signatory contractors on Capitol Hill to keep this bill from becoming law.
