Key Vote Letter Opposing an Amendment that may be Offered to Strike Section 415 from H.R. 2055, the "Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2012"

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, urges you to oppose an amendment that may be offered to strike section 415 from H.R. 2055, the “Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2012.” Section 415 would prohibit funds from being used under this bill to require contractors to enter into project labor agreements on large scale federal construction projects.

Executive Order 13502 strongly urges federal agencies to mandate use of project labor agreements on federal construction contracts where the cost to the government is $25 million or more. Time and again, project labor agreements have been shown to decrease the pool of qualified contractors that will bid on federal contracts and have led to significant cost increases. Mandated project labor agreements also discriminate against contractors that are not unionized and employees who have exercised their rights to refrain from joining a union.

Fortunately, when H.R. 2055 was considered in the Appropriations Committee, it adopted an amendment by Representative Flake adding section 415 that prohibits appropriated funds from being used to mandate imposition of project labor agreements pursuant to the Executive Order.

The Chamber urges you to oppose any amendment that would strike Section 415. Due to the critical importance of this issue to the business community, the Chamber may consider votes on, or in relation to, this issue on our annual How They Voted scorecard.

Sincerely,
R. Bruce Josten