At Íæż½ã½ã's National and Chapter Leadership Conference, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) took time out of his busy schedule, even as he was negotiating a critical government funding bill, to address association leaders. Despite the high-stakes environment on Capitol Hill, Johnson made it a priority to be with the Íæż½ã½ã attendees, recognizing the vital role the construction industry plays in job creation and economic growth. His presence and message were a clear sign of his commitment to advancing policies that support construction professionals and the broader economy.
On Wednesday, September 25th, Íæż½ã½ã of America welcomed Íæż½ã½ã chapter government relations staff from across the country to Íæż½ã½ã’s annual Government Relations Summit. The summit provides an opportunity for Íæż½ã½ã chapters to discuss the top government relations issues they are facing back home. Over twenty chapters were represented at the summit, which was held at Íæż½ã½ã of America’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
Íæż½ã½ã is excited to announce that Speaker Mike Johnson has agreed to speak to Íæż½ã½ã Leadership later this month. Every year Íæż½ã½ã holds the National Chapter Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. The event is designed for Chapter Presidents, Vice Presidents and Chapter Executives, to provide Íæż½ã½ã chapter leaders a forum to network, discuss challenges and share real solutions with other chapter officers.
Next week the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate are set to return from their August recess and will immediately begin debate on funding the federal government before current funding expires at the end of September. As Íæż½ã½ã has previously reported, this is one of the last must pass items on the agenda ahead of the November elections.
On August 2, 2024, Íæż½ã½ã of America filed an amicus brief in a case concerning the scope of the "building and construction industry" exemption from multiemployer pension fund withdrawal liability under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The case, Walker Specialty Construction, Inc. v. Construction Industry & Laborers Joint Pension Trust for Southern Nevada et al. is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The brief supports Walker Specialty Construction’s (Walker) argument that demolition and abatement work fall within the exemption.
In the last few years there has been a lot of action on environmental review and permitting reform. Whether it is new rules issued by the Biden Administration or reforms pushed by Congress, Íæż½ã½ã has all of the details to help you understand them.
Successful Outcome Could Block Federal Officials from Including Project Labor Agreement (PLA) Mandate in Projects Valued over $35 million
Íæż½ã½ã of America (Íæż½ã½ã) celebrates a significant legal victory in its ongoing efforts to protect members from overreaching federal regulations. On June 24, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Lubbock granted Íæż½ã½ã’s motion for a nationwide preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking Íæż½ã½ã-challenged provisions to a rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) expanding coverage of the Davis-Bacon Act.