• Transportation Committee chairman and ranking member vow to help bring amendment to House floor for debate
WASHINGTON, DC, Mar. 9, 2009 -- Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14) announced that he plans to offer an amendment to the Water Quality Financing Act on the House floor this week that would strip language requiring contractors to pay prevailing wages for projects financed by the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
During House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup of the Water Quality Financing Act last week, Mack offered an amendment stripping Davis-Bacon wage requirements out of the bill. He withdrew the amendment after Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica pledged to help him offer an amendment to the bill on the House floor this week.
Mack said: "Washington shouldn't mandate that states and communities must pay prevailing wages to all contractors because it reduces the ability to fund much-needed projects. States need flexibility in order to complete these important projects in a cost-effective manner.
"Davis-Bacon wage requirements translate into fewer projects, fewer jobs, and less progress towards providing clean water. This provision should be stripped from the bill altogether so that we foster a competitive environment that enables more jobs for more workers.
"I want to thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica for offering to help me bring this amendment to the House floor. While I realize that Chairman Oberstar won't support the amendment, I do appreciate his willingness to bring it to the floor so Members will have an opportunity to debate this important issue."
The House Rules Committee is expected to meet on Tuesday to decide whether or not to allow Mack to offer his amendment.
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