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ABC Advocates for Fair and Open Competition as U.S. Senators Announce Breakthrough on Infrastructure Negotiations

July 28, 2021

On July 28, U.S. senators announced that they have reached an agreement and support moving forward with legislation on the bipartisan infrastructure framework. The breakthrough in negotiations by the 22 senators involved follows disagreements over legislative issues including pay-fors and transit funding that prevented a deal from emerging earlier.

The bipartisan framework, which reportedly includes nearly $600 billion in new spending on roads, bridges and broadband infrastructure, is said to total roughly $1 trillion in overall investment.

Although a procedural vote to advance the framework to debate is likely to be scheduled later on July 28, the group of senators, led by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, have yet to translate the negotiated framework into public legislative text. The White House recently released a “fact sheet,” calling the deal a “once-in-a-generation investment in our infrastructure, which will be taken up in the Senate for consideration.”

In addition, Senate Democrats continue to insist that the bipartisan infrastructure framework be considered and passed along with a $3.5 trillion social spending package before the August recess. While the bipartisan plan would require 60 votes to pass in the U.S. Senate, Senate Democrats will seek to pass the social spending package through the budget reconciliation process, which only requires 50 votes.

Of note, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has reiterated that the House will not take up either the bipartisan framework or the reconciliation package until the Senate passes both measures.

Meanwhile, ABC continues to advocate for fair and open competition, urging Senate negotiators to oppose government-mandated project labor agreements in infrastructure legislation. Leading the Build America Local coalition, ABC and other construction industry and business organizations continue to educate targeted members of the Senate and the American public about controversial government-mandated project labor agreements, which reduce competition and increase costs for the construction of taxpayer-funded affordable housing, clean energy and infrastructure projects across America.

The Build America Local website houses a variety of educational and social media materials and gives constituents access to a grassroots tool to tell their elected leaders to support local workers and businesses by opposing government-mandated PLAs in federal infrastructure legislation. Learn more about the dangers of PLAs in this 30-second ad, Tell Senators to Oppose PLA Mandates.

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