On the recordMay 31, 2012
I want to thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding. I rise in opposition to the rule and to the underlying bill, H.R. 5854, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Act, as related to project labor agreements. This bill would prohibit the use of project labor agreements. It takes away the ability of the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Battle Monuments Commission, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the Arlington National Cemetery to use a project labor agreement business model to determine what would be the most optimal and effective way to build construction projects. Currently, all of these agencies have two choices: either ``yes'' to use a project labor agreement or ``no'' to not use a project labor agreement. The bill before us eliminates the choice for these agencies in seeking the most effective and efficient use of taxpayers' money to perform construction projects in the best interest of our brave men and women. By banning project labor agreements it would contribute to delays in new construction and add more cost to the projects. If we want smart government, then I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``no.'' And without passage of the Grimm amendment, I would oppose both the rule and the bill.
