Mitch Landrieu: “I know people are going to debate about Davis-Bacon, but I just want to tell the American people this point: When the…”

“I know people are going to debate about Davis-Bacon, but I just want to tell the American people this point: When the President issued the order and basically said, right after Katrina, waive all the labor laws that allow people to be paid a fair wage, he said he was doing that to save money. How does one save money on a no- bid contract? If a contract is not being put out for bid, how does one save any money? All that happens is wages of the people who need them the most at a time when they have lost everything are driven down. They are not asking for charity. They are not asking for a handout. They stood up to get a job to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, and still were basically under the administrative rules of waiving Davis-Bacon, lack of oversight and lack of focus, and have basically been asked to leave the military base. So I hope that in the few weeks ahead, we can get these electricians back on the job, back to their homes, back to their neighborhoods to rebuild, and build some support in this Chamber and around America for paying people a decent wage. I do not think $22 is too much. I do not expect people to rebuild Louisiana at a minimum wage or $8 or $9 an hour without benefits. People have to make a living. That amounts to about $45,000 a year. Is that too much to pay someone working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, doing hard and sometimes dangerous work? I don't think so.…”