Political Quotes

“The DOD does a lot of construction projects--this bill is certainly a testament to that--and these are often complex projects. They build facilities that are used to repair ships or store munitions, and usually when we read about large, complex construction projects, it is often in the context of delays or cost overruns or concerns on the workforce front. Folks want to see local opportunities on local projects. Now, a project labor agreement allows Federal agencies to negotiate exclusively with the building trades to ensure both union and open shop contractors are able to participate on the project. The agreement establishes quality worksite conditions and works to ensure construction is finished on time and under budget. When executed properly, PLAs are flexible, and they encourage participation from a wide variety of prime and subcontractors. In fact, PLAs are used on big, private projects. Look at every significant hotel project, casino project, stadium project. I worked professionally in economic development before I came here. These project labor agreements were vital to seeing projects happen. Why? Because they save money and because they keep projects on schedule and because they use local workers. You have seen the first project labor agreement in Navy history in my district--just one, mind you. What is the outcome?…”