(Washington, DC)-Rep. Jason Altmire (PA-4), a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, today voted to protect western Pennsylvania's working families by voting against the Baker-King Amendment to H.R. 720, Reauthorizing the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.  The amendment would have struck provisions of the bill that apply Davis-Bacon to water infrastructure projects financed under the fund.  Davis-Bacon requires paying workers on federally-funded construction projects the prevailing wage of the local workforce where the project is being undertaken. 

By voting against the amendment, Rep. Altmire helped preserve a long-standing practice by Congress of applying Davis-Bacon provisions to construction projects that are federally funded.  Congress has applied Davis-Bacon to federally-financed construction in 63 separate instances. 

"Western Pennsylvania's hard-working families are struggling to make ends meet in the face of stagnant incomes and the rising costs of health care, energy and college tuition," said Rep. Altmire.   "It is our responsibility to these families to ensure that workers on federally-funded projects are being paid a fair wage.  By requiring prevailing wages, local contractors and local workers are better able to compete on equal footing with lower-cost, out-of-state competitors."

The amendment to H.R. 720 failed by a vote of 140 to 280.