Statement
Rep. Connie Mack (FL-14)
Mark-up of the Water Quality Investment Act
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Thank you Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to talk about this bill today.

I cannot sit back and allow this Committee to mark-up legislation including Davis-Bacon provisions without expressing my extreme disappointment.

That is why I am introducing an amendment to strip all Davis-Bacon prevailing wage provisions from this bill.

This bill expands the Davis-Bacon provision by forcing any project funded even in part by the State Revolving Loan Fund to be subject to the prevailing wage requirements.

In 1987, the Clean Water Act stated that Davis-Bacon rates would only apply to contracts where direct federal dollars were used.

This increased cost from the expanded application of Davis-Bacon translates into fewer projects, fewer jobs, and less progress towards providing clean water.

This policy is a throwback to failed Depression-era economic policy.

This is fiscally irresponsible.

We need to make certain that our county has safe, accessible and modern infrastructure and that we foster a competitive environment that enables businesses to hire the workers they need to meet these goals.

In short, Davis-Bacon means fewer jobs for fewer workers at a time when we want more people to have more opportunity.

I would hope that this Congress would once and for all eliminate this antiquated barrier to job creation in the private sector.