The Associated Builders and Contractors is supporting a bill that it says would increase competition on federally funded construction contracts.

The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act, sponsored by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), would ban the government from requiring project-labor agreements.

“Project labor agreement mandates restrict competition from qualified contractors and drive up costs to taxpayers by excluding the 86.1 percent of the U.S. private construction workforce that chooses not to belong to a labor union from working on these projects unless they join a union or pay union dues and fees,” said ABC director of labor and federal procurement Ben Brubeck. “By removing federal agencies’ ability to require these discriminatory agreements, Rep. Mulvaney’s commonsense legislation will increase competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects and ensure that taxpayers get the best possible construction at the greatest value. Today’s action by the committee follows the momentum built at the state and local level to eliminate these crony contracting schemes.”