[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 50 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H1799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS

  (Mr. FAWELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. FAWELL. Mr. Speaker, the Clinton administration is expected to 
issue an Executive order regarding the use of what is called ``project 
labor agreements'' for all Federal and federally funded construction 
projects. This proposal is anticompetitive, it is discriminatory, and 
it is just basically unfair since nonunion construction companies will 
not be eligible to bid on Federal and federally funded construction 
projects.
  The proposed order appears to be yet another attempt by the President 
to change or affect Federal laws by executive fiat rather than through 
the normal legislative process.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a matter of basic American fairness. Republicans 
and Democrats alike should be concerned about this proposed Executive 
order. Bids to perform Government work should be based on sound, 
credible criteria such as quality of work, experience, and cost, not 
union affiliation and not whether the bidder is a union or nonunion 
construction company. President Clinton's initiative is unfair and 
discriminatory and goes in the opposite direction of fair and merit-
based competition. It will exacerbate already strained relations 
between management and labor in this Nation and between the Congress 
and the administration. I would implore the President to reconsider his 
intentions here.

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