[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN OPPOSITION TO THE QUAYLE-BROUN AMENDMENT (#224) TO H.R. 1 AND IN 
           SUPPORT OF DAVIS-BACON PREVAILING WAGE PROTECTION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2011

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Quayle-Broun 
amendment.
  This amendment would strip away Davis-Bacon wage protections in 
Hawaii and nationwide.
  Enacted in 1931, the Davis-Bacon Act ensures that workers on federal 
construction contracts receive at least the prevailing wage for 
construction jobs.
  The Davis-Bacon Act ensures projects are built by skilled and 
experienced workers who know what they're doing. Prevailing wages and 
higher-skilled work result in greater productivity and lower cost.
  In industries without Davis-Bacon protections, we have seen 
unscrupulous contractors engage in a ``race to the bottom,'' trying to 
undercut each other to perform shoddy work, with less-skilled workers, 
at sub-par wages. These projects often end up costing more in the long-
run due to repairs, revisions, and delays.
  Some claim that Davis-Bacon costs the federal government more. On the 
contrary, studies show that higher-wage workers are more productive, 
saving hundreds of millions of dollars in the long run.
  Construction workers who build highways, homes, or buildings should 
be able to earn enough to feed their families, put a roof over their 
heads, and send their kids to college. Beyond just helping workers and 
their families, prevailing wages improve local economies. Workers spend 
their income in local businesses and pay local taxes.
  Workers participate in building trades training programs and health 
care programs and are not dependent on benefits from other social 
programs. One study found that local prevailing wage law generated 2.4 
times the economic benefit of the cost of the construction project.
  I strongly support Davis-Bacon protections and oppose this misguided 
amendment. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

                          ____________________