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Recently, a delegation from Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama joined over 400 construction and business leaders from across the nation at ABC Legislative Conference 2024 in Washington, D.C.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson, R-La., Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Jesse Waters, host of Jesse Watters Primetime and co-host of The Five on FOX News, were among the speakers at the conference.
“This year’s Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. was truly outstanding,” ABC of Alabama Chair Mark Mattox, Vice President of Robins & Morton in Homewood, said. “We devoted time to our key priorities, including advancing merit shop construction and our legislative agenda. In addition to strategizing ways to bring value to our members, we had the opportunity to speak directly with our elected representatives and their staffs.”
ABC Alabama members met with Alabama’s federal delegation. They discussed reducing regulatory overreach, workforce development strategies, implementing a new market-driven visa program that addresses our legal immigration workforce needs while disincentivizing illegal immigration, and other items on its legislative agenda.
“They listened intently as we shared our perspectives on the issues facing our industry, and they conveyed their optimism for the future. This is why it is so important that our members join us in D.C. each year. We want our collective voice to be heard and the needs of the construction industry to be prioritized during the legislative process,” said Mattox.
ABC Alabama is the leading voice promoting free enterprise in the construction industry. ABC Alabama encourages fair and open competition, with construction contracts awarded based solely on merit, regardless of labor affiliation. Visiting Capitol Hill allows ABC Alabama and its members to discuss these broader goals and specific policy items with our delegation.
Following the trip, Tim Harrison, president of Harrison Construction in Tuscaloosa, said, “Our annual trip to D.C. always provides the Alabama executive team with valuable insight on the overall mindset of the Alabama legislators who serve us in our Capitol. Our federal representatives genuinely appreciate our input and our position on the issues we discussed with them during our trip. I personally believe that we do ‘move the needle’ in favor of our agenda.”
Allen Harris, CEO of Bailey-Harris Construction in Auburn, said, “At the ABC National Board of Directors meeting during the legislative conference, it was reassuring to see the like-mindedness of the group of several hundred members. And not only that; the dozens of opinions shared at the mic were respectfully heard in the spirit of family and brotherhood.”
ABC Alabama represents the construction industry, which is integral to Alabama’s economy. It creates 200,000 jobs and accounts for 5 percent of the state’s economic output. ABC is committed to advocating on behalf of the industry and its workers.
