Advocacy
As a business owner in the mechanical contracting industry, you already juggle enough—projects, workforce management, regulations, and keeping up with an ever-changing market. But what happens in Washington, D.C. directly impacts your bottom line. The CEA National Issues Conference is your chance to influence the policies affecting your business, rather than just reacting to them after they’re set. This is your chance to shape the future of the mechanical contracting industry. Don’t just watch the change—be part of it. Register today!
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
As a business owner in the mechanical contracting industry, you already juggle enough—projects, workforce management, regulations, and keeping up with an ever-changing market. But what happens in Washington, D.C. directly impacts your bottom line. The CEA National Issues Conference is your chance to influence the policies affecting your business, rather than just reacting to them after they’re set. This is your chance to shape the future of the mechanical contracting industry. Don’t just watch the change—be part of it. Register today!
An analysis of more than 2,500 bids on 773 Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) building projects between 2017 and 2023 has found that project labor agreements (PLAs) increased bid competition by an average of 14 percent, with each additional bid increasing the likelihood that projects would be awarded below their official engineer’s estimates by 6 percent. The report was published by researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) and the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
As a business owner in the mechanical contracting industry, you already juggle enough—projects, workforce management, regulations, and keeping up with an ever-changing market. But what happens in Washington, D.C. directly impacts your bottom line. The CEA National Issues Conference is your chance to influence the policies affecting your business, rather than just reacting to them after they’re set. This is your chance to shape the future of the mechanical contracting industry. Don’t just watch the change—be part of it. Register today!
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
As a business owner in the mechanical contracting industry, you already juggle enough—projects, workforce management, regulations, and keeping up with an ever-changing market. But what happens in Washington, D.C. directly impacts your bottom line. The CEA National Issues Conference is your chance to influence the policies affecting your business, rather than just reacting to them after they’re set. This is your chance to shape the future of the mechanical contracting industry. Don’t just watch the change—be part of it. Register today!
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
U.S. District Court Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas paused litigation over the MCAA-supported Biden-era final rule entitled, “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations.” The pause comes in response to a request from the Trump Administration for time for new Department of Labor leadership “to review this litigation, including the claims that the plaintiffs have asserted in challenging the Rule.” The Trump Administration said it will provide an update on its plans for the rule in 90 days. In August 2023, Judge Sam Cummings of the Northern District of Texas granted a preliminary injunction sought by the Associated General Contractors of America and its members blocking the rule’s expanded application to truck drivers and material suppliers. The court found that the expansion was likely illegal because the Davis-Bacon Act only applies to “mechanics and laborers employed directly on the site of the work.” The case is Associated General Contractors of America et al v. DOL.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Acquisition and Logistics issued a class deviation waiving the application of Federal Acquisition regulations implementing President Biden’s project labor agreements (PLA) Executive Order on current and future solicitations for large-scale construction contracts expected to cost $35 million or more. The deviation is justified by the January 19, 2025 U.S. Court of Claims ruling on several bid protests finding the implementation of the Biden PLA Executive Order violated “full and open competition” requirements under federal procurement law.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a freeze on several energy efficiency rules enacted during the Biden administration, marking a significant shift in policy. The freeze will apply to a range of appliances, including products that were a focal point for industry stakeholders, such as MCAA, the United Association (UA) and other concerned groups.
On February 13, 2025, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL-12), and Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) reintroduced the bipartisan “Water Infrastructure Subcontractor and Taxpayer Protection Act,” a critical piece of legislation designed to ensure timely completion and protection for workers on federally financed water infrastructure projects. This bill, which aims to require primary contractors working on such projects to hold surety bonds, ensures that local sponsors and subcontractors are compensated in the event of contractor default before project completion.
On Friday February 7th, the U.S. Department of Defense Undersecretary of Acquisition signed an order directing all Pentagon contracting officers (COs) to remove language creating a presumption favoring use of a project labor agreement (PLA) in solicitations for large scale construction projects valued at $35 million or more and to revise all existing solicitations consistent with this Directive. The Undersecretary’s Directive also applies to Army Corps of Engineers Projects.
As a business owner in the mechanical contracting industry, you already juggle enough—projects, workforce management, regulations, and keeping up with an ever-changing market. But what happens in Washington, D.C. directly impacts your bottom line. The CEA National Issues Conference is your chance to influence the policies affecting your business, rather than just reacting to them after they’re set. This is your chance to shape the future of the mechanical contracting industry. Don’t just watch the change—be part of it. Register today!
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
On February 6, 2025, Daniel Bunn, President & CEO of the Tax Foundation, provided an in-depth analysis of expected federal policy changes during the second Trump administration during an MCAA webinar. A recording of the session, which was moderated by Jim Gaffney and Chuck Daniel, is now available. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from a leading expert in the field.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) entitled Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity. The new EO rescinds President Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 EO 11246, which authorized the affirmative action obligations federal contractors have complied with for almost 60 years.
On February 6, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. EST, Daniel Bunn, President & CEO of the Tax Foundation, will provide an in-depth analysis of expected federal policy changes during the second Trump administration. The session will be moderated by Jim Gaffney and Chuck Daniel. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from a leading expert in the field.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) applauds President-elect Trump for his nomination of Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to be the next Secretary of Labor. Given the impact of the Labor Department on a wide range of critical issues, we urge the U.S. Senate to act quickly next year to confirm Chavez-DeRemer to this important leadership position.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting your livelihood and setting the stage for a bright future, MCAA has secured the services of Longbow Public Policy Group to advise our MCAA Government Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC Chair, Jim Gaffney will be passing along information relative to our industry on a regular basis.
Regardless of where one falls on the political spectrum, the fascinating 2024 presidential and congressional elections will continue to be studied by historians and political scientists a century from today. With the results now in, MCAA was excited to discuss this election with one of the nation’s premier thought leaders and political data experts, Karlyn Bowman. This webinar, recorded on Friday, November 22, 2024, was moderated by Jim Gaffney, Chair of MCAA’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC) and CEO of Goshen Mechanical in West Chester, Pa., alongside Chuck Daniel, MCAA’s Senior Advisor.