Congress Should Reform Flawed Wage Determinations Before Expanding Davis-Bacon in the Lieberman-Warner Bill


 

Publication Date: June 2008

Publisher: Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): James Sherk

Research Area: Environment; Labor

Keywords: Labor; Labor; lieberman-warner; construction

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

Three sections of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008 (S. 3036) would extend the reach of the Davis-Bacon Act into private-sector construction. Under Davis-Bacon, Congress requires federal construction contractors to pay "prevailing" wages to prevent the government's buying power from forcing down wages of construction workers.