SMACNA Outlines Policy Priorities to Incoming Trump Administration

SMACNA has reached out to the incoming Trump Administration to share SMACNA’s membership priority policy issues and communicate the Association’s desire to work with the President-Elect to advance them in the coming years. The priorities and policy recommendations that were outlined to the Trump Transition Team include the following: 

• Promote Sound Infrastructure Policies to replace our nation’s aging infrastructure
• Enact Permanent Business Equipment and Capital Formation Tax Incentives
• Protect and Enforce Contracting Prevailing Wage Laws 
• Reform Change Order Rules on Federal Construction Projects
• Upgrade Fire Life Safety in All Federal and Federally Assisted Facilities 
• Modernize Retirement Plan Options through federal authorization of composite plans
• Prepare the Next Generation of Skilled Workers with registered apprenticeship programs
• Invest in Energy Efficient Buildings and enforce strong and attainable building codes
• Enhance Manufacturing Construction Activity and Operational Efficiency 
• Invest in the Conversion of Commercial to Residential Buildings
• Provide Tax Incentives to Upgrade Air Quality in Non-Residential Buildings 
• Support Responsible Employers Through Bid Listing 
• Support and Enact the SAFE Banking Reform Act
• Close Employee Misclassification Loophole through reform of existing tax law 
• Recognition of “TABB” Certification of Testing, Adjusting, Balancing (TAB) Technicians 

In a letter to the incoming Administration, Stan Kolbe, SMACNA’s Executive Director of Government and Political Affairs, stated, “As you know, there has been widespread bipartisan support for almost every one of these commonsense policies in the 118th Congress. With the Administration's endorsement, we are confident these legislative initiatives will enjoy even wider bipartisan support in the incoming 119th Congress.” Kolbe continued, “…I am sure you would agree that SMACNA and its industry-leading firms and highly trained and skilled workforce are best qualified to handle the most challenging and complex federal and federally assisted projects now under construction and on the horizon in the years ahead.”

SMACNA is hopeful that we can work with the incoming administration to continue the forward momentum on many of the topics outlined in the documents sent to the Administration over the past few years. 

To review SMACNA’s letter to the transition team, click here. To read SMACNA’s Policy Position Document, click here. To read SMACNA’s Transition Proposal, click here.