STREAMLINING CLAIMS PROCESSING FOR FEDERAL CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES ACT
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia: Mr. Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the kind remarks about the gen tle lady from California. She has had an excellent career in Congress, and has elected not to return. We will certainly miss her and her advocacy for those most in need.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the pending legislation. H.R. 6371, the Streamlining Claims Processing for Federal Contractor Employees Act, will transfer certain responsibilities for overseeing and administering the Davis-Bacon Act from the Government Accountability Office to the Department of Labor.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the gentleman from Michigan that this is a sensible and technical fix since the Department of Labor is responsible for many aspects of enforcing prevailing wage law. This change will allow for greater efficiency in the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections and will help ensure that workers receive unpaid wages as quickly as possible.
The gentleman from Michigan has pointed out that we should always promote streamlined and efficient government. That's why I'm particularly disappointed that this bill does not also transfer GAO's debarment authority under the Davis-Bacon Act. Moving that additional function would place more enforcement functions under one roof.
Mr. Speaker, I support Davis-Bacon because it provides protections to contractors and subcontractors working on federally funded contracts. The most obvious protection is that it requires all contractors and subcontractors to pay the prevailing wage, denying unfair competition to those contractors who underpay their employees. Davis-Bacon protections prevent government spending from driving down living standards. Improved productivity on projects with prevailing wage application offsets higher wages. Furthermore, better-skilled workers attracted by the higher wages are likely to complete the jobs more efficiently and with higher-quality work. Studies have shown that construction workers in prevailing wage States produce 13 to 15 percent more value added from their work compared to workers in States without prevailing wage laws.
Now I recognized that everyone does not agree with the underlying principles of the Davis-Bacon Act. However, regardless of one's position on the underlying law, we can all agree that the law ought to be administered as efficiently as possible. That's why I rise in support of H.R. 6371, and thank the gentleman from Michigan for introducing the bill.