As Congress nears an agreement on budget reconciliation legislation, APCA President Taylor Dacus sent a letter to congressional leaders on October 28 that offers our industry’s perspective on the consideration of a methane emission fee and of several harmful labor policies.
"APCA strongly objects to including a methane emissions fee/tax in reconciliation legislation," Dacus stated. "This proposal could lead to double taxation of critical members of the energy supply chain that are at the forefront of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including methane."
Dacus added that "new fees or taxes on energy companies will end up raising costs for customers, creating a burden that will fall most heavily on lower-income families and small businesses, which would break President Biden’s promise to pay for reconciliation without taxing lower-income Americans. Imposing more taxes and fees on energy companies will also put more than 100,000 American jobs at risk."
Addressing labor policy, Dacus said, "As an association of merit-shop contractors, APCA cautions against overzealous favoritism for union work at a time when workforce capacity remains a major challenge in all facets of the construction industry."
He focused on language being considered that would unfairly subject individuals to civil penalties by the National Labor Relations Board: "In particular, APCA cannot object strongly enough to proposed language that would subject corporate directors and officers to personal liability for violations, which is a grossly inappropriate overreach on behalf of the NLRB."
APCA is also mobilizing its grassroots lobbying network, urging members and other industry allies to oppose the Build Back Better reconciliation measure as currently proposed, which it calls "a recipe for disaster."
