Construction trade group leaders look forward to new leadership under Trump: 'Relief on the horizon'
Leaders from two of the nation's top construction trade groups told Fox News Digital they are looking forward to the new Trump administration with hopes their industry will be burdened by fewer regulations and policies enacted under President Biden that they said stymied additional growth in their sector.
On Monday, the Biden administration touted the addition of 1.6 million new construction and manufacturing jobs. However, Ben Brubeck, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Associated Builders and Contractors, cautioned that beneath this seemingly big announcement, "the growth can be much better if we're in the right economic and policy environment."
Brubeck said his association's members have broadly indicated disappointment at the opportunities available to them under various Biden administration programs, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IJA), the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
"We survey our members on a pretty regular basis, and the number of members who reported participation in the IJA- and CHIPS- and IRA- and ARPA-funded projects has been pretty — it's been low," Brubeck said. "It's been less than expected."
Brubeck pointed to the fact that it has taken a long time for the money from these programs to be disbursed due to burdensome regulations, such as permitting requirements. He also pointed to oppressive labor policies, such as project labor agreements and increased borrowing costs as other elements that have added to less growth than could have been seen otherwise under President Biden.
Brian Turmail, the vice president of public affairs and workforce for the Associated General Contractors of America, also noted the failure of Biden's major construction investments due to regulations and review processes.
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"Our analysis is [the Biden administration] kind of got in their own way affecting the market, because they couldn't help themselves but to put in so many kinds of social and environmental rules on top of their funding that they slowed down the progress they so desperately wanted to see," Turmail said. He also pointed out that the administration "put a lot of new strings" on semiconductor plant construction that has stymied growth.
Turmail and Brubeck said they have hopes growth in the construction sector will ramp up under the Trump administration as companies manage their way through federal requirements enacted under Biden and see others potentially rolled back.
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"The irony is that, by the time President Trump comes back into office, we do anticipate a big bump up in infrastructure construction," Turmail said. "Because all those projects where they've announced funding over the last two to three years will finally clear their environmental hurdle and begin construction."
"Our federal contractors are completely on the sidelines right now for these large-scale projects, and this all started at the beginning of the year in January," Brubeck added. "So, they're really excited for the potential of regulatory relief on the horizon as a result of the Trump administration coming in."
The White House did not provide Fox News Digital with an on-the-record comment in time for publication.