On Eve of Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary, ABIC Action Urges President Biden to Let Immigrants Get Work Permits to Stem Labor Shortage
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WASHINGTON – During a press conference hosted on Tuesday by ABIC Action, business leaders called on President Biden to immediately deal with the labor shortages that still exist across the nation, or risk not having enough workers to complete major projects in his “Investing In America” agenda. The remarks by business owners and associations in the construction and trades industries came as the White House celebrates this week the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which is a major part of the president’s initiative.
The best short-term solution is for the president to use his authority to expand work permits to immigrants — new arrivals and those who have been contributing to the U.S. economy for decades without authorization.
“The U.S. labor shortage makes it difficult for businesses to grow or even bid on government or private contracts and projects,” said James O’Neill, Director of Legislative Affairs at ABIC Action. “While the economy improves, the labor shortage persists.”
Donnie Gibson, President of Civil Werx LLC in Nevada, addressed the necessity for immigrant labor. “We’re due to see an entire generation of elder tradesmen hit retirement age en masse and we are nowhere close to meeting the need for their replacement,” Gibson said. ”It’s time to begin calling this talent shortage what it is: an economic emergency. It’s time we recognized other talent pools, and there is a great argument for employing a motivated immigrant population,” Gibson added.
While Brian Turmail, Vice President of Public Affairs & Strategic Initiatives at Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), highlighted the importance of providing safe and ethical access to employees: “As important as rebuilding the domestic pipeline for preparing construction workers is, we need to appreciate that those efforts will take time to produce results. In the meantime, federal officials need to allow more people with construction skills to lawfully enter the country.”
In addition to the IRA, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act enacted in 2021 and another pillar of Biden’s “Investing In America” program, which dedicates hundreds of billions of dollars in public and private spending on infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, broadband and energy improvements.
However, the massive program faces a major challenge: the lack of workers, especially in the construction and trades industries. At the end of May, there were 28 states with job opening rates above the national rate of 5.9%. For example, Georgia peaked at 7% and only had 54 workers for every one-hundred open jobs. With an aging population and not enough young people interested in taking on these jobs, many states and business leaders are having a difficult time filling the gaps in their workforces.
Lisa Winton, CEO of Winton Machine Company in Georgia added: “My business and my state need President Biden to use his authority under current law to expand work permits for immigrant workers, including those who have been contributing to the U.S. economy for years but do not have work permits. And let us be clear: A presidential administration has the authority to do this if it would result in a significant public benefit to the U.S., and it surely would.”
The effort to expand workforce authorization is part of the growing discussion initiated earlier this year by Republican Governors Spencer Cox (UT) and Eric Holcomb (IN) to let states issue permits. This legal memo prepared by Greenberg Traurig LLP and ABIC Action lays out the legal basis for Parole and State-Sponsored Work Authorization.
This bipartisan solution is already circulating through a letter penned to President Biden, signed by more than 120 business leaders, calling for this workforce authorization expansion. By doing so, the administration would allow industries such as construction and infrastructure to get the workers they need to utilize the IRA and other programs to their fullest potential.
ABOUT
The American Business Immigration Coalition Action (ABIC Action) was created to mobilize the power of American businesses and the general public to promote and advocate for sensible immigration solutions. ABIC Action will develop and advocate for legislation, regulations, and government programs that promote common-sense state and federal immigration reform to benefit the people and economy of our country. ABIC Action operates under federal income tax under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).