Larson Offers Amendments to Ensure Fair Contracting and Union Jobs at Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) offered two amendments to ensure a fair contracting process and a Project Labor Agreement for construction of the new Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. Larson has been a strong supporter of the bipartisan effort in Congress to build a Women's History Museum and a National Museum of the American Latino. Republicans walked away from this process, attempting to give President Trump unprecedented power over the Women's History Museum, including the erasure of all transgender representation, and rejecting the Latino museum entirely. Republicans on the House Rules Committee voted as a bloc to reject Larson's amendments, overcoming Democratic objections to this hijacked process for political gain.

Following revelations that Donald Trump pushed a $7 million no-bid contract to somebody who worked on his swimming pools, in an effort to turn the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue, Larson's first amendment would prohibit the Board of Regents and other Federal agencies from awarding contracts for the planning, design, or construction of a building for the Museum unless they provide full and open competition. Full text is available HERE.

"As Donald Trump continues to try to fleece taxpayers out of billions of dollars to pay off his companies, fund his golden ballroom, and create a Reflecting Pool rush job for his business ally, Congress must protect the bidding process from these corrupt dealings," said Larson. "My amendment will save taxpayer dollars and make sure the best possible museum is built by ensuring a full and open competition for this contract. Shamefully, my Republican colleagues voted to reject this common-sense, good government amendment, and continue to enable Trump's endless grift."

Larson's second amendment would require any entity responsible for building or construction activity for the Museum to enter into a Project Labor Agreement (PLA). Rep. Larson recently helped negotiate a federal determinationrequiring a PLA for the federal courthouse project in Hartford - securing hundreds of good-paying, union construction jobs in the city. Full text is available HERE.

"Big Business and their allies at all levels, from city halls to the White House, will always try to cut labor out of the bidding process for construction jobs," Larson continued. "Elected leaders should never use their influence to deny good-paying, union jobs to the people they are sworn to serve. Our amendment will make sure the President and his hand-picked allies overseeing the construction of the Women's History Museum cannot put their thumb on the scale. Requiring a Project Labor Agreement is a key step for workers to be fairly compensated, and ensure the project is cost effective and completed on time. While my amendment was rejected today, I will not stop fighting for the pay, benefits, and contracts our workers deserve."