Traditionally, Congress is not in session in August, as members of Congress are eager to depart the heat and humidity of the nation’s capital to return to their home states and congressional districts.
This year however, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate were in session to approve important measures to advance both infrastructure legislation and the budget resolution that provides the legislative framework for President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan.
As a result of the work performed by Congress in August, September is the month for Congress to complete its work on these important legislative proposals.
For our affiliated Insulator Union members and our union contractors, this is an exciting time as Congress is working on clean energy and infrastructure legislation that will generate work for us.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure legislation contains historic investments in traditional transportation infrastructure and includes some clean energy initiatives, such as a new revolving loan program for energy audits and energy efficiency upgrades. The U.S. Senate approved this legislation in August, and the U.S. House is expected to vote on this legislation before the end of September.
We are also very pleased to see Mechanical Insulation tax incentives included in the House version (as Section 136502) of the Build Back Better legislation. We expect both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to consider the Build Back Better legislation later in September.
September is also the month that includes a national holiday in both the U.S. and Canada that recognizes the importance of the labor movement and the value and dignity of workers. As we celebrated Labor Day, it is important to recognize that in the U.S., President Biden has demonstrated he is the most pro-union president in recent memory.
On Sept. 8, President Biden hosted a Labor Day event at the White House. International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers General President Revard forwarded his invitation for me to attend and represent the Insulators Union. This special event is one I will always treasure, as I had the opportunity to thank President Biden for his support of the Insulators.
Initially scheduled for earlier in the month, the President reschedule the Labor Day event at the White House because he wanted to visit New Jersey and New York to meet with local leaders and citizens who were impacted by Hurricane Ida.
During the White House Labor Day celebration event, President Biden made the connection between the climate crisis and the need for infrastructure improvements. For Gulf Coast states, East Coast states and Western states impacted by catastrophic wildfires, many towns and communities across the country will literally have to build back better.
Make no mistake, the evidence is clear that the climate crisis is real in the U.S., Canada and the world. President Biden and Congress can enact important legislation to meet the moment to address the climate crisis, and our Insulator members and contractors are ready to get to work to contribute to the solution to the climate crisis.