3 Big Things:
How Trump 2.0 Could Affect Construction

At the time of this publication, President Trump’s second administration is little more than one month into office and continuing to make moves in the confirmation process to secure cabinet picks. In January, SMACNA held the first of what will be a quarterly panel discussing the current political climate, featuring Aaron Hilger, Stan Kolbe and Denise Murphy McGraw. The group gave insight on what contractors should keep in mind as we navigate Trump’s return to the White House.

Slowing Of National Labor Force Growth

According to Kolbe, our industry is likely to continue experiencing a shortage of skilled labor throughout the current administration. With Trump’s first term as a guide, the possibility is high that restrictive immigration measures and policies would result in slower labor force growth and higher labor costs. Hilger also expressed his disappointment at the failure to come up with a sound immigration structure designed to allow American infrastructure to grow.

However, due to the extensive training required for union apprentices, Kolbe said ”SMACNA produces the superstars of construction.” While we don’t have a crystal ball to predict the next four years, we do know continued recruitment should remain a priority for our industry. There’s also optimism that, due to increased infrastructure spending and CHIPS-funded projects, man-hours for our workforce will continue to expand.

Prioritizing Indoor Air Quality

McGraw referenced indoor air quality as the No. 1 initiative at the state level, noting there’s still much work to be done aligning the overall goals of local and federal government.

Recently, SMACNA, ASHRAE, the U.S. Green Building Council and other organizations have joined in support of legislation (H.R. 9131) designed to help prevent or reduce exposure to indoor contaminants and support the development of technical assistance, guidelines and best practices to improve IAQ in facilities. SMACNA and SMART also support the AIRBORNE Act (H.R. 9000), which provides $1 per square foot tax credit, not exceeding the cost of conducting the assessment, to incentivize non-residential building owners to assess their IAQ and upgrade their ventilation and air filtration systems.

Regardless of the political climate in Washington, D.C., SMACNA and our allies will continue advancing tax incentives and protecting existing infrastructure investments for the betterment of our communities.

Congress And Cabinet Selections

With only a three-seat majority in the Senate, there will be “limited opportunities to make significant legislation happen,” Kolbe said. He also noted we’re coming off a challenging Congress that passed the lowest number of bills in recent history but remains optimistic for the coming term.

Hilger, Kolbe and McGraw made note that there are a number of logical cabinet picks that should be good for the overall industry. In particular, they were excited for potential Labor Secretary pick Lori Chavez-DeRemer. One of the most pro-union Republicans to recently serve in Congress, she has walked the aisle with many SMACNA members and has a long line of policies that align with SMACNA initiatives.