Alabama Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) are urging the Trump administration to dismantle the contentious Project Labor Agreement (PLA) rules imposed during the Biden administration. These regulations apply to large-scale federal construction projects.

In a letter directed to President Trump, the two lawmakers, along with 19 other GOP senators, formally requested this change.

They expressed concerns that the existing rules could undermine competition in infrastructure bidding, spike construction costs, and cause delays in federal projects managed by agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the General Services Administration.

“Both American union and non-union contractors deserve a fair playing field, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely without unfair burdens,” the senators argued.

Leaders who fear these regulations might cost taxpayers billions annually expressed trust in Trump to uphold economic principles that could bolster the nation.

“We kindly ask for a reversal of this Biden administration policy to restore long-standing neutral practices in federal agreements. The economic health of American workers relies on a competitive, merit-based market,” they added.

Related: Senator Britt’s legislation to block the federal project labor agreement has garnered praise from the Alabama Builders Association Chief.

Alabama builders and contractors, including Speaker Tim Harrison, support the elimination of these policies. Harrison stated, “The ABC has long challenged the Biden administration’s overreaching regulations that inflate costs and hinder competition.” He added that the PLA mandates would negatively affect merit shop contractors and diminish competition, ultimately inflating costs. He expressed gratitude for Senator Britt’s advocacy for merit-based federal contracts that promote efficiency in project completion.

In June, the Trump administration showed reluctance to override the PLA policies. According to Finance and Commercial, the Office of Management and Budget sent a memo attempting to clarify the administration’s position on the matter.

Related: Research indicates Alabama’s commercial construction industry experienced a $17.2 billion boom, supporting 200,000 jobs in a year.

Russell T. Vought, the director of OMB, stated, “To be clear, the Trump administration supports the use of PLAs when these agreements are practical and economical.” He noted that generally, having two or more eligible bids ensures reasonable price competition for negotiated agreements, while three or more bids suffice for sealed bids.

Britt and Tuberville highlighted that Alabama is among 24 states with laws prohibiting government-mandated PLAs for state and local construction projects, depending on the law’s scope.