The Davis-Bacon Act: Suspension
Abstract
The Davis-Bacon Act is one of several statutes that deals with Federal Government procurement. The Davis-Bacon Act (1931, as amended) provides for payment of at least the locally prevailing minimum wage on federal contract construction. It also provides that the President "may suspend" the act during a period of a national emergency. The act has been suspended explicitly on four separate occasions: (1) in 1934, by President Franklin Roosevelt, apparently for administrative reasons; (2) in 1971, by President Richard Nixon, as a means of coping with inflationary pressures; (3) in 1992, by President George H. W. Bush, in the wake of Hurricanes Iniki in Hawaii and Andrew in Florida; and (4) in 2005, by President George W. Bush, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina with respect to Florida and the Gulf Coast. In the first three cases, the suspensions were brief. The suspension under George W. Bush in 2005 was intended to be open-ended (i.e., "until otherwise provided"). But, in fact, it lasted for about 2 months. The suspensions also are separated by the definition of "national emergency" used to invoke them: administrative convenience in 1934, inflationary pressures in the construction industry in 1971, and issues associated with hurricane damages in 1992 and in 2005. This report reviews the several cases during which the Davis-Bacon Act was suspended and will likely be updated as developments make necessary.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 08, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA442240
Entities
People
- William G. Whittaker
Organizations
- Library of Congress