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Statement of Brent Booker, General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, On Politicians’ Betrayal of American Workers

Washington, D.C. (July 7, 2025) — Brent Booker, General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, made the following statement regarding Politicians’ Betrayal of American Workers:

 LIUNA is deeply disappointed by the Reconciliation Bill that was signed into law by the President on Friday and passed by congress late last week. Despite weeks of LIUNA’s advocacy efforts to educate members on both sides of the aisle about the destructive effects this will have on members, elected officials chose not to include provisions to protect thousands of union jobs. The bill will instead take away good-paying jobs, dealing a devastating blow to American workers and energy independence — all to hand out tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.   

 

The bill eliminates real, shovel-ready job opportunities for LIUNA members — opportunities that were promised, planned, and already moving forward across the country. These weren’t hypothetical jobs or distant projects. They were real work for real people in every region of the United States, with a projected timeline of seven years and thousands of careers at stake.

 

This vote is a betrayal of American workers. While politicians celebrate narrow provisions on minor overtime adjustments, they’ve gutted entire energy projects and the livelihoods that came with them. No tweak to overtime taxation can justify killing thousands of jobs.

 

Rather than supporting an all-of-the-above energy strategy that creates opportunities, the House chose to pit industries against each other and cut off a growing sector that was building a path toward American energy dominance.

 

Let’s be clear, this wasn’t about fiscal responsibility or energy policy — it was about choosing the mega-wealthy over working people. LIUNA will not forget which leaders stood with them and which ones turned their backs. This bill will have a devastating impact on communities and workers across the country by adding to the national deficit and burdening American workers for generations. All elected officials that supported this legislation should be ashamed of themselves for turning their backs on the people who build America.

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The more than a half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the U.S. and Canada.