Rep. Gosar Voted "Nay" On Hurricane Sandy Aid Package, Now Proposes Suspension Of Davis-Bacon To Reduce Costs

(UPDATE, 1/12/13 10:45AM: updating to reflect spokesperson's response that Rep. Gosar is "looking into" proposing an amendment)

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R-CD4) voted against the first Hurricane Sandy relief package last week (as did Arizona's other three GOP Congressmen, although AZ's two GOP Senators voted for it), and in advance of next week's second relief package, he is "looking into" proposing language to suspend the federal Davis-Bacon Act requiring the government's contractors to pay their employees a prevailing wage.

The Hill reported this afternoon that Gosar "has proposed language suspending the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements from all spending associated with the main bill and the Frelinghuysen amendment.  However, the Representative's spokesperson, Apryl Marie Fogel, tells Arizona's Politics that Gosar is "looking into" such an amendment.

The last time the 1931 law was suspended was by President George W. Bush in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina.  Democrats complained that it was designed to permit contractors to import immigrant workers who would work for less than the prevailing wage.  However, the law is also criticized by some as being obsolete.

Arizona's Politics has requested a statement from Rep. Gosar on his amendment, and will update this post as warranted.  (It may be complicated by jet lag - Gosar is just returning from his trip to the Mideast.
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