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A new report from Lehigh Valley News highlights Republican extremist Ryan Mackenzie’s ongoing fight against Pennsylvania’s working class families – this time, taking a stand against bipartisan legislation “that would strengthen prevailing wage laws” statewide. Prevailing wage laws ensure working people can earn a decent standard of living while also improving the quality and productivity of the projects they are employed to complete.
Mackenzie’s stance against the bill further highlights his hypocrisy “for campaigning as a champion for working Pennsylvanians while actively working to prevent them from earning a prevailing wage.”
Joining noted Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity – which has already tried to buy the PA-07 race by funneling nearly half a million dollars into Mackenzie’s campaign war chest – Mackenzie spewed a series of misleading, anti-worker and anti-union talking points when attempting to justify his opposition to the bill.
In the state legislature, Mackenzie rejected legislation to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, opposed employees’ rights to organize, and refused to support bills that would expand retirement savings accounts for workers.
DCCC Spokesperson Aidan Johnson:
“Once again, Ryan Mackenzie is shamelessly doing the bidding of anti-worker, anti-union lobbyists and corporate special interests while claiming to care about Pennsylvania’s workers. Pennsylvanians can clearly see Mackenzie’s blatant hypocrisy on the campaign trail, and they will reject him in November.”
Lehigh Valley News: Mackenzie takes stand against bipartisan prevailing wage bill
Tom Shortell | June 3, 2024
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State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie took a stand Monday against a bipartisan bill that would strengthen prevailing wage laws in Pennsylvania…
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House Bill 2153, introduced in March, would eliminate the practice of split rates. Currently, workers on government contracts performing two different roles on a project can be paid different rates for each role.
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The bill would also require that prevailing wages are paid for employees doing prefabricated construction away from the community hosting the project. For example, welders assembling part of a bridge would need to be paid at least local prevailing rates if the bridge was being installed in the Lehigh Valley.
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During a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda, Mackenzie, R-Lehigh, other lawmakers and lobbyists conceded the bill had a strong chance of passing the state House. The bill has 45 co-sponsors, including 11 Republicans.
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Mackenzie has earned strong support from Americans for Prosperity Action, a federal super PAC that is a sister organization to Greene’s. Americans for Prosperity Action has provided Mackenzie with $596,928 of funding and in-kind services this election cycle for his campaign for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, according to FEC filings.
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Rep. Josh Siegel, one of 45 co-sponsors on the bill, called Mackenzie a hypocrite for campaigning as a champion for working Pennsylvanians while actively working to prevent them from earning a prevailing wage.
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