This was a vote on an amendment by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) that would have prohibited federal funds from being used to enforce the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires that all public works projects pay the prevailing wage to workers. This amendment was offered to a continuing resolution funding the federal government through September 2011, and cutting $61 billion in federal funding for many government programs.

King urged support for his amendment: “ The Davis-Bacon Act is an old and archaic act that was generated during the Depression era, the early years of the Depression era, in about 1931….I have dealt underneath this law for my working life as a construction contractor… Do we want to create jobs or do we want to cost jobs? Do we want to build 4 miles of road under Davis-Bacon or do we want to build five? Do we want to build four schools or do we want to build five? Do we want to have an inflation of wages by an average of 22 percent… Do we want to see the price go up?”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) opposed the amendment: “The Davis-Bacon Act ensures that workers on federally funded government contracts are paid no less than the wages paid for similar work in a community….Despite the [Republican] majority's argument, the Davis-Bacon Act has no effect on total costs of construction. Study after study reveals that higher productivity makes up for any additional labor cost, essentially eliminating any cost savings if the law were repealed. If this amendment is enacted into law, we will be cheating workers of a fair wage with no cost savings to show for it.”

The House rejected this amendment by a vote of 189-223. Voting “yea” were 189 Republicans. All 185 Democrats present and 48 Republicans voted “nay.” As a result, the House rejected an amendment that would have prohibited funds provided by a continuing resolution from being used to enforce the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires that all public works projects pay the prevailing wage to workers.