The federal prevailing wage law has its detractors - but 37 U.S. House Republicans are not among them. They signed a letter to President Bush supporting prevailing wage, illustrating why Congress has not been able to kill the 74-year-old law.

Just after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast region, Bush chose to rescind the nation's prevailing wage law - the Davis-Bacon Act - in stricken areas. The net affect of his action takes away base wage levels for thousands of construction workers in that region - the vast majority of whom have lost their homes and are desperate for decent-paying jobs.

Bush claimed having the Davis-Bacon Act in place would increase costs to the federal government and allow for the employment of thousands of additional workers in the Gulf. The Republican lawmakers who signed the letter disagreed.

"Davis-Bacon prevailing wages will not drive up the reconstruction costs in the Gulf region; rather they will help ensure quality work and fair wages for those impacted by the storm," said their letter to the president. "We respect your statutory prerogative to suspend application of Davis-Bacon in times of a national emergency. However, we also feel strongly that an indefinite suspension is fundamentally unfair to Gulf Coast construction workers."

The justification by the 37 Republicans for reinstating prevailing wage in that region seemed to be nearly out of the public relations play-book of building trades unions.

"Numerous studies demonstrate that there are a wide variety of factors which affect the cost of construction projects: the cost of land and materials often have a much more direct impact on overall project costs," the GOP congressional members wrote to the president. "It has also been shown time and again that projects built by less skilled employees drive up the costs associated with long-term maintenance, repair and reconstruction."

They further stated: "Since it's enactment in 1931, the Davis-Bacon Act has provided stability and a level playing field in the construction industry for all contractors - union and as well as nonunion - and an important minimum standard of compensation for workers."

The letter also suggested that Bush should rescind his order - before "potential legislative action" by Congress that would do it for him.

AFL-CIO Building Trades Department President Edward Sullivan said Bush's Executive Order was "a shameful action and a national disgrace."

"Once again this Administration is looking out for corporations eager to profit from a national emergency," Sullivan said. "They want to pay the poorest workers the lowest wages to do the most dangerous jobs.

"Suspending Davis-Bacon protections for financially distressed workers in the Gulf states amounts to legalized looting of these workers who will be cleaning up toxic sites and struggling to rebuild their communities while favored contractors rake in huge profits from FEMA reconstruction contracts."