Construction trade group leaders look forward to new leadership under Trump: 'Relief on the horizon'

Leaders from two of the nation's top construction trade groups told Fox News Digital they are looking forward to the new Trump administration with hopes their industry will be burdened by fewer regulations and policies enacted under President Biden that they said stymied additional growth in their sector.

Brubeck said his association's members have broadly indicated disappointment at the opportunities available to them under various Biden administration programs, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IJA), the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 

"We survey our members on a pretty regular basis, and the number of members who reported participation in the IJA- and CHIPS- and IRA- and ARPA-funded projects has been pretty - it's been low," Brubeck said. "It's been less than expected."

Brian Turmail, the vice president of public affairs and workforce for the Associated General Contractors of America, also noted the failure of Biden's major construction investments due to regulations and review processes. 

"Our analysis is [the Biden administration] kind of got in their own way affecting the market, because they couldn't help themselves but to put in so many kinds of social and environmental rules on top of their funding that they slowed down the progress they so desperately wanted to see," Turmail said. He also pointed out that the administration "put a lot of new strings" on semiconductor plant construction that has stymied growth.

"Our federal contractors are completely on the sidelines right now for these large-scale projects, and this all started at the beginning of the year in January," Brubeck added. "So, they're really excited for the potential of regulatory relief on the horizon as a result of the Trump administration coming in."