Investing in America and Investing in American Workers
The order directs ten federal agencies to weigh labor quality — including union agreements, prevailing wages, paid benefits, apprenticeship programs, and worker safety policies — as selection criteria when awarding grants and loans under the Investing in America agenda.
It also establishes the Investing in Good Jobs Task Force within the White House to coordinate these labor standards across agencies, making job quality a formal factor in how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal infrastructure, semiconductor, and clean energy funding is distributed.
What this order does
What it orders
The order directs ten named "implementing agencies" to prioritize, when selecting projects for federal financial assistance under the Investing in America agenda, applicants that demonstrate strong labor practices. Those practices include project labor agreements, collective bargaining agreements, prevailing-wage pay, equal pay policies, paid leave and health benefits, registered apprenticeships, inclusive hiring plans for underserved communities, and supplemental worker safety training. Agencies are instructed to embed these priorities into application evaluation criteria, publish best-practice guides, engage applicants during pre-award negotiations, collect yes-or-no transparency data on labor commitments, and use enforcement tools — including debarment referrals and fund recovery — when recipients fall short.
It establishes the Investing in Good Jobs Task Force within the Executive Office of the President, co-chaired by the Secretary of Labor and the Director of the National Economic Council, to coordinate best practices and provide technical assistance to implementing agencies. The order explicitly states it does not create any enforceable legal right or benefit for any private party, and implementation is subject to available appropriations and existing law.
Who it affects
Organizations, businesses, and state and local governments applying for grants, loans, or rebates under the Investing in America agenda — covering infrastructure, semiconductor, and clean energy projects — along with their workers and the ten implementing federal agencies that administer those funds.
Why it matters
Companies and nonprofits competing for Investing in America funding may now gain or lose selection advantage based on their labor practices. Workers on federally assisted projects could see higher wages, stronger benefits, and better safety conditions if applicants adopt the prioritized practices to improve their funding prospects.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
Implementing agencies weave labor-quality criteria into their existing grant-selection and pre-award processes — no new standalone program is created. Agencies collect yes/no transparency data from applicants, use existing tools like certified payrolls, and can refer violations to other agencies for penalties, fund withholding, or debarment. The Investing in Good Jobs Task Force coordinates best practices across all ten agencies and provides technical assistance; it has no independent spending or enforcement authority. All steps are subject to agency discretion, applicable law, and available appropriations.
Actions and deadlines
- Incorporate labor-standards evaluation criteria into federal financial assistance program selection processes
- Publish best-practice guides for applicants on implementing labor quality priorities and eligible uses of workforce development funding
- Begin collecting yes/no transparency data from applicants on labor practice commitments through funding notices or other mechanisms
- Establish the Investing in Good Jobs Task Force and begin coordinating policy across implementing agencies