Advocating for the Workforce, Meloni Raney Testifies on Capitol Hill

Meloni Raney, president and CEO of Texo, recently traveled to Capitol Hill to testify before the Small Business Committee about pressing workforce issues in the construction industry. Highlighting her career evolution from architect to industry leader, Raney emphasized the critical labor shortage facing the country, particularly in construction. She urged Congress to increase funding and local flexibility to attract more high school and college graduates to high-paying construction careers. By giving construction a prominent role in rebuilding the economy, a new generation of workers can find rewarding careers that offer economic advancement. Raney also pointed out that while significant federal investments like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act are meant to address infrastructure needs, some programs’ workforce requirements are too restrictive. This, she warned, could exacerbate the labor shortage and make federal infrastructure projects more challenging, time-consuming, and expensive to complete.