The Senate on Nov. 10 overwhelmingly approved legislation to repeal a federal mandate that government agencies withhold part of their payments to contractors. Construction industry groups and other business organizations, which had been lobbying heavily for the repeal, applauded the 95-0 vote.
The withholding requirement, scheduled to go into effect in 2013 , would have required federal, state and certain local agencies to withhold 3% of the dollars they owe to their contractors.