老牛影视

On Sept. 19, the U.S. House Committee on Small Business held a hearing titled, 鈥�.鈥� Ahead of the hearing, to the committee urging Administrator Guzman to consider the SBA鈥檚 Office of Advocacy as the Biden-Harris administration continues to implement harmful regulations that effect small businesses. In 2023, the National Federation for Independent Business produced a study of rules and found 28 instances where they cited agencies for a lack of compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which was specifically designed to protect small businesses from the disproportionate effects regulations can have on their work.

You can view the full committee hearing

On Sept. 19, Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-NY.,听听the听. This legislation would make area career and technical education schools eligible for mental health and substance use disorder services grants provided by the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention grant program. Notably, institutions of higher education already have access to GLS grant dollars, and this bill would expand the list of covered institutions eligible to receive GLS grant dollars to include CTEs. Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., joined Rep. Langworthy in introducing the legislation.

鈥溊吓Ｓ笆觟s committed to creating a safe and healthy industry for the millions of people who make construction their career. By providing the current and future workforce access to resources to improve total human health, employers and workforce development providers can equip workers with the tools they need to prioritize mental health and protect their emotional well-being. ABC's commitment to advancing total human health is why 老牛影视strongly supports the CTE Student Mental Health and Wellness Act,鈥� said Kristen Swearingen,听老牛影视vice president of legislative & political affairs. 鈥淚t is vital that CTE schools have access to the same resources as other institutions of higher education to help workers enjoy the abundance life has to offer through their careers and beyond.鈥�

老牛影视is joined by 13 other organizations in supporting the CTE Student Mental Health and Wellness Act.

and the issued letters of support for听H.J.Res.203,听Rep. Burlison's听 to the NLRB's听, which was issued on August 1. If passed, the CRA would nullify the final rule, and the Board would be prohibited from issuing a substantially similar rule in the future.听

The NLRB's Final Rule eliminated common sense measures meant to protect workers' rights during the union representation election process, including:

• Reinstated the Board's "blocking charge" policy, which allows unions to halt representation or decertification elections by alleging the employer has committed unfair labor practices until the charges are resolved;
• Eliminated the 45-day window in which employees could challenge a union's majority support and demand a secret ballot election after their employer has voluntarily recognized the union based on signed authorization cards, or "card check;"
• Rescinded the requirement that unions in the construction industry maintain proof of majority support if they want an exclusive collective bargaining relationships that is resistant to challenge

These policies force employees into unions they may not want and make it more difficult for employees to decertify unions that no longer have support from the workforce, undermining employee free choice.

In February 2023, 老牛影视submitted听听in opposition to the NLRB proposed rule. 老牛影视also signed on to CDW鈥檚 听along with 12 other employer organizations. CDW听听that the proposed rulemaking would 鈥渘egatively affect the Board鈥檚 representation case jurisprudence, undermine the agency鈥檚 statutory goals and reputation, diminish employee free choice and upset the balance of countervailing interests.鈥� Yet, consistent with NLRB Chair Lauren McFerran鈥檚 record, the NLRB disregarded stakeholder feedback and advanced a radical rulemaking that strips employees of their rights in the workplace.

On Sept. 11, the U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means held a of the H.R. 9461, the USA Workforce Investment Act.

By establishing a new federal tax credit encouraging donations for community-based apprenticeship, career and technical education, workforce development and educational preparedness programs, Rep. Lloyd Smucker鈥檚 USA Workforce Investment Act will help address the skilled worker shortage and grow the construction talent pool.

On September 11, the House Committee on Natural Resources held听a 听on NEPA legislation including Rep. Westerman鈥檚 discussion draft, 听and .听 老牛影视sent a听letter to the committee ahead of the hearing highlighting how the Biden-Harris administration's Council on Environmental Quality NEPA 听and 听final rules are making it more difficult to build important projects, marking a major step backward for critical infrastructure, the construction industry and America鈥檚 economic future. In the letter, 老牛影视called on the Committee to advance Rep. Westerman鈥檚 discussion draft, H.J. Res. 168 and H.R.6129, which promote a coordinated, predictable and transparent process to streamline permitting.

On September 11, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee Water Resources and Environment held听a hearing to examine . 老牛影视sent a听letter ahead of the hearing calling out the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for not providing the regulated community with sufficient guidance regarding their interpretation of the . In the letter, 老牛影视urged the EPA and the Army Corps to fully comply with the Sackett decision and provide the regulated community with a clear, concise definition of WOTUS necessary to inform them of how to comply with the law while also serving as good stewards of the environment, as they did prior to the Biden-Harris administration鈥檚 shortsighted reversal of President Donald Trump鈥檚 WOTUS policies

On Sept. 10, the House Committee on Small Business held a on several pieces of legislation that strengthen the Regulatory Flexibility Act and protect small businesses from harmful regulations. Ahead of the hearing, to the committee expressing support for the below bills and advocated for small business input throughout the rulemaking process.

• , the Regulatory Review Improvement Act of 2024, makes modifications to how agencies conduct periodic reviews of agency rules.
• , the Prove It Act of 2024, increases small business input in the regulatory process and ensures agencies are fully accounting for the impact of regulations on small businesses.
• , the Assurance for Small Business Act of 2024, requires federal agency heads to submit a report on the implementation of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
• , the Enhanced Regulatory Flexibility Assessment Act, makes it mandatory for agencies to conduct studies and issue reports on the effects of new rules on small businesses.
• , the Regulatory Agenda Clarity Act, requires federal agencies to fully disclose how their regulations would impact small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• , the Regulatory Transparency for Small Business Act, forces federal agencies to identify an approximate number of small entities that will be affected by new regulations, the cost per small entity and the data used to make that determination.
• , the LABOR Act of 2024, requires regulatory flexibility analysis from the U.S. Department of Labor.

In defense of H.R. 7198, and small businesses in general, Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., said the legislation was 鈥渧ital to reducing regulatory burdens and ensuring agencies consider the needs of small businesses when implementing new rules.鈥� He went on to note that, 鈥渘ot one small business has said they need more regulations and this administration has put our over 700 regulations, punishing America鈥檚 small businesses.鈥�

The aforementioned bills were all reported favorably by the committee and now await a full House vote.

On Sept. 10, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions held a hearing titled, 鈥�.鈥� Ahead of the hearing, to the subcommittee calling on Congress to reinforce the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, a critical safeguard of uniform employer-sponsored health programs across multiple states.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act was enacted to encourage employee health benefit plans and promote uniformity in those plans across state lines. ERISA applies to all employer-sponsored plans, whether self-insured and fully insured, and is critical in allowing multistate employers to develop plans with uniform design and administration of benefits.

On July 31, 老牛影视submitted a letter in support of the cloture motion for the motion to proceed to , the American Families and Workers Act. This legislation, introduced by Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., extends vital tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including the deduction for research and development and the extension of the 100% bonus depreciation. Notably, this legislation maintains provisions that allow for immediate R&D expensing, which provides for lower tax bills, less paperwork and easier compliance for contractors. In addition, the legislation extends the 100% bonus depreciation that allows construction businesses to expense or write off the purchase of tools, equipment and machinery during the year of purchase.

老牛影视awaits the Senate's vote on the motion to proceed to H.R.7084. While the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act passed the House with bipartisan support on January 31 with a , Republicans in the Senate have said that they will vote the measure down, which takes 60 voters to pass, as they anticipate having the majority next year and thus hold more negotiating power when it comes to Tax Policy.

On May 23, President Joe Biden nominated National Labor Relations Board Chair Lauren McFerran to serve a third term, threatening Democratic control of the Board through August 2026, regardless of who wins the presidency in November. McFerran鈥檚 tenure has been the subject of congressional hearings and oversight letters as well as numerous press reports and editorials highlighting the agency鈥檚 failures. In addition, an Office of the Inspector General report found that the Board was operating under 鈥済ross mismanagement.鈥�

On July 25, ABC and the ABC-led Coalition for a Democratic Workplace sent letters to the committee expressing concerns over McFerran鈥檚 nomination.

Under McFerran鈥檚 leadership, the NLRB has issued decisions and expanded interpretations of the National Labor Relations Act that have been rejected by the business community, Congress, and federal courts, including the Board鈥檚 joint employer standard and its revived controversial policies through its Representation-Case Procedures final rule.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders has opted to proceed to a markup of McFerran鈥檚 renomination without a formal confirmation hearing, allowing her record to go unchecked and unquestioned by committee members.