▶ 0:18:26Order. Quorum is present. The committee meets today pursuant to notice. Uh without objection, the chair may recess the committee at any point. Today's hearing is about examining the policies and priorities of the Department of Uh we will look at the Trump administration's plans for a smaller and more effective and efficient government taxpayers, its plans to ensure that fewer, more effective regulations protect workers
▶ 0:18:57without compromising uh business potential and its efforts to ensure that skilled workers can fill jobs that will ensure our economy is President Trump returned to the White House at an important time for our economy. Years of misguided Democrats stimulus spending hampered job creation, fueled a massive inflation crisis, and made more Americans dependent on the federal government.
▶ 0:19:26The Biden Harris administration also pursued an agenda relied on heavy-handed mandates and outofouch regulatory policies. leading to high inflation and workforce shortages. Simply put, President's Biden's radical policies crushed the American workforce.
▶ 0:19:48The Biden Harris administration reversed common sense policies enacted by the first Trump administration in favor of one-sizefitsall regulations that prioritize labor union leaders expanded the federal bureaucracy and pushed a radical DEI agenda.
▶ 0:20:08Of particular concern, the Biden Harris overtime rule would have cost job creators an estimated $1.3 billion dollar and increased compliance burdens on small businesses. The Biden Harris administration's war on independent contractors stifled innovation and ultimately harming workers, businesses, and the US economy.
▶ 0:20:39studies have estimated a total national cost of 17 billion Um, and if percent if 15% of independent contractors are re reclassified as employees and let me read that again.
▶ 0:20:59Studies have estimated a total national cost of 17 billion dollars um if 15% of independent contractors are reclassified as employees and 57 billion if 50% are reclassified. In stark contrast, the Trump administration is working to advance economic policies that unleash the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the American workforce.
▶ 0:21:28President Trump is halting the jobk killing and inflationd driving regulatory blitz and businesses and workers are optimistic. The president has ordered a review of all pending regulations and signed an executive order directing federal agencies to eliminate 10 existing regulations for each new regulation issued.
▶ 0:21:52and the Trump's administration's efforts to root out waste, fraud, and abuse are reflected in the president's budget request. By reigning in wasteful, fraudulent spending and restoring fiscal sanity in Washington, the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 will help put more money in taxpayers pockets.
▶ 0:22:14In fact, Americans are already being impacted by the policies that eliminate excessive regulations, lower costs, promote job creation, and create optimism that tax rates will not increase. Following President Trump's return, our economy has added jobs every month.
▶ 0:22:34As President Trump continues to build this golden age for America, this committee recognizes that too many businesses are struggling to fill the millions of open positions in the United States. Republicans are already working with President Trump to address the skills gap of which more than seven million unfilled jobs are seen in the US and over 7 million unemployed It's obvious that we should be doing more to
▶ 0:23:04support those looking to gain new skills. Therefore, the committee has advanced bipartisan reforms to allow PEL grants to support students in highquality short-term workforce education programs. I look forward to hearing from today's witness, Lori Chavez Dimemer, as she begins her tenure as our country's 30th Secretary of Labor.
▶ 0:23:29Her perspective on the department's budget and policy proposals will be unlike those of previous labor secretaries. She's the daughter of a teamster. She's a small business owner, a former mayor, and more importantly than ever, a former colleague on this committee. Additionally, Lori is planning to travel to all 50 states this year. I think you've made 15 already. 13 already. 13.
▶ 0:24:01Yeah. To hear directly from workers and businesses and their business owners across our diverse country. What a refreshing change. Actually talking to workers and job creators instead of forcing top-down regulation on them.
▶ 0:24:16I look forward to hearing from the secretary about the American workers and businesses she's already spoken to and how they are taking advantage of opportunities available thanks to the Trump administration and congressional Republican policies that are getting the economy and workforce back on track. Having said that, with that, I yield to the ranking member for an opening statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:24:47Madame Secretary, it's always good to see a former colleague and welcome back to the committee you served on. Thank you. Uh it was good to talk to you earlier this week and I understand you tried to get in touch with every member of the committee, Democrat and Republican, and that's um obviously a good way to to start and we look forward to working with you with that spirit.
▶ 0:25:11As secretary, um, you're charged with carrying out the mission of the Department of Labor, which is to, and I quote, foster, promote, and develop the welfare of wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States, improve working conditions, advance opportunities for profitable employment, and ensure work rellated benefits and rights.
▶ 0:25:33Today you're appearing before this committee to explain the budget and policy priorities as detailed in the department's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal. As speaker ammeritus Nancy Pelosi frequently states, "Show me your budget and I'll tell you your values." That's why these uh meetings on the bud on the budgets are so important.
▶ 0:25:56Madam Secretary, your written testimony states that you promised to put America workers first and that um you indicated many areas where there may be bipartisan support. For example, the expansion of the Department of Labor certified registered apprenticeships is one area where I think we have a good bipartisan support. The reauthorization of the workforce innovation and opportunities act is another.
▶ 0:26:22We already have a biccameal agreement on reauthorization which came close to passing last December. I hope we can get that bill back on track. And although not technically within your jurisdiction, workforce pel is another area where there is bipartisan support uh that bipartis the workforce pel grants could serve to open opportunities for millions of workers who seek to gain skills that could transform uh their earning capacity.
▶ 0:26:53Uh unfortunately uh instead of pursuing the initiatives that have bipartisan support, the administration has taken many actions that I think take us in the opposite direction, jeopardizing jobs, endangering the rights and protections of workers, and undermining financial security of Specifically, this administration has rescended the landmark executive order in effect for 50 years protecting federal contract work for federal contract
▶ 0:27:23workers and job applicants from discrimination. They rescended an executive order that raised the minimum wage for federal contractors. Illegally fired inspectors general at the Department of Labor and several other agencies who are charged with rooting out waste fraud and abuse. delayed enforcement of a rule protecting coal miners from silica exposure and terminated grants that combat child labor and promote workers rights.
▶ 0:27:50Another action, the administration fired a member of the National Labor Relations Board, leaving the NLRB without a quorum to function and issue decisions and fired two EEOC commissioners who were in the middle of their terms.
▶ 0:28:06And this has never happened in the AY's 60-year history, leaving the EEOC without a quorum to address legal claims of discrimination, stripped collective bargaining rights for more than a million federal workers. In addition to these concerns, Madame Secretary, we're concerned about what Elon Musk and Doge have been doing in the department of uh in the department.
▶ 0:28:32Many weeks ago, we asked you if Musk had access to confidential files on investigations of his businesses, including the names of potential witnesses, and who had access and whether or not he had access to Bureau of Labor Statistics information like job numbers before they made public, and now whether or not he has continuing access to th that information. And we haven't received an answer yet.
▶ 0:29:00We're also concerned about what's going on at the mine safety and administration. One of the um labor department's first moves in this administration was to provoke provoke revoke the provisional job offers to dozens of new IMA inspectors. Madam Secretary, I was on this committee when we investigated the tragedy in Sego and the tragedy at Upper Big Branch.
▶ 0:29:24One of the most important lessons we learned from those tragedies was that we must invest in MIT's pipeline of talent. So qualified inspectors will be there to ensure the safety in these dangerous jobs. We know that that process takes years. Madam Secretary, in your testimony and other committees, you've had questions about the brook closure of JobCore across the nation.
▶ 0:29:49And since its inception in 1964, JobCore has trained over three million young Americans in various trades, including welding, carpentry, medical assistance, and a lot of others. JobCore, which you know, has bipartisan support in Congress, trains young, low-income people, and train and helps them find good paying jobs and provides housing for a population that might otherwise be without a home.
▶ 0:30:15And I agree with you with your letter that you sent to the House Appropriations Committee on May 1st, 2024 in which you argued that, and I quote, "In fact, studies show the job core increases applicants employment and wages, decreases their reliance on public benefits.
▶ 0:30:34The most recent completed program year, nearly 80% of JobCore graduates received a high quality placement by way of employment, enlisting in the military, or enrolling in higher education. Madam Secretary, I know that we have several students from the PTOAC JobCore Center here in attendance. Uh these students are on their way to getting a good job and earning a living wage. And I'll ask them to stand up for a moment.
▶ 0:31:00and all of the JobCore participants. Thank you. And um on behalf of them, Madam Secretary, I urge you to immediately reverse the decision to effectively shut down all JobCore centers. I understand that a federal court has already intervened and this matter will be in litigation uh probably for some time. So, thank you, Madam Secretary.
▶ 0:31:25The budget of the Department of Labor proposes cutting $4.5 billion in discretionary funding, a 33% reduction in funding relative to fiscal year 2025 enacted level. And I understand that during your budget hearing before the appropriation subcommittee, you said that quote, "More money does not lead to best outcomes." So, I'm looking forward to hearing from you today to explain how less money can lead to better outcomes.
▶ 0:31:53Um, for example, how does this budget strengthen the department's enforcement of laws to guard against the wage theft and exploit of child labor? Uh, how does this affect OSHA? Because OSHA has so few inspectors that right now it will take 185 years for the agency to visit every workplace within its jurisdiction just once. So, how will workers be safer with the proposed budget cuts?
▶ 0:32:18And finally, Madam Secretary, my de Democratic colleagues and I have sent several oversight letters in the past several months. Often our office received one response just yesterday that didn't really respond to the all of the questions. The uh qu the American people deserve answers to many questions we've asked you about um doge and Trump's administration's actions that impact workers. and we expect those responses to be prompt and complete.
▶ 0:32:49So, I look forward to your answers today and trust that we'll receive complete and thorough answers uh to our questions and particularly the questions we've asked in writing. So, Mr. Chairman, I um yield back the balance of my time. Okay. I thank the gentleman. Uh, pursuant to committee rule 8C, all members who wish to insert written statements into the record may do so by submitting them to the committee clerk electronically in Microsoft Word format by 5:00 p.m.
▶ 0:33:1914 days after this hearing. And without objection, the hearing record will remain open for 14 days to allow such statements and other extraneous material noted during the hearing to be submitted for the official hearing record. I'll now turn to the introduction of today's witness, the Honorable Lori M. Chavez Dimemer, Secretary of the US Department of Labor. Madam Secretary, we thank you for being here today.
▶ 0:33:47We thank you for reaching out to our committees on both committee members on both sides of the aisle. As you are aware, it's your responsibility to provide accurate information to the committee. Pursuant to committee rules, I would ask that you limit your oral presentation to a five minute summary of your written statement before questioning. Madam Secretary, you're welcome, and you are recognized for your testimony.
▶ 0:34:13Chairman Wahlberg, Ranking Member Scott, and members of the committee, thank you for the invitation to testify today. It's an honor to appear before the committee as the 30th Secretary of Labor to share the important work this administration is doing at the department and discuss the president's fiscal year 2026 budget request. My role as secretary is to ensure the American worker is at the center of our economic strategy.
▶ 0:34:40These workers have railed behind President Trump and given him a clear mandate. It is my job to guarantee that they are not just heard, but respected and prioritized at every level of government. From the moment I was sworn in on March 11th, I promised to put American workers first. And that mission has guided me from the very beginning. Through the common sense reforms, we will focus the Department of Labor on that same purpose.
▶ 0:35:07Saving taxpayer resources while safeguarding protections that are critical to the health and well-being of our workforce. like enforcement efforts, inspectors, and investigators. Additionally, I'm committed to having an open door policy with every worker. As their liaison and advocate, I am dedicated to painting an accurate picture of laborers needs and concerns. I launched my listening tour, America at Work, to hear directly from the men and women who are living this day in and day out.
▶ 0:35:38From a training facility demonstration with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Pennsylvania to a day spent with apprentices learning to become aviation mechanics in Nevada, I am experiencing and relaying the everyday challenges and triumphs of America at work. These insights are imperative to shaping federal labor policies and practices.
▶ 0:35:58To help employers and stakeholders better understand existing labor laws and provide them with muchneeded transparency, the Department of Labor launched our opinion letter program this week across five of our enforcement agencies. This key tool puts practical guidance into the hands of the public while improving compliance and giving workers and employers peace of mind.
▶ 0:36:20Putting American workers and businesses first is a priority I share with President Trump, and he's delivering with nearly 10 trillion in private investments and almost a half a million new jobs. To further stimulate our economic comeback, the Trump administration is overhauling the waste and abuse that has characterized the federal government's use of tax dollars for decades. The Labor Department is looking at ways to streamline federal programs and evaluate how taxpayer dollars are spent.
▶ 0:36:47In line with this approach, the budget proposes to eliminate ineffective training interventions and that does include the JobCore program. Our recently released JobCore transparency report showed that in 2023 alone, more than 14,000 serious incidents were reported at the JobCore centers, including cases of sexual assault, physical violence, and drug use. This program is failing to deliver safe and successful outcomes our young people deserve.
▶ 0:37:17At the same time, it costs an average of almost 20,000 more per year for a student to attend JobCore than it does for a student to attend Harvard. Our nation's vulnerable young adults deserve better, and I am committed with all of you to achieving the safest and most successful outcomes possible. Consistent with these efforts, the president's fiscal year 2026 budget gives states the flexibility to spend workforce dollars in the way that makes the most sense for them.
▶ 0:37:47By consolidating siloed federal job programs into single make America skilled again grants, states and localities will be able to spend more time and money delivering high quality high quality training for their workers. Pursuant to two critical executive orders, my department is hard at work collaborating with the Department of Commerce and Education to unlock the potential of the American worker.
▶ 0:38:10We are looking to strengthen registered apprenticeships, modernize workforce development programs, and invest in opportunities that upskill workers to meet current labor market demands. Now, before I take your questions, I do want to address at the outset. There are likely questions that will cover issues subject to litigation. as the ranking member mentioned and I will not be able to provide the detailed responses that you are looking for in this setting.
▶ 0:38:36I understand you all want answers and I'll make the same promise to you that I made to the chairman on our call. Even if I can't provide the details today, I remain committed to working with you on the issues that impact your constituents. I believe, as all of you do, that we must work together to foster an economy that ensures every American can thrive with good pay, safe working conditions, and a secure retirement.
▶ 0:39:01It is my honor to work on behalf of the President Trump as we bring jobs back to the United States and put the American worker first again. I look forward to working with Congress on these goals and continuing this important discussion today. Thank you. I now recognize um under rule committee nine. We'll now question Secretary Chavez Dimemer under the five-minute rule.
▶ 0:39:31Uh and I will attempt to keep a little bit more closely that five minutes of questioning today. Don't don't force me to do too much in latitude on that though it there will be some flexibility. We want to make sure that all members including those sitting at the end of the dis have an opportunity to ask questions as well in in a reasonable period. I now recognize myself for five minutes of questioning.
▶ 0:40:03Madam Secretary, association health plans, AHPs, are a type of group plan that allow multiple employers to be to ban band together to purchase health coverage in a reasonable fashion very much taken after uh union's opportunity because of the size and numbers.
▶ 0:40:22Um, in 2018, the first Trump administration published a rule expanding AHPs that produced significant savings on health care coverage for covered employers. In April 2024, the Biden Harris administration rescended the 2019 Trump rule without any alternative. So, can you discuss the advantages of allowing small businesses to band together to offer coverage through AHPS? Yeah, thank you so much for the question, chairman.
▶ 0:40:51It is one of the things that I hear often about the cost of health care. President Trump has been addressing that by lowering the cost of prescription drugs. But as we band together and as you mentioned somewhat of um the coalition of businesses getting together in order to be able to purchase uh health care plans for their employees, I think is key to lowering those costs. And I know that my office is working um with you on this piece of legislation for technical assistant.
▶ 0:41:19It's one of the honors really of the Department of Labor um and other agencies that we can do with all congressmen and women if they're working on legislation with their colleagues that I can be useful with my department heads to give you that technical assistance. Um but we need to lower premiums and out-of- pocket costs for our employees expanding affordable care for the American worker. We appreciate that because frankly in the end it provides better coverage as well. That's right. And we want that for our employees and the benefit to employers to offer those those special benefits.
▶ 0:41:50Last year, the committee learned that the employees benefit security administration, EPSA, shared secret information obtained during investigations with plaintiffs What steps has and will do take to understand the extent of aid that career staff have given and are giving to plaintiffs attorneys and the extent of confidential information that has been shared and is being shared.
▶ 0:42:18Well, as you know, chairman, any sort of leak that comes out of any agency or the Department of Labor um is concerning when there's allegations that that confidential information would be leaked. um under the Biden administration. Under my leadership, this is unacceptable and I would not tolerate it from anybody to leak that information of privacy.
▶ 0:42:41I am aware that your committee has asked the Department of the Inspector General to investigate this and I cannot comment on an investigation if there is one happening and that would be true for for anybody um who is asking that question. But again, I will cooperate fully with the inspector general's office to determine uh the best outcome and in the review under the Biden administration's enforcement programs to make sure that we are addressing any possible leaks that would come out of the Department of Labor. Thank you.
▶ 0:43:07Uh human trafficking is an issue that remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. Roughly one in six endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is likely a victim of child sex trafficking. These are horrid crimes committed by those who prey on innocent and vulnerable victims. During the last Congress, I sponsored the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act.
▶ 0:43:32Uh this legislation offers a viable avenue to equip Department of Labor personnel with the necessary tools and information to understand and ascertain where that sexual exploitation, human trafficking is taking place. Can I get your commitment uh to review the bill as I as it's in reintroduced uh to ensure it takes the most effective steps for the Department of Labor uh to take part in the fight against human trafficking? Absolutely, Chairman.
▶ 0:44:02Uh we we in Congress and anybody um in the United States should never tolerate any child trafficking, any human trafficking, any child labor violations. And it is my commitment to you that I will work with your office and all offices to combat that at all costs. We will double down if knowingly we know someone is breaking the law and have our inspectors address this always. Appreciate that. Of course.
▶ 0:44:25What are your views, Madam Secretary, on opening avenues and increasing accessibility to pursue short-term educational skills training opportunities? Thank this. This is where you'll see my smile because I can tell you as I'm on the road and understanding the need for uh workforce demands as we move through skilling and reskilling or upskilling our workforce that we have to address at all costs that not all are going to receive a four-year degree.
▶ 0:44:53That we have to offer that in our local communities and work with our community colleges and our technical schools so that we have access to those degrees so that our workforce is ready to go on day one. Um, this is a a a question that I get asked often on the road and I will work with the Department of Labor for the accessibility and flexibility of the modernization of the current workforce that we are seeing today. Thank you. Thank you. My time is expired. I now recognize the gentleman from Connecticut, Mr. Courtney. Thank you, uh, Mr.
▶ 0:45:21Chairman, and again, I want to join my colleagues in welcoming the secretary back to her committee. And again, appreciate the phone call the other day where we had a chance to compare notes on a on a number of issues in particular. Um and you mentioned this in your opening remarks. Um your reference to using the registered apprenticeship program is the framework for expanding and growing apprentice is a welcome uh message in terms of the Fitzgerald act which uh actually my predecessor in the 1930s.
▶ 0:45:50William Fitzgerald was the sponsor of that law and has done great things all across the country and is the right framework in terms of setting national standards so that um all across the country people who see those certificates know that there's real quality uh behind that certificate. I wanted to focus for a second on one of the issues that is part of your mission which again Mr. Scott mentioned is to guarantee the welfare of American workers which is the OSHA.
▶ 0:46:18Um your predecessor in the Trump administration um Secretary Acasta actually commenced a rulemaking process for a workplace violence prevention standard in healthcare and social workers uh which uh has still been sort of chugging along uh within the department.
▶ 0:46:38Again, this is a a measure that is, in my opinion, to address an emergency, which is the incredible rates of violence that nurses, EMTs, uh emergency room physicians uh are facing at a frightening uh pace and rate.
▶ 0:46:56uh over the years this committee has done a lot of work in terms of the data collection that uh validates and and uh demonstrates how serious uh this problem is and the uh the rule that is before your department right now is something which again we enacted twice in prior congresses on a bipartisan basis and there's a bill that myself and Mr. Bacon um have introduced as well.
▶ 0:47:19But basically it would set up a prevention system that is actually tried and true in some parts of the country which uh provides uh training for medical staff in terms of how to deescalate um situations uh basically identifying high-risisk patients uh whether in a psych hospital or an emergency room which is where again the highest intensity of really serious injuries take place.
▶ 0:47:44um and it give again um tools to people whether it's panic buttons um you know systems of communication in terms of flagging um uh high-risisk patients uh that are there and again I want to just emphasize madam secretary this is a life and death situation we have had um you know incidents reported in from all over the country of uh people who've lost their lives uh because of inadequate safeguards that were out there one of them is a 63-year-old home health nurse from eastern Connecticut who was stabbed
▶ 0:48:14to death uh a couple years ago on a home health visit, high-risisk patient, actually was on a sex offender list and walked into that house uh completely sort of uh unequipped to sort of address what again ended her um life and you know the the tragedy still resonates um today. So again, it's gotten through the small business um SERA panel uh during the last administration.
▶ 0:48:41Again, the next steps are still ahead and I really would ask your commitment to really making sure that the 15 million health care workers that are a huge part of America's workforce um are going to see real action in your department in terms of advancing this rule. Well, uh thank you, Congressman, and thank you again for the conversation on the phone. I just in a few seconds, I want to address the apprenticeships that you mentioned. Yeah, I actually would like you to talk really about the OSHA. We agree on the apprenticeships.
▶ 0:49:11No issue there. I will uh my goal is the 1 million apprentices in order to address that. Uh we are taking a look um at all of the rulem because I think it's key. I can speak to it from former congressman that is one of the issues that I heard on the ground oftentimes was workplace safety. And now as a secretary of labor and understanding that is one of the core missions is to protect our workforce. No worker should ever have to determine whether or not they're going to go home safe at the end of the day.
▶ 0:49:40That is uh one of the core missions. It'll be something that I always look at. So in the promagation of rulemaking, while I cannot discuss it while it's in um uh in rule making, you know, really it's just a commitment to move forward. I'm not asking for details before my 20 seconds.
▶ 0:49:55I just want to make sure you know over 30 professional organizations, American Nurses Association, American College of Emergency Room Physicians, Labor, uh, who represents uh, nursing and healthcare workers, including your father's union, the Teamsters have endorsed this measure. And again, the burnout and the harm that is occurring out there threatens health care access in this country, let alone the the the life and health of the people who are the caregivers that are doing so much for it.
▶ 0:50:25So, I really implore you to follow through what was started out in Trump 1.0 through the last administration and is now uh actively on the agenda of the Department of Labor today. Without a 100% agree with you more that we need to protect our workforce. My husband is in the medical field. I understand it dearly and I will work with your office completely as we move through this process. Thank you. I thank I thank the gentleman. I recognize the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson.
▶ 0:50:51Thank you very much, Chairman Tim Wberg, for your positive leadership and indeed Secretary America appreciates your service and we wish you best success. Thank you. By statute, the Department of Labor must ensure that employment of H2A workers does not adversely affect domestic workers. To that end, the DO has established the adverse effect wage rate which is applied annually to H2A employees.
▶ 0:51:16The national effect effective wage rate has already more than doubled over the past two decades, making agricultural guest labor unaffordable for farm employers and resulting in higher consumer costs. I'm concerned that the farmers and ranchers who use H2A as the skyrocketing costs will only compound inflated input costs for energy and fertilizer.
▶ 0:51:41Other guest worker expenses like transportation and housing and burdens from several impending federal regulations and fees. There are bipartisan discussions in Congress to in support of freezing the adverse effect raise weight. And I'm also concerned there is no actual effort on the annual annual basis to determine whether an adverse effect actually exists.
▶ 0:52:02At the department, have you considered making a determination as to an adverse effect actually exist or discuss making other reforms to modernize and improving the adverse effect wage rate and H2A program consistent with your authority under the law? Yeah, thank you, Congressman.
▶ 0:52:21Uh, I appreciate you bringing up the determination from the Department of Labor on how we address the H programs, uh, in particular H2A, H2B, um, and as they affect our farmers, ranchers, and producers. We've heard this often, uh, and what can be sustainable and unsustainable over time.
▶ 0:52:39As we continue through the rule making and uh uh that process, I work with my colleagues at the Department of Homeland as well as uh the Department of State to determine we never want to displace the American worker, but we recognize that the workforce is needed for our um our farmers and our ranchers. And I've heard this throughout.
▶ 0:52:58So, we will continue as we go through uh regulations and rulemaking on AW familiar as I sat on that subcommittee uh in my time in Congress to address the issues because it is unsustainable and we have to make sure that we're protecting those farmers and ratchers and I commit to you that I will continue to work with your office and many others as we address it along with USDA Secretary uh Brooke Rollins. Indeed, I appreciate you recognize uh that each community has a different workforce need.
▶ 0:53:27I know that uh in my home state we have particular seasonal employer employment. We're getting ready for the peach season and I want to make sure that uh chairwoman Fox has uh sufficient ability to buy peaches. And so uh and we like to we like to point out uh even to people in uh remote locations like Michigan that um South Carolina produces more peaches than another state called Georgia. Okay.
▶ 0:53:54But in addition to that, but hey, it's seasonal and so and we have the same thing uh with rowcrops in my uh home county of Lexington. Um to do that and to uh how does the Department of Labor play in helping meet the local workforce needs? Well, that's the determination on both angles. One, we want to develop the American workforce first and work with our our partners at the state level. The second is we have seen the increase over the time of the visa program.
▶ 0:54:22The expansion has been tremendous because we cannot always find uh that workforce. But from the Department of Labor's perspective, it is my responsibility to test that market and then work with the Department of Homeland Secretary Gnome um and then work with Congress on determining what that cap will be and then enforce those laws. We hear it often.
▶ 0:54:40We hear it every day and it is my uh direction for the Department of Labor to almost uh uh we are working through and my agency to have a specific sub agency to determine and work with you all specifically just for the H programs because they have become so prominent in how we're going to address this. And we you're correct the one-sizefits-all no longer works. It's modernizing um and streamlining the workforce so that our American workers uh can thrive and our businesses can as well.
▶ 0:55:09Again, I appreciate your um being ahead of the curve. Additionally, the uh last administration final rule on H2A adverse effect wage rate also made it difficult for uh employers to determine uh wages. Uh what is the compliance of do to help agricultural employment determine wage rate? We'll work with our state partners along a lot of those are determined at the state level.
▶ 0:55:34We'll work with them to make sure that we are enforcing those, but they have to um uh be in line with uh what is acceptable and not. And as we go through rulemaking and regulation, uh I will be reaching out to your offices and working with our stakeholders to determine what is best for the American economy. Again, thank you so much for your leadership. I yield back. Thank you. I thank the gentleman for his produce advertising. You're a peach of a guy. That's uh Oh, here we go.
▶ 0:56:04Forgive me for that. That's good. That's good. I now uh take great pleasure of recognizing the from Oregon, Miss Bonamichi. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome back to the committee, Secretary Chavez Dimera, and thank you for your phone call. I appreciated the conversation. I want to start by recognizing the anniversary of the Department of Labor's Women's Bureau, which turns 105 years old today.
▶ 0:56:27Unfortunately, under your leadership, the department is trying to eliminate the women's bureau, which would mean the end of Wanto, which is a program for women in apprenticeship and non-traditional occupations. I just want to say I hope that this administration is not trying to close this successful program in this important bureau because the word women is in the title. But what I want to talk about and is a follow up on our conversation about JobCore. As you know, our home state of Oregon has three JobCore centers under the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor.
▶ 0:56:56Two of those are in the district I represent. Pivot in Portland and Tonguepoint in Atoria, which is residential. A year and a half ago, you proudly announced on social media that the National JobCore Association named you a JobCore champion. And I have a a reminder of that here. Uh I'd also like to submit for the record a bipartisan appropriations letter requesting maintain funding for JobCore in fiscal year 2025, which you signed. I'd like to submit that to the record, Mr. Chairman. Without objection, it will be submitted.
▶ 0:57:26Thank you. And and and now, Madam Secretary, you've made a starkly abrupt shift from a champion to a destroyer of this important program. And at the end of last week, you ordered 99 jobcore centers across the country to shut down operations by June 30th, sending their students off campus no later than tomorrow, June 6th. Fortunately, a judge has blocked that effort, at least temporarily. But I tell you that the students are distraught and so are the local communities.
▶ 0:57:54On on April 25th, the Department of Labor released a report titled JobCore Transparency Report. What role did Doge have in that report? Um, I want to be clear, the decision was not to eliminate JobCore. Only Congress can eliminate JobCore. I appreciate that and I'm going to follow up on that. But what I need to know what role Doge had in in this report, this uh JobCore transparency report.
▶ 0:58:20The Department of Labor does have uh the delegation and authority to halt those center contracts, including program operations for JobCore. What role did Doge have? I I sorry, Madam Secretary, I just want an answer. What role did Doge have in that report? Thank you, Congresswoman.
▶ 0:58:35Um based on what you just said in the last statement about the TTRO that was given last night, um it it actually gives me um great pause that I cannot discuss the details now because of that TTRO and as I mentioned it on the outset. I want to give you these answers. I want to continue to have these conversations. Um the transparency report is where I can lead and talk to you about. Um those numbers were from 2023.
▶ 0:59:04Um, but did Doge write the report? Department the Department of the Department of Labor, the government efficient efficiency employees are Department of Labor employees. So if if you're asking me about Doge is in Department of Labor, yes, they're in every agency. And did they participate in writing that report? Yeah, we were together in working with that report because I I I do note that there was an earlier version that was posted and then a later date a a staffer who's been reported to be a staffer with Doge replaced that report. Is that accurate?
▶ 0:59:32I I don't know what you're referring to about replacing that report. There was there were two different versions apparently posted. Okay. So So I want to move on. Um it's from program year 2023. Those numbers and you say the numbers are but I'm I'm asking about the report specifically report from this year in 2023 and and as you noted um you the Department of Labor called the contract uh terminations for job core pauses. But yesterday the Oregonian, our hometown newspaper wrote that a new operator is not expected to be named.
▶ 1:00:01So, does the Department of Labor intend to reopen these campuses? And that's just a yes or no question. Under the TTRO granted by the Southern District of New York, I cannot discuss this further in detail. Madam Secretary, the fact that an issue is in litigation is not a sufficient legal basis to allow you to evade congressional oversight. And Secretary McMahon was here yesterday for hours and didn't once use litigation as an excuse for not answering the question. Well, had I been here yesterday, I wouldn't have had to use it either. But because that injunction was late last night, I have to respect that the TTRO is in place.
▶ 1:00:32I'll just note there are many injunctions against the Department of Education as well. So if these are truly pauses, that would mean that the Department of Labor intends to reopen the campuses. If there's no plan or intent on reopening reopening their closure, so which did you intend to pause or to close? We paused. We made the decision to do so. The Department of Labor has the delegation of authority to halt center operations and those contracts, including program operations for job core sites.
▶ 1:00:58That being said, we are going to comply with the TTRO that was issued yesterday. I appreciate that. So, so if you're saying it was a pause, that means that you intend to reopen those campuses. Is that correct? The report on replacing the report online is inaccurate. The first report posted Thank you. Thank you for referring this on the wrong f and it was reposted that same day. So, that was to your question. um on the two reports for clarification.
▶ 1:01:22Thank you for and and I I I need to get another question and you know I I know you're going to comply with the temporary restraining order and I appreciate that. U but but Secretary Dreamer, you say you're going to send these students back to their home of record. How many current job core students are gentle lady's time has expired. If I could ask the the congresswoman to the secretary to submit that. It's a really critical issue. These students do not have homes to go to. Um, if there's any exception to this TTRO, I promise you I will answer your questions fully.
▶ 1:01:53Thank you all. Thank I yield back. And I recognize the gentle lady from North Carolina, Miss Fox. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sorry, I didn't get a phone call. I did. I tried to talk. Uh, the South Carolina peaches are great, and I want to associate myself with the comments of Mr.
▶ 1:02:17Wilson, I want to commend you for um the surrounding yourself with a great staff at the Department of Labor. Maybe many of these people are familiar faces to us who've served on the committee. I think they're going to do a great job. I also want to commend you for your actions on JobCore.
▶ 1:02:36Madam Secretary, in December 2020, Congress enacted the No Surprises Act in a bipartisan fashion to protect patients from surprise medical billings and balance billing for surprise out of network services. The law provides for a dispute resolution process. Data shows that most disputes are being resolved in favor of the provider and costs may be rising. Please provide an update on DO's role in implementing the No Surprises Act and your plans to complete implementation.
▶ 1:03:07Well, I'll kind of work backward, Dr. Fox, and I am I am sorry that we didn't get to connect. Um um but we will continue this conversation. The department continues to identify ways to improve that R process that you mentioned be and more timely uh payment determinations because it is quite expensive of a process and we addressed that when I was in Congress as well. Well, so the Department of Labor now as a secretary will make sure that that is more modernized and efficient and streamlined so that it does work.
▶ 1:03:35Um, and if you could provide us with periodic reports on that because we can bring down the cost of health care dramatically if we fully implement this. Absolutely. We'll work with your office. I have another question. During the Biden Harris administration, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, PBGC, overpaid hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to multi-employer pension plans for deceased participants under the Special Financial Assistance Program of the American Rescue Plan.
▶ 1:04:05When questioned during the previous administration by the committee, PBGC's responses were deficient. About 67 plans may have received special financial assistance to pay non-existent liabilities to dead participants. To date, at least a dozen of these plans have still not paid back this money. As Secretary of Labor, you're the chairwoman of PBGC's board of directors.
▶ 1:04:30Can you provide us an update on the status of the multi-mployer pension plans that receive special financial assistance to pay non-existence liabilities to dead participants? Well, under the Biden administration, the PBGC failed to implement those necessary safeguards to ensure that the multiple employer pension plans were safeguarded. Um, and and those did include deceased participants in those applications.
▶ 1:04:55However, it is imperative that the PBGC continues to ensure that integrity u for those SFA programs and to benefit the American worker first. Um and as the chairwoman um I do look forward to considering those important issues. I will work with the secretaries. I have secretary of treasury, secretary um of commerce in doing so and I am waiting for the nominee um to direct the PBGC Janet Dylan to be confirmed soon to continue down that road and I'd like to work with your office on that as well. Thank you.
▶ 1:05:24I'd again like to have periodic reports like starting in a month till we get this cleared up. Well, I look forward to being confirmed and I will do that. And yes, ma'am. Um, thank you. Thank you, Dr. Fox. In February, President Trump issued Executive Order 14221 dedicated to fulfilling the promise of radical transparency in healthcare pricing information.
▶ 1:05:47This executive order builds on his executive order from 2019, requiring hospitals and health plans to provide Americans with meaningful price information to inform their decisions and spur competition among providers that will drive down prices. Can you provide us with an update on the department's role in implementation and your plans to enforce this policy?
▶ 1:06:10We will continue to work with the administration on all executive orders and uh be transparent with Congress on uh this issue. Again, as we move through this process in the last 60 to 90 days that I've been in office, it has been an honor to, you know, really do a thorough analysis. And so again, those periodic reviews will be coming forth. And would you please highlight the recent job core transparency report that came out and what you believe to be the most troubling aspect of the report?
▶ 1:06:38Well, I encourage all of my colleagues in Congress uh to look at that transparency report as it relates to your respective job core centers. Uh my goal is to protect this uh population. Um but at through the transparency report specifically, the cost um has been exorbitant. It is something that through the transparency report shows that uh it is not sustainable.
▶ 1:07:03Um, fiscal year 2026 will show uh, excuse me, 2025 will show $214 million in a rears, but I cannot go further into detail. I highly encourage the rest of my colleagues so we can work together in order to have a skilled workforce for the young population that we so deeply care about and why many of us were job core champions in Congress. And I look forward to working with you all. Please, I will glad to uh it's it's public, but other than that and the TTRO, I cannot just go into further detail.
▶ 1:07:34Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. I thank the gentle lady. I recognize gentleman from California, Mr. Tano. Uh thank you, uh Mr. Chairman, and thank you for being here today, Madam Secretary. Thank you, Congressman. You're welcome. Um, I want to talk about overtime protections, strong overtime protections that help America uh, America's middle class and ensure that workers are not overworked and underpaid.
▶ 1:07:59And as you know, the Secretary of Labor holds statutory authority to set the overtime threshold for non-exempt salaried workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Um, Madam Secretary, what is your position on the appropriate overtime threshold and what that should be for salaried workers? Well, thank you, uh, Congressman for bringing that up. As we move through a lot of the overtime stuff, it is in litigation. I know this is not the answer that we all want to hear when we're sitting on that side of the DAS.
▶ 1:08:29I will continue. I'm going to accept I mean the the rule making sure the exact you you can't comment on as you go through rulem on what that salary threshold should be right but have you in fact uh made a decision to appeal the judgment. Yeah. So as you're aware the overtime rule that you're mentioning the B administration is currently under litigation and and I'm am limited. What I will say this, the department is reviewing all the rules and issues by the Biden administration.
▶ 1:09:00The department's jurisdiction and overseeing the overtime regulations is critical. It is critical to all of the workforce and we have a duty to per periodically review that authority and ensure and I will continue to do those periodic reviews and work with all members of Congress. But currently, just help me clarify. Is the department appealing the decision? Is is the decision on appeal now? Well, currently I am limited in what I can say as it is in litigation. Okay. Well, you can't tell me whether you're planning to file an appeal or not file an appeal.
▶ 1:09:29I will continue to work with the stakeholders who all are involved in as we move through that process. Well, can you tell me this? Are you committed to uh defending the authority uh the statutory authority you have to set overtime pay thresholds? Well, I have been working diligently with my agency heads and there has been no decision made on appealing that. Okay. That's that's an that's a I wish there could be more, but I I I respect that.
▶ 1:09:56Um uh as you know, the wage hour division is responsible for enforcing the minimum wage and overtime requirements and protecting children from being exploited by the workplace in the workplace. Uh do you know what the current federal minimum wage is? What that what that's set at? Yes. 725 uh $725. Yeah. Uh, do you think that's enough to keep a full-time worker out of poverty?
▶ 1:10:23Well, I think as mentioned in my hearing when I was under nomination, it is not up to the Department of Labor Secretary to determine federal minimum wage. That is a congressional uh issue. Um, and I will enforce all of the laws and I do think many states have determined what is the best fit for their respective states. And so I would look to Congress if this is something that you all want to look at. I would give you the technical assistance to have this conversation, bring forth legislation, and then I would enforce that law.
▶ 1:10:50But I cannot sit here now as the Department of Labor Secretary and say what should be done that Congress is has the authority to do. So you're not going to give me your opinion on it, but I'll say I think most people would say that that's not enough to cover basic states have been have determined what works best in their communities and even in certain states like Oregon. What's in Portland is not the same what's in Grants Pass. So, everybody will determine the one-sizefits-all does not work, but I do encourage Congress to take a look at this offer. Okay. Okay. Uh, can we move on?
▶ 1:11:19I um Well, I I got your pledge to work with Congress on Absolutely. That is my job. So, um, Madam Secretary, do you think wage theft is the problem? It is a problem in our country. Is it a is there a problem of wage theft? Oh, I think that that there have been issues of wage theft in the past. Okay. Do you think there's currently a problem? people people deserve, American workers deserve their right to have the the the wages that they have earned.
▶ 1:11:44Well, let me say wage theft continues, I believe, to be a pervasive problem that impacts millions of workers. Recent estimates show that workers throughout the US uh are are experiencing 15 billion dollars annually uh from minimum wage violations alone.
▶ 1:12:02However, the Trump administration's proposed budget would reduce full-time employees at the wage in our division to 1,160 in fiscal year 26, a 19% reduction from the 1,435 full-time employees uh in fiscal 24. How will fewer full-time wage and hour division employees improve uh wage theft protections for workers?
▶ 1:12:28Well, again, uh the mission of the Department of Labor is to protect the American worker first and certainly protect their wages and the benefits that they have earned. Statutoily, we will follow the law. And I am 100% confident that the Department of Labor will continue to enforce uh when a law has been broken. Um and that will be inclusive of what is in the budget and the preliminary budget. I cannot speak to what the full budget will be, but I will look to Congress for appropriations on that. And we will fully enforce the law that is before me.
▶ 1:12:57and we will have um um the dollars to do so. Well, thank you, Madam Secretary. I I hope that with the reduced workforce, you'll be able to fulfill that commitment. I have my doubts, but thank you for being here today and answering my questions. Thank you, Congressman. Gentleman's time is expired. I now recognize the gentle lady from Illinois, Miss Miller. Good morning, Secretary Chavez de Reamer, and welcome back to the House.
▶ 1:13:22Thank you, The Biden Harris Department of Labor issued a nightmare scenario of regulations that were especially hard on small businesses and independent contractors. Among the pile of disastrous rules was the infamous heat standard as well as the worker walkaround rule.
▶ 1:13:44As if that wasn't enough, Democrats wanted to further burden independent contractors with more regulations to stifle economic growth and job opportunities. And for all the grief the Democrats have given the Trump administration over cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, we didn't hear one word from them when thousands of health care workers, government employees, and military personnel were fired for refusing to take the CO 19 vaccine.
▶ 1:14:14Most shockingly, Biden's Secretary of Labor never actually was Secretary of Labor. She was so radical she couldn't get confirmed by the Democratcontrolled Senate. And yet she oversaw the Department of Labor for nearly two years. Furthermore, OSHA strayed far from their mission, opting to persecute small businesses rather than secure worker safety. Small businesses and independent contractors are at the heart of the American economy.
▶ 1:14:44And thankfully, President Trump is back in office to stop the insanity of the last four years. In 2021, the Biden Harris administration issued an executive order to require employees to get vaccinated for CO 19 or lose their jobs. As a result of this and similar state mandates, thousands of federal workers and military personnel were fired for refusing to take the CO 19 vaccine.
▶ 1:15:12Is there anything the Department of Labor can do to correct this gross injustice and especially to ensure that it never happens again? Thank you, Congresswoman, for all of um those thoughts on protecting the American worker first. Working for um the Trump administration, we are in line with protecting the American worker. I talked to the president um on this issue in regards to we will always put the American worker at the pinnacle and keep them safe.
▶ 1:15:42We want to make sure that we're growing our our economy and that we're developing and expanding the workforce and we want to protect them at all costs. And I'll look to Congress for any congressional review that they would like to do. Um but it is my job again as the labor secretary that we are enforcing the law and protecting the American workers um as we go through either side of regulation or rulemaking and throughout this process. So, does that mean that um our workers are not going to um be forced to take experimental vaccines in the future or lose their jobs?
▶ 1:16:13Yeah. No, I appreciate um there are no vaccine mandates under this administration. Thank you. If made final in its current form, the proposed Biden Harris heat standard would negatively impact many businesses, both medium and small. Most importantly, this rule would significantly impact the agriculture industry. in my district and across the nation. Does the Department of Labor intend to abandon the proposed Biden Harris heat standard? No. Thank you again.
▶ 1:16:43Um in regarding the standards of the occupational safety, ensuring the rules are prioritizing what is best for the marketplace and again the one-sizefits-all. I cannot comment on the specifics as it is currently in active rulemaking. we have to follow the administrative procedures act and so that is we have to wait for all uh stakeholders to weigh in before I can uh talk about it at this time.
▶ 1:17:03Um what I will say though is that we do value the rulemaking process and and as OSHA continues uh to analyze the transcripts and we come forward, I'm glad to report back out to the committee on where we are in this process. Thank you. And I expect that we will have reasonable regulations and um common sense regulations is the key to growing the economy. I I don't think that that should surprise anybody here at the Department of Labor. One of my goals ultimately is to always again make sure that our workers are safe and that they do get home safe.
▶ 1:17:33But compliance is as well when we work with our American companies and our businesses. That is a number one goal is that we help and not be an adversary from the federal level, but to be an ally for our businesses. That is America first policy. It is what the uh this administration would like to see. If we're going to grow our workforce, we have to be amendable and work with our local businesses on the ground to understand what those market demands are and then assist them in the compliance of doing so and at the same time keep our American workers safe first. Thank you.
▶ 1:18:02And I think it will help our nation thrive and our communities. So OSHA went well beyond its original mission during the Biden Harris administration, persecuting small businesses instead of ensuring worker safety. So, I trust that OSHA is changing its approach when working as a safety partner. I think that's what you um the compliance component I think is key.
▶ 1:18:25Um and and you know, just not weaponizing um at all when we're in the enforcement um section of the Department of Labor. We want to make sure that our businesses understand what the laws are, they follow the law, and how we can assist them in those compliance efforts. And we're doing that throughout all of our agencies, through those opinion letters, through our websites, through our education systems that we can educate our our, you know, listen, our businesses first and foremost, they're the front line to protecting the American worker.
▶ 1:18:53And I can tell you this, when I move throughout the country, they want to do the right thing. They are trying to do the right thing. And it is my job as Department of Labor and through all of um u the a sub agencies is to assist them in doing the right thing. If then knowingly they choose not to, well, that's when the enforcement can happen. I thank the secretary and I thank the gentle lady whose time has expired. And folks, let's start not asking the question in the last 10 seconds.
▶ 1:19:17I won't answer anymore My patience is going to Wayne here pretty soon. So, thank you, Chairman. And I recognize the gentle lady from North Carolina, Miss Adams. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thank you, Madam Secretary, for being here. Of course. Uh I've seen an increase um of about 88% in illegal employment uh of children since 2019. Uh child labor rules are enforced by the wage and hour division which is already understaffed.
▶ 1:19:47Uh there is uh one investigator for every 278,000 workers. Uh and this is a crisis that uh would make uh make it which would be much much worse under this proposed u uh budget.
▶ 1:20:02And so the chart on uh page 24 of the budget shows, 1160 full-time employees, a cut of 153 staff on and on page 25 it proposes 9 and6 full-time employees or a cut of 4 and7 staff. So which is it? Is it 1160 or is 96?
▶ 1:20:29Is there there there's disparities on differences on on each of those pages? Uh, thank you, Congresswoman. I would have to take a look. I see it here in front of me, but um in order for me to to answer it correctly, I'll look to my team and and make sure that we have those nice. Fiscal year 2026 is showing 96 FTEES reflects the program decrease uh 25 million from fiscal year 2025 is what I am seeing. Okay. In front of me. So, but I will clarify that for the record to make sure that you have the appreciate it.
▶ 1:20:58So in terms of these staff cuts, will they reduce the number of investigations of child labor? Oh, thank you again. Uh the goal of the department of labor in the wage and hour division is to um compliance and enforcement. Absolutely. We want to streamline and modernize and save and again as I mentioned on the outset and I think the ranking member said it best is not more dollars necessarily completes the job.
▶ 1:21:24I will work with my agency heads to make sure that we are protecting um all divisions of the wage and hour and complying with the law set forth and we will be able to do that uh once the budget is finalized. Um okay. And in in a in a yes or no, will these staff cuts result in fewer child labor investigations? Uh again, Congresswoman, determining uh a hypothetical uh we will enforce the law and we will never allow in this department to I'm sorry uh congressman I was not trying to look over over you.
▶ 1:21:54I was just trying to address uh we want to make sure that we are uh combating all child labor violations. It is not acceptable in this country that we would ever allow for that and I will do everything in my effort to protect um against child labor. Okay.
▶ 1:22:09So, I agree that the Department of Labor uh needs to focus on on child labor, but we can also protect adults from wage theft and we can protect children from from illegal exploitation and and this budget request and you are going to said you can go back and take a look. It doesn't really do either of those things. Uh let me ask if if there was any research uh that you have uh regarding the the prevalence of of child labor violations that will guide the enforcement strategies that you're going to use.
▶ 1:22:39Oh, absolutely. I'm sure I will be working diligently with the professionals at the Department of Labor to make sure that we have all the information needed uh to to enforce the laws uh that are in place and protect uh against child labor. So, we're looking at a a cut uh in this agency by $25 million, which is a s and a significant number of staff. And uh I I just don't believe that neither of those things are really going to offer compliance assistance.
▶ 1:23:07Uh either that either we're going to uh remain these folks are going to remain inspectors into compliance assistance specialists or uh they're not going to be doing investigations. And so I have a real concern about that. Uh would that be the case, you think? Well, I look forward to working with Congress as through the appropriations process in order to determine uh uh the funding source in order for me to comply with the law.
▶ 1:23:32The Department of Labor will continue to always enforce the laws on the books and protect uh the American worker and against childhood. All right. Well, let me move on. I want to abide by what the chairman has asked us to do. So, in January, the Department of Labor released a training and employment notice to eliminate federal funding for workforce development programs thought to include diversity, equity, and inclusion.
▶ 1:23:53And because of that notice, Ruter Center for Minority Serving institutions cancelled its H.B.CU and registered apprentichip uh mini conference. And while this notice was rescended in February, no replacement has been issued. and and I'm not really optimistic about how future notices might affect H.B.CU. And I do worry that the chaos and and and the Department of Labor created in January might have a a negative effect on future investments in workforce development at H.B.CU.
▶ 1:24:24Can you comment on that? Well, I don't know if I have a specific comment on specifically that, but what I can assure you is that the Department of Labor on workforce investments is a number one goal to educate and train the workforce in this country. and I will continue to work with your office and many others to address the issues that you are concerned about. I will report out to this committee often when asked chairman in order to update you on the specifics once we move through this next.
▶ 1:24:50Thank you very much and I hope that the future training employment notices will will not adversely affect Mr. Chairman. I'm out of time. Uh I'll send my question my other questions to you. Madam Secretary thank the gentle lady. I recognize now recognize the gentleman from Guam, Mr. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Secretary. I appreciate your presence.
▶ 1:25:20Like to see my classmate there. 118 in Congress. And congratulations. You're doing wonderful. Thank you, Congressman. Hey, uh let's talk about the Defensebased Act, DBA. It creates undue financial burdens on American citizens doing business with the Department of Defense on Guam. There are high costs of doing business on Guam. The shipping cost, uh, labor costs and all. And this is one other thing that adds to these co to this cost.
▶ 1:25:48Uh, DBA requirements add about 25% to operational cost and unnecessary red tape, effectively blocking out small businesses from defense contracts. We have a lot of small businesses in Guam, too, and it makes it quite difficult. And historically, a DO exempt Guam from the DBA requirements up until 2020 when only non-citizens were exempt.
▶ 1:26:14Madam Secretary, do you believe Guam should be exempt from DBA just like the 50 states and DC? Yeah, thank you, Congressman. Um, I'm honored to be here. Um, and I miss you guys. Thank you so much again for the question. Thank you for the call. I know we discussed this in detail and this is a big concern for for Guam and I know that my staff um has connected with your team on this issue on this legislation on the defense base act and I do appreciate that you raising it with me.
▶ 1:26:40Um I promise you that I will commit to looking into this in order to assist Guam in having the most robust economic development that they can. I appreciate that and that would certainly help our military build up on Guam. Absolutely. Thank you. Um, next question is, Guam is trying to expand its apprenticeship programs into new sectors, namely those related to emergency technology and telecommunications without additional public financing.
▶ 1:27:05What strategies does do plan to pursue to ensure the remote and underserved communities like Guam are equipped with the skills necessary to participate in America's growing tech economy? Well, as you very well know and have heard, uh, most recently, the executive order by, uh, the president is 1 million apprentices throughout um, this country. We sit at around 700,000, give or take 20,000.
▶ 1:27:33Uh, we've added about 83,000 since January 20th, since the president taking office. So, it is my goal to be focused on respective states in order to enhance their apprenticeship program, especially in the uh, tech sector. Uh we have seen that pathways to the middle class, careers as apprenticeships can have an average annual salary of about $80,000 if we invest. It has been my focus um through this executive order high paid skilled trade jobs.
▶ 1:28:02That is going to be key I believe uh for Guam and many other um states. And so through the make America skilled again grant funding 10% of those expenditures have to be have to be toward apprenticeship activity.
▶ 1:28:16So, I think if we address all of those in a very succinct order and work hard, um, because it's going to take hard work, we will get more business investments in the apprenticeship programs within their local communities so we can get those young people into the pipeline and address the economic uh, market demands um, like you have in Guam. I appreciate that. And that would keep a lot of our workers uh, on Guam and we need our skilled workers to remain on Guam. That's right.
▶ 1:28:45Uh, and finally, how does D do aligning its apprenticeship investment programs to meet the goals outlined in the president's executive order on restoring America's maritime dominance? Yes. And how can the federal government partner with Guam to rebuild America's maritime industries, including ship repair? Well, you have seen that in the executive order with shipmaking again with apprentices.
▶ 1:29:09uh what the president is doing with the onoring and reinvestments of tens of trillions of dollars is to address uh this sector, the manufacturing sector that we have seen decimated really over the last 20 years where we've seen millions of manufacturing jobs lost.
▶ 1:29:24So it is uh a dedication uh from the department of labor that we assist the president in doing so um in building that apprenticeship program as well as addressing not only uh ship building but many other maritime and other sectors um for national security as well. So again we will be working with every uh state uh every um congressman in order to address those and you'll see me in I'm glad to hear that.
▶ 1:29:53Uh and then of course our strategic location Guam the maritime and ship repair will be very important for our nation to have that so forward in the Indoaccom region. Uh so I'm looking forward to of your visit to Guam. We we'll be sure to take you around and you can understand our territory. Thank you so much secretary. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 1:30:16I thank the gentleman for his excellent example of efficient questioning and And now I recognize the the gentleman from California, Mr. Donier. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I have a question for my last five seconds. So I'll I'll save that. Um Madam Secretary, thank you so much for reaching out. I enjoyed our conversation yesterday. It was nice to find out that we were both fellow Teamsters, former Teamsters and small business owners.
▶ 1:30:44Uh two subjects that we talked about, three actually yesterday. I hope you remember. first the work we're doing for multiple sessions now on the health employment labor and pension subcommittee of which I'm the ranking member with Mr. Allen uh to deal with abuses in employer-based health insurance. Half half of the American population roughly has that health insurance.
▶ 1:31:06And through multiple hearings and multiple sessions, we've seen that some providers are denying legally required claims from doctors and physicians that historically have been accepted without a lot of remedy unless the Department of Labor oversees the laws. So, look forward to working with you in a bipartisan way uh to help employers and employees get what they paid for contractually.
▶ 1:31:29And then uh behavioral health, which is a passion of mine um having been a survivor of family suicide and addiction and all the remarkable treatments in my lifetime we've been able to come up with would help people like my dad uh get the treatment they deserve uh to live full lives. And he was a treatment counselor. had a master's degree when he took his life. So, in regards to that, I'm discouraged by some of the proposals from the department and the administration.
▶ 1:31:58Last month, the administration announced that the Department of Labor will no longer enforce the 2024 mental health parody final rule, which prevents health insurance policies from imposing stricter limitations on mental health and substance abuse disorder benefits than those on medical benefits. The president's 2026 budget for DO cuts Employee Benefit Security Administration EBSA funding while allowing bipartisan funding from the No Surprises Act to expire.
▶ 1:32:28In addition, the DO's budget uh EBSA would have just 640 full-time employees to oversee 14 trillion dollars of plan assets held by 4 million employee benefit plans covering over 150 million Americans. This is down from a thousand staff in 2012 when the AY's mission was much smaller than it is today.
▶ 1:32:52So, Madam Secretary, have you done an analysis of we what these cuts will do to the delivery of services to these Americans, almost half the population that are legally to benefit from these under bipartisan law. Yeah. Uh thank you, Congressman, and again for the conversation. While this is the preliminary budget of the president, I will be looking to work with Congress and, you know, ultimately Congress will determine the appropriations and what the final budget is.
▶ 1:33:18uh we want to make sure that we are again uh saving the American taxpayers uh dollars that are um used efficiently and and and that we modernize some of of the current laws. Again, um a lot of the executive orders and I think the one that you mentioned um executive order 14219 in regards to rolling back rules that that impose undue burdens without clear statutory backing.
▶ 1:33:41So, I will work with Congress statutoily if that is something they want to work with, then I will gladly work with your office and many others um on the technical assistance for that. But other than that, uh understanding that we want to make sure that we are saving the American taxpayers and and no undue burdens are done and addressing the issues that you are concerned about and many others are as well. And it's important to the economy and to the employer.
▶ 1:34:03uh having their valued employees be able to get back to work whether it's a medical situation or behavioral health one benefits everybody particularly the economy um and obviously foremost is the employee and their families. Well again uh the department of labor's goal is to have a higher labor participation workforce and um there are there are instances where people leave the workforce and we want them to come back.
▶ 1:34:27you want to assure that they are able to do so and we'll do that within in compliance of the department and I know you know that as I do as a small employ um small business employer. I'd like to discuss another area. I'm about to introduce a bill to ensure that the principle of behavioral health parody extends not just to health insurance but also disability insurance. Uh the experts on Orisa advisory council made this recommendation.
▶ 1:34:52that's been sported by a number of companies including Sunlife, a leading provider of disability insurance. U Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a statement from Sunlife in support of extending parody in to disability benefits. Without objection of Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:35:10Madam Secretary, will you commit to working with uh me and our co my colleagues on the committee to implement the ORISA Advisory Council's recommendation to improve disability insurance for people with behavioral health conditions? Absolutely. I will work with your office. Darn. That was my 5-second question and you answered it succinctly. I yield back by one second. I thank you for your excellent example of a gentleman. Thank you, Congressman. And I recognize the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Harris.
▶ 1:35:41Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thank you, Madam Secretary, for your presence here today. And um well, listen, can we want to thank you also for your leadership that you're bringing to the administration. In fact, the Trump administration's proworker and pro business policies are already delivering benefits across the country. And in my home state of North Carolina, just this week, Amazon made an announcement that they're making a10 billion dollar investment in Richmond County, which is right in the heart of my district.
▶ 1:36:10That will lead to thousands of construction jobs and as many as 500 skilled jobs, uh, when their data center is complete. And as you know, getting the jobs is only half the battle. Uh, we have to make sure workforce is ready to be hired uh, when the dust settles. and I agree that apprenticeships are a key way to get Americans in jobs and was pleased to read in your testimony about the ways uh to expand opportunities to achieve President Trump's goal of over 1 million new active apprentices across the country.
▶ 1:36:40So I guess my question is does the Department of Labor have plans to examine the registered apprenticeship program to look for any ways to reduce the bureaucracy that involve industry or provide multiple pathways for quality programs to emerge? Well, again thank you for that um you addressing the apprenticeship program in its somewhat of its entirety because you know oftentimes we say something and then we we have to implement it.
▶ 1:37:09Uh it is at the direction of the president that we do have 1 million apprentices in this pipeline to grow this economy to assist those businesses who are onshoring or investing and as you mentioned investing in your home state. They're expecting that workforce to be right there. It is my responsibility to work with private businesses uh and the public sector as well to develop that apprenticeship program to a million. As I've toured throughout the country uh we are seeing uh again I mentioned 83,000 since the president has been online.
▶ 1:37:38uh and since January 20th, one of the new apprenticeship programs that was just developed um was with the International Association of Firefighters. It's something that hasn't been done before. Uh and so we're assisting them in compliance and how to do that streamlining the actual mitigation of the systems at Department of Labor. So people want to engage, they want to register their apprentices. We're seeing that the public private sector work together. We're seeing that on our community college campuses.
▶ 1:38:04We're seeing it at centers of excellence where private companies are investing in that workforce and sponsoring them so that they have that secured pipeline for investments like in your home state. So when we pair those two together, I I could almost guarantee um and mark my words, chairman, I would like to get over a million apprentices um in this first year. Awesome. Can can you anticipate any help you might need from Congress in order to achieve that goal? Absolutely.
▶ 1:38:32I believe every time Congress comes up with good partis bipartisan policy, it helps all of our agencies um to further develop the workforce. It is the goal of this um to streamline and modernize some of the the federal bureaucracy and the red tape and the systems that have been placed for far too long. As a former mayor, I often used to think if we could just alleviate some of the red tape without harming the American worker, I think that that is going to be key.
▶ 1:39:02Uh it is uh really an honor to kind of take a holistic approach to how do we protect the American worker and how do we protect the American business. And one of the reasons that the president chose me was to bring those two to the table together so that we can grow the economy as a whole, make the pie a little bit bigger and live the American dream again. and and that's what we're doing every single day. Excellent. So, I look to Congress for good policy that I can enforce in order to grow uh the workforce. Excellent.
▶ 1:39:30Well, in my last minute or so, let let me ask this and it really ties in with what Congressman Wilson had talked about earlier. Um, the Biden Harris de uh Department of Labor's H2A worker protection rule has been preliminarily enjoined by three separate district court decisions finding likely calls for unlawfulness in multiple aspects of this expansive rulemaking.
▶ 1:39:51And rather than halt implementation of the rule until these court proceedings run their course, do continues to implement a confusing patchwork of regulations, the rule should at the very least be halted or more appropriately rolled back completely. And I guess I'm going to ask, is DO reviewing this rule? And what are your plans to provide this certainty? In my district, I have a lot of ranchers, a lot of farmers that are very interested in this and and they love the H2A program. That's right.
▶ 1:40:18Uh and we want to make sure they are concerned about the rising cost. Obviously, every time again that there is policy, we want to make sure it's workable and that it works for the American people. uh it is my obligation to review all rulemaking and regulation and then work with Congress to determine the best outcome of that policy and then enforce the law and I will continue to work uh with our stakeholders in our respective states including our our H2A visa users to do so. Absolutely. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Mr. Chairman, I yield back my time. Thank you, Congressman.
▶ 1:40:49It's nice to meet you. I thank the gentleman. I recognize the gentle lady from Georgia, Miss McBth. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary, thank you so much for being here once again. It's good to see you back in your old committee room. Uh, as a mother, I must say I'm deeply concerned about child labor.
▶ 1:41:07Uh, in 2023, a Georgia-based contractor was fined at both the federal and state level for violating overtime, work safety, and child labor laws by employing a 17-year-old to work one of the most dangerous jobs there is uh when done without the proper precautions, and that is roofing. He unfortunately fell about 25 ft from a store rooftop and was airlifted to a local hospital.
▶ 1:41:35And thank God he recovered and recovered without any serious injury. But falling from a roof can uh have very deadly consequences as you might assume. But we're all lucky that his injuries weren't worse. But it shows how important enforcement at the Department of Labor really really is.
▶ 1:41:52Your proposed budget will cut the number of investigators at the wage in our division as well as the office of the solicitor, leaving fewer staff and resources to prevent cases like this and hold those accountable who are putting our kids in danger and at risk. As you know, my son Jordan was unfortunately taken from me at only the tender age of 17. So, I know the pain of losing a child, and I Yes, I can promise you I miss him every day.
▶ 1:42:23Jordan was the exact same age as this young man that I just spoke about. And it would be a tragedy for any family to have to go through what mine has because the department did not have the resources or the time to stop these accidents before they happen or to hold the viol violators accountable.
▶ 1:42:45The wage in our division today has significantly fewer child labor and wage theft investigators on staff than they did over 75 years ago. Uh 611 today versus 1,000 in the year of 1948, despite our workforce being much larger than it was at that time.
▶ 1:43:06Investigators in a dozen states told the New York Times that their understaffed offices could barely respond to the number of complaints, much less open their own investigated uh independent investigations because they were understaffed. So, how does the department plan to crack down on child labor and wage theft if there are fewer investigators and resources to protect our kids and to protect our workers? Thank you, Congresswoman.
▶ 1:43:34It's it's an honor to be back and and visit with you here today and and I and I am sorry about Jordan. I I don't think I did know that. So, thank you. Yes. From the Department of Labor's perspective, it is my ultimate responsibility and goal to protect those American workers and especially um uh anybody who is nefariously breaking the law.
▶ 1:43:55and anybody who does knowingly break the law, the Department of Labor does have enforcement capabilities and we will double down on that because I do not believe any American wants to tolerate that. Now, if we equate that to a budget and say that again uh that more money will always solve the problem, um I would probably have to disagree there. I think oftentimes we need to modernize and streamline.
▶ 1:44:17I think that that's what this budget does and we will statutoily always investigate and do what is right when we have those complaints and we will follow up on the law for companies and businesses who need help with compliance. We want to do that first. They are the first line of defense for the American worker and I will ask them to always comply with the law and I will assist them in doing so.
▶ 1:44:39And if at that point they knowingly choose not to, we will use the full capabilities of the Department of Labor to enforce that law and double down on that and hold them accountable. Well, thank you. I understand that you may be saying that preventing child labor and supporting workers is important to you. Absolutely.
▶ 1:44:55But but saying that you want to stop something and then making child labor and wage theft laws more difficult to enfor enforce doesn't actually accomp accomplish that goal and actually uh does just the opposite. Um Secretary Georgia is home to more than 100,000 federal workers and they do everything from research at CDC uh to supporting Robins Air Force Base to helping seniors with their social security.
▶ 1:45:24My understanding is that you weren't able to answer this question at a recent hearing, but you've had some time since then. Can you tell the American people how many employees the Department of Labor had when you were confirmed and how many are employed there now? Sure. Um, we know that, um, I want to make sure I have it for you. I apologize. Um, can you Is it 25 something, right? Yeah, sorry.
▶ 1:45:53I have it I had it written down. So as of the um the DRP 2513 as of the close I think our 45day window was Monday of this last week and that's why that number was fluid. So 2513 have taken uh the DRP. Okay. Thank you. We urgently need to lift the federal firing freeze to ensure that there is someone to help our constituents when they need it.
▶ 1:46:16So whether it be at the Department of Labor or any other federal agency that folks have a home, uh we need answers and we need to make sure that they are getting the important information and resources that they desperately need. And my am over time and I yield back. Thank you, Congressman. It's nice to see you. I thank the gentle lady. I recognize another member from Georgia, gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Allen. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:46:43And um I'm amazed uh you know I just thank God we got people from the business world in this government now uh because if you're not innovating and you're not automating you're out of business and it's this government for too long has ignored uh the amazing technology that is available today to do the very things that we're talking about doing and actually do a much better job.
▶ 1:47:08I've seen it in the business world and it's time for the government to wake up and the taxpayers would appreciate it too. This Congress, I'm honored to chair uh uh that chair Wahberg asked me to serve as chairman of the uh help committee, health uh employment, labor and pension subcommittee and there's a lot of work needs to be done. With that being said, uh Madam Secretary, again, thank you for your efforts in modernizing the Department of Labor.
▶ 1:47:34But in recent years, we've seen concern a concerning rise in the number of working Americans relying on government health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid. One of my top priorities and uh chairman Wahberg had brought this up as well is to expand accessible uh access to affordable private health coverage for small business self-employed individuals. And that's why I am proud to co-sponsor uh Chairman Wber uh Berg's association health plan bill.
▶ 1:48:03Uh I have met with Fortune50 companies, Fortune 500 companies. They self-insure and have reinsurance and they are reducing cost of health care and providing amazing health care to their employees. I also believe that extending the same ORISA waiverss currently available to union and faith-based health plans to association health plans could empower these groups with greater bargaining power, ultimately driving down insurance costs for their members.
▶ 1:48:31Would your department be open open to exploring ways to allow association health plans similar flexibility and waiverss currently afforded to union and faith-based plans under Orisa? Yeah, thank you again for the question and the and the conversation about this and I'll look to Congress um again from the Department of Labor's perspective. It is it is my responsibility and my job to work with Congress on these technical issues and assist you in understanding that.
▶ 1:48:56But it is the goal of this administration to lower health care costs to understand that we want to offer the best programs and the best uh plans for our American workers. So yes, I'm committed to working with you and your office on this piece of legislation. Thank you. Uh one of my biggest uh priorities as subcommittee chair is ensuring that Americans hard-earned retirement savings should never be jeopardized by politically motivated mismanagement.
▶ 1:49:21The Biden Harris administration revoked the protective Trump administration rules prohibited investing retirement plan assets and voting proxies held by plans for the purpose of in impacting and advancing woke policies at the expense of participant retirement savings. The Biden Harris administration also issued replacement rules that allow and even encourage fidiciaries to use other people's retirement savings for woke agendas.
▶ 1:49:46Can you explain the importance of ensuring investment fiduciaries invest exclusively for the purpose of providing benefits and deferring reasonable expenses under retirement plans? Yeah, thank you. I think you're referring to uh ESG um as and that has been um under this administration uh where we want to make sure that the fiduciaries are working with their investors for the best outcome and the uh uh risk mitigated uh investments.
▶ 1:50:12And so the department of labor will not weigh will remain neutral on this and we just issued uh as well that we want uh fiduciaries to work with their investors and not weigh in on any woke policies for certainly and followed that executive order. And I recently introduced the protecting prudent investment retirement savings act.
▶ 1:50:31Uh this leg legislation seeks to codify that those who manage Americans retirement savings under the employment retirement income security act or Orisa must prioritize maximizing returns for secure retirement rather than political or social impact using risky ESG investors.
▶ 1:50:48As you mentioned, uh, the Biden Harris administration, congressional Democrats, and states including California have consistently demonstrated their hostility to independent contractors who choose to earn income through apps like Uber, Lyft, and Door Dash. What kinds of policies do you support to assist workers who want to earn a living or some extra money by working as independent contractors? Yeah, thank you. It is one of the um um industries that has expanded very rapidly.
▶ 1:51:16The gig economy, the platform economy, this administration is uh recognizes how important it is for workers to have that flexibility to build the businesses uh for themselves. Um the rule that you referenced is under the Biden administration is currently under litigation. And so I am limited in in what I can say, but but publicly what I can say is that it's consistent that we will offer the guidance that's necessary um in clarifying that 2024 uh rule.
▶ 1:51:40And we're also offering the the opinion letter program that I mentioned on the onset in order to guide oftentimes uh private sector businesses in how the Department of Labor is looking at them. Good. Great. I'm out of time, but thank you for your common sense approach to solving these issues. And I yield back, Mr. I thank the gentleman. And now I recognize the gentle lady from Connecticut for her five minutes of questioning. Thank you. And thank you, Madam Secretary, for being here. I do have to say I feel a little left out. I didn't get a call yesterday.
▶ 1:52:11We It's not yesterday. I've been working on it all week where my office reached out to offices who responded and we set up a time to have a call. I And there were some offices who didn't respond, but listen uh I'm glad to give you my cell number as I do always and you can always give me a call. Absolutely. I appreciate that. I do want to just touch on the issue of JobCore.
▶ 1:52:30I know I'm not asking you about the pending litigation or the efforts by the judge to stop the elimination of JobCore, but as you well know, 45,000 uh students are enrolled in this program. high school dropouts, homeless young adults, young parents, students with uh learning disabilities, students aging out of foster care, many of which have no home to go to.
▶ 1:52:55I heard you say in your opening that you were working with the Department of Education, which is puzzling to me because we had the secretary here yesterday who said her final mission is to, you know, downsize and virtually eliminate the Department of Education. So my question is what plans if any do you have to protect these students uh and keep them safe? I I heard you talk about different instances from safe from violence, homelessness, addiction, you know, all of the things that literally made JobCore attractive.
▶ 1:53:25Absolutely. Uh in regards to the department of education and working with um the secretary McMahon um as well as many of the other secretaries uh it has been one through executive order that we address the workforce uh education system um uh because they are our future workforce. So I will work with the other secretaries. I mean specifically this population because a lot of the other ones are hypothetical but for sure there is a direct conversation about the elimination of job core.
▶ 1:53:53I guess my is then what if this then this what happens next for these children or these young people? Yep. So I want to work with Congress as I mentioned we have put a pause. Yes we did but it is I cannot eliminate job core that is up to Congress to determine what is the best programming and programmatic effects that we can have on our workforce.
▶ 1:54:15Um I know that is not um it is subject to Therefore, it is I can't tell you how much I am frustrated by that because I want to be able to work with Congress. Um, but because of that, I cannot go into any details on this and if there is an exemption or if there is a halt in this litigation, I am glad to update the office. Um, what I can say is I I'm confident that um, Congresswoman, you have most likely read the the report because I can talk about the public report.
▶ 1:54:44Well, no, I mean, I I actually do believe that you care deeply about this. I I believe that. I guess what I'm asking you and you can't go into it today is that there is consideration for these young people that we housing, job training, transportation, all of these things because at 17 their life is not over. That's right. And we could put things in place to ensure that that happens. They are our future. I I am committed to this population. Always have been for my 30 years of service. I have kids.
▶ 1:55:14I understand that. Um, I want the best for this population because we need the skilled workforce and they deserve it and they deserve Congress and the Department of Labor and every other agency head to work on this issue. But specific because of this, I can't go into what No, I understand. I mean, I appreciate you understanding that and I'm committed. Yeah, I don't want to spend too much time on this, but just as a reminder, there is no law that keeps you from disclosing information to Congress about pending litigation. I mean, all of us are aware of the Privacy Act of 1974.
▶ 1:55:43we all have to have people sign privacy release forms when we reach out to them as member of Congress. Um so but I don't want to belabor that point and spend too much of my time on that because you made your position clear. I will talk about some data privacy um because there's been much concern about Doge accessing private information, social security, how is that social security numbers? How is that stored? What is that information going to be used for?
▶ 1:56:07And I think that's especially concerning for me in light of reporting this weekend that the administ the Trump administration was contracting with Palunteer co-founder of Republican mega mega donor Peter Theel to build a database of private information on American citizens. In light of that reporting, can you tell us has the Department of Labor shared any information like this with Doge?
▶ 1:56:28and what processes are in place to employ that the private uh data of US citizens is not um subject to being abused by private organizations or corporations like Peter Theel or Elon Musk. Sure. I I do I don't know what uh you're referencing on this report.
▶ 1:56:45I I don't know what you're referencing there, but for the Department of Labor employees, which is inclusive of government efficiency employees that work for the Department of Labor, they are subject to the same rules and regulations that the all Department of Labor employees are, where they are not allowed to share any private information and they are subject to any of uh the safety and security of that private information uh under the Department of Labor regulations. And I will stand by that. Thank you. Uh my time has expired, but I will get a copy of that. It's a news article. Yeah.
▶ 1:57:15for your team so that you can review it at a later date. I yield back. Thank you, Congress. I thank the gentle lady. I now recognize for his five minutes of questioning the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Mesmer. Okay. Thank you, chairman, and uh thank you, Secretary, for being here today. Appreciate your appreciate your phone call earlier this week.
▶ 1:57:32Um, in my 36 years as a prior business owner of a family business that's been in 54 business for 54 years in the construction industry, in that time dealing with hundreds of employees, we've never had an incident where we had an employee uh deal with a heat related issue on the job. I cannot believe that my experience is unique and I question the need for the proposed heat rule that was rolled under the Biden administration.
▶ 1:57:57It's an ownorous one-sizefits-all program that fails to take into packact and impact uh geographic variability. Uh exertion levels required on the job and indoor versus outdoor uh environments that people work in. Uh you mentioned earlier on a labor related question from my colleague from South Carolina that a one-sizefits-all program does not work in the context of the proposed heat rule. Do you also agree that a one-size uh one-sizefits-all program is not workable?
▶ 1:58:28Absolutely. Um one-sizefits-all uh usually is a pretty standard practice that doesn't always work. Everybody geographically and different parts of the country will address this. What the workforce also as you mentioned in your your company for for years and years and years have not had an incident. And again, under Kersha current OSHA rules that require water accessibility to employees at all times and and and you deal with the heat and you let people take breaks. OSHA's goal is to uphold those standards. We want to keep our workers safe.
▶ 1:58:57We want to work with our businesses and our companies so that that whatever rule making and litigation comes forward uh that we're protecting one the American worker and the compliance is there and that we can determine that. I would look to Congress, but as this is under active rulemaking, I hate to say it again, I can't have a full detailed discussion with you, but we will continue to work with all the stakeholders, including companies like yourself uh and businesses in order to gather that information, go through those transcripts, and then report back as we move through the rulemaking process
▶ 1:59:28in the Department of Labor. Well, I appreciate that. As the department moves forward with our public hearings, we'll be able we'll be able to share that that information gathered back to myself and the members of the committee. Absolutely. Okay. And will you commit to uh please commit to working with me as this issue moves forward? Absolutely. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Yield my time back. Thank you. I thank the gentleman. I recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr. Manion, for your five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 1:59:58Chairman. Thank you, Secretary, Madam Secretary, for joining us today and appreciate the opportunity to hear from you about the changes occurring at the Department of Labor as well as uh your budget request to fiscal year 26.
▶ 2:00:12Um, under this administration, the country, meaning many of our small business owners and our workers, have faced significant economic uncertainty and as a result, labor market fluctuations, chaotic trade policy, mass layoffs, anti-UN efforts, and abrupt terminations of important federal funded programs have negatively impacted nearly all communities and industries.
▶ 2:00:38and your budget request uh if enacted by Congress could add to this economic distress. What is troubling is the proposal to consolidate 11 separate workforce programs into a single block grant. These long-standing bipartisan programs are critical for uplifting many groups within my district. We have the highest concentration of childhood poverty in the city of Syracuse and the highest concentration of African-American poverty as well.
▶ 2:01:07Lumping the programs together and handing the funding over with seemingly minimal targeting or accountability mechanisms puts all of these populations at risk of being overlooked and underserved. That said, I do want to acknowledge one component of the budget that I do support and believe we can work together on, and that's registered apprenticeship programs. In my work in the New York State Legislature, I more than doubled funding for a program under the Manufacturers Alliance of Central New York.
▶ 2:01:38And what we've seen is the transformations of people lives as a result of that program. Um, so these programs do offer pathways into highquality jobs, particularly for individuals without a four-year degree. So, Madam Secretary, your budget would require that 10% of the new block grant that you're proposing would go towards apprenticeships. That would amount to a 4% increase over the existing funding.
▶ 2:02:03And as you've mentioned, uh, this administration has stated a goal of 1 million active apprentices, which would be an increase of 50% over that number. So, I appreciate with uh and agree with you uh regarding this bold goal, but if we're going to increase funding by 4%, how are we going to increase the apprenticeship programs by 50%.
▶ 2:02:27Well, thank you, Congressman, and I I know we don't know each other well, and I'm sorry we didn't get to work together, but I look forward to working with you through this process on the apprenticeship program. It is going to take hard work and uh investment into our private sector and public sector to grow the apprenticeship program. Uh it is my responsibility again to address that workforce development so that everybody can live the American dream. Uh we know that the skilled workforce of today is different than it was from let's just say even 5 to 10 years ago.
▶ 2:02:57The trajectory is changing rapidly. the modernization um of the skilled workforce is changing and it is inclusive of many things such as AI as well. Uh so it is my responsibility to assist our uh market demands in addressing that. I've seen that in the private sector with car companies. I've seen it with our community colleges wanting to answer the call of what is on the ground they're asking for. Uh with your assistance, I look forward to um prioritizing the budget to address that.
▶ 2:03:28On the other question that you asked about uh the make America skilled again block grant through the patchwork of uh different states oftentimes the complexity and the mitigation of getting that funding can be somewhat difficult. This administration through the budget process goal is to combine a lot of those grants without duplication in order to save on the duplication of the processes.
▶ 2:03:53uh but that shouldn't limit and won't limit the investment that we have in the actual workforce. It is still up to Congress to determine if that is what they want. This is a preliminary budget. Um I think it is a more flexible one that we can, you know, lean on and work with our respective state partners so they can tell me how they want to spend that funding as if it's New York or Oregon or Indiana or anywhere else. Um that is the goal, but it will be up to Congress to determine if that's where they want those appropriated dollars to come from.
▶ 2:04:22and I would work with your office um in assisting you as well. Thank you, Madam Secretary. You mentioned our community colleges. We have a fantastic uh university system in New York State and uh we have the largest private investment in the history of this country uh with Micron coming in semiconductor chip manufacturing that was the result of the chips and science program as well as a state piece of legislation called green cryp chips. And as I look over your shoulder, I'm going to hit 5 seconds right on the dot.
▶ 2:04:53Um, strengthening community colleges program is one of those proposed eliminations. How are we going to ensure that our community colleges can pivot to the extent that they've already done to make sure we have these stack credentiing programs and other advanced manufacturing programs? Well, I'm glad to answer that in more detail. I know that our time is up, but I will uh submit that answer for you and I will work with the community college and just do that quarter turn because I think it's just going to take just enough of that in order to address those issues.
▶ 2:05:20I've worked with community colleges and trade schools for years as a former mayor and I will continue to do so as the secretary and answer that question for you. I thank the secretary and now I recognize for his five minutes of questioning the vice chair of this committee, the gentleman from Utah, Mr. Owens. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh first of all uh good seeing you again madam secretary and uh to say the least was honored uh to work with you as a colleague. Uh also very excited about the innovation you're going to bring to uh to this department as you're leading.
▶ 2:05:48Uh by the way I did get the call everybody and uh I would say that that is an indication of the partnership that you understand bipartisanship uh and also the hustle and both are needed right now and and your your position. Um we're facing a title wave when it comes down to demands. uh we have as mentioned earlier 7 million uh worker deficit and we have 10 uh trillion dollars being invested. So we have to truly uh bring innovation into this process and and and again work together make this all work.
▶ 2:06:15Uh Mad Secretary President Trump had and some of the stuff you've touched on a little bit but I'm going to add allow you to maybe add in add more comments. Uh President Trump has made it a goal to reach and surpass 1 million new active uh apprenticeships. Uh we know that there's employees across the country uh employers across the country that want to be more involved to find a current system very challenging to navigate. What reforms can be made to better facilitate employer engagement and uh with the registered apprenticeship program.
▶ 2:06:45Again, this is the exciting part of this new administration. What President Trump did in the first administration, he's kind of doubled down on the second administration. that the American worker will come first and that I will work with all uh organizations whether it's organized labor, labor, private business, private sector. We want to entice all companies private and public to invest in their workforce in order to get to that that pipeline of a million apprentices.
▶ 2:07:13I mentioned earlier um and I'm not sure Congressman if you were here uh the International Association of Firefighters. We hosted them at the Department of Labor specifically because they were launching their first apprenticeship program because we know we need the workforce for our firefighters and our first responders and our wildland firefighters as we move through. I had a conversation uh with law enforcement that they're considering registering apprenticeships for law enforcement officers.
▶ 2:07:38How exciting would that be that our first responders and our law enforcement would step up and want to know that their pipeline is now respected and and they could register with the Department of Labor? This is not only good for the country, it's good uh for the public to see that the the private sector is investing in the future of this country and protecting that American worker. So, I will be the conduit. I will bridge that gap. I will fill that table every single time.
▶ 2:08:03That's what the president of the United States asked me to do and that's why I'm willing to work across the aisle and for the best policy of this country so that everyone can attain the American dream. By the way, that's going to be music to the ESR Utah firefighters for sure. just met with them recently. Uh we often hear from businesses that there's a disconnect between the educational system and industry which results in workers unprepared to enter the workforce. Again, you might have you touched on this a little bit earlier, you might want to just dig a little deeper, but what what steps the department take to bridge that gap.
▶ 2:08:32Um and how can Congress help to address uh this issue? Congress does a wonderful job in understanding the issues if they're on the ground. I want to be the storyteller for you as I travel around this country so that you do um uh navigate the system and make good policy uh that will withstand the test of time. That is what the president is doing. He's looking the future of a hundred years out. We're not looking for policies that'll be overturned.
▶ 2:08:57Um and it is my goal to understand that, you know, not no longer is just a four-year degree uh what we want to see. We're seeing so often that technical schools, uh, centers of excellence, community colleges, we understand that they're six-month certificates, 12 month, uh, some of these apprentice programs are four and five years, but they're producing mortgage paying jobs for their families to protect uh, those families that they can determine where they want to live, where they want to invest, where they want to raise their kids.
▶ 2:09:28That's the freedom and prosperity that people are looking for. and it is the Department of Labor's um honor to actually assist in that and help Congress determine what that can be. So, I hope we continue to work together. I hope as a former colleague you understand that this is an honor to serve at the pleasure of the president, but it's really an honor to serve the American people and change the way we have done business for far too long where we uh government has been an adversary as opposed to an ally and I want to be an ally for the American worker and the American business. Thank you.
▶ 2:09:57actually um covered my next question. So, we're going to be able to give some more time back. But, I'll just say this, uh your background as a business owner and mayor. You understand what return investment is and that's what we need in government. So, thank you for taking on this position and look forward to work with you. Thank you, Congressman. Are you back? I thank the gentleman now for his five minutes of questioning. I recognize the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Casire. Secretary, it's good to see you again. I think last time we were together, we were having fruit plates outside of the ad committee, I think. So, that's right. I forgot. Thank you for for being here.
▶ 2:10:27Appreciate it. Good to see you. Recent research that was published said that about 2,000 American workers are killed every single year because uh they overheat at work and thousands more people uh get hurt at their workplaces. And the B administration started a rulemaking process that's been passed along to you under the Trump administration to make sure that workers get a rest break when they are out there working in the heat.
▶ 2:10:58Uh we've talked about how many agriculture workers there are in your community. My community is one of construction workers where folks clock into work at 7 in the morning and during the summertime it might be 90° when you get there at 7 in the morning and 100° by the time it's uh time for lunch. Unsurprising to me was recently in this committee sitting in those chairs where you're sitting. We had some big business industry lobbyists who said they were opposed to uh those rest break rules under the Biden administration.
▶ 2:11:28But surprising actually to me in a good way was they said that they thought it was wrong for somebody to come in at seven in the morning in 90 degree heat and work all day without a rest break all the way up to the lunch break where they haven't gotten a rest break for hours uh in the 90 degree heat. So I understand that you're in the rule making process right now.
▶ 2:11:51So, I'm not going to ask specifically about the rule you'll put out, but I what I do want to ask is would you agree at least with some of those industry folks that were sitting here that it's wrong for if it's 90 degrees for somebody to be start at 7 in the morning and they're working all the way up to lunch and they haven't been given a break between 7 a.m. and noon and it's 90 degrees. Would you agree that that's wrong and dangerous?
▶ 2:12:17Well, Congressman, I appreciate the question and understand that you want my opinion and as the Secretary of Labor, I think it's more important. The bigger question is, is it my responsibility to address the stakeholders and take the information as you just mentioned uh from one side saying it might be wrong and another side that says uh well, wait a minute, we want to comply.
▶ 2:12:42From my perspective, while we're in rulemaking, I will take that information when we're developing that rule because what what I do want is to follow the law. We know the one-sizefits-all. I just said it earlier to uh Congressman Mesmer here. Um and understanding that I can't speak specifically to the rule as it's in rulemaking, but I do want Congress to address what is the best policy moving forward to protect the American worker. One of the things that the Department of Labor's core missions is to make sure every worker gets home safely. That's where we should always lead from.
▶ 2:13:11So then, Secretary, I want to work with you in technical assistance. Great. How about how about if it's 100 degrees out? So in San Antonio last summer, almost all summer, it was 100 degrees every day. Do you think that workers should be working in a 100 degree heat five hours straight without a break during that five hours? Well, again, I I I will not give my personal opinion because as a Secretary of Labor, I cannot put my thumb on the scale. I know you understand. I I I know you're not put I I guess I guess my question and I'm not even trying to be competitive in Arizona.
▶ 2:13:42I understand there's difference geographically across the nation. Totally. And so to be real like so last summer the heat index in my district hit 117 degrees. Understood. I feel like we should at least be able to say 117 degrees, you're working for hours, right? You're in charge of workplace safety. saying we probably should say that if it's 117 degrees the industry should give workers a break.
▶ 2:14:08I hope that is what you are saying to each other and that you will develop a policy and I will enforce the law of that policy as a secretary of I Okay. I guess what I want to then communicate to you, Secretary, is that I hope that we don't allow and I hope that you don't allow the big business lobby to come here in public and say that actually they're okay with giving having a requirement for there to be water breaks.
▶ 2:14:37Maybe they don't agree specifically with the exact Biden requirements, but don't let them come here and say that they're okay with some requirements for rest breaks and that have them say that in public, but then them go and in private push for a toothless rule that results in no requirements. I think that that would be really devastating. What put people's lives at risk and we hear all the time here this thing of well, not one sizefits-all. Well, let's talk about a specific size.
▶ 2:15:0790° heat. 95 degree heat. Employers should be required to do something and they should be real requirements. And I hope just as you committed to meeting with some of my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, I hope you can commit to meeting with us as well. Absolutely. Always will meet with all members of Congress for the best policy. That is my responsibility and it's my honor to do so. Thank you. And I yield back. I thank the gentleman and I recognize gentleman from California, Mr. Kylie. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Secretary Chavez Dreamer, good afternoon.
▶ 2:15:37Nice to see you, Congressman. Good to see you as well. Uh, congratulations on your confirmation by the Senate. Uh, the last administration seemed to think that Senate confirmation was optional. Uh, so it's great to have a uh, a legitimate uh, Senate confirmed Secretary of Labor. And, uh, the fact that the last nominee for your role got bipartisan opposition, whereas you got overwhelming bipartisan support, I think is very telling. It shows that we have a secretary of labor who is on the side uh of American workers.
▶ 2:16:05Uh I wanted to ask you about the connection between our K12 education system and and workforce issues which is of course implicit in the very setup of this committee. It is the education and workforce uh committee which you were once uh a member of. Um but in many ways from the at the level of policy these two things have been disconnected for a long time. you know, we've kind of got into this mentality that the purpose of our K12 education system is to prepare students for college and that everyone should go to college.
▶ 2:16:32And we're starting to see a little bit of a swing of the pendulum back uh towards supporting things like career education. And uh I was actually I had the chance to speak uh at with a group that um assembled in my district uh earlier this week for a workforce summit at our local community college. and they had folks who are leaders in higher education and K12 education and major employers from the area uh thinking about how can we work together to prepare folks for the workforce uh of the future.
▶ 2:17:01So uh you know I I shared some of my thoughts about what we could do at the level of uh of federal policy but wanted to give you a a chance if you had the were able to speak with them about what your thoughts might be. Indeed, I hope you could at some point actually on your tour across the country stop by my district. But what are your thoughts about what we'd like to see in our K12 education system from a workforce perspective? Yeah, thank you, Um, the whole point of the America a work tour is to do just that.
▶ 2:17:28Listen to what's happening on the ground and then culminating really my experiences as a former mayor, as a business owner, and as a congresswoman and now secretary to say what's best for the local communities. If we lead again from the American workers perspective and the local community perspective, we know we can offer the future workforce through K through2 education um and the future workforce of America that students will back into these degrees based on market demand.
▶ 2:17:58Listening to the private sector say what they actually need and then drawing a you know A to B and saying here's how we're going to get you there. So many times I'm talking to the 25 to 27 year old who's being reintroduced to the community college who still is working 40 hours a week who now then goes to school at night just to just to gain that extra certificate so that they can improve on their life uh for their families.
▶ 2:18:25It is those kind of stories that I am hearing over and over again that they want the flexibility to earn while they learn to understand that this is where they they want to have a choice in their education. And then as it relates to K through 12 and working again with uh Secretary McMahon at the Department of Education, we are consistently trying to understand how we're going to invest in that future workforce and that's going to take investment on the front end of our K through2 education.
▶ 2:18:52So, I'm I'm uh looking forward to working with her as we move through this process and then working with our respective state partners to understand what does California need specifically that's different than Oregon, that's different than Indiana, that's different than Michigan, different than Utah. Um, and so as I travel around the country, that is my focus is talking to the American worker and understanding exactly what they need and then coming back to the president of the United States, having him uh understand that.
▶ 2:19:21And as we put those toward our America first policies, then I'll look to Congress to pass this uh big beautiful bill that needs to be passed so that we can move forward with investing in our future workforce. I think it's a tremendous approach and a and a great vision uh for the future of education and the workforce. Uh, thank you for your leadership. I yield back. Thank you, Congressman. I thank the gentleman.
▶ 2:19:44And before I go to recognize the gentle lady from Arizona, I recognize gentle lady from Connecticut, Miss Hayes, for a request. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just ask unanimous consent to enter the articles I referenced earlier so that the secretary can have them. A New York Times article, Trump taps Palanteer to compile data on Americans, and a Newsweek article, quote, Trump flipped on us. MAGA reacts to potential national citizens database. End quote.
▶ 2:20:12I want to enter them both into the record. Without objection, read them. I recognize the gentle lady from Arizona, Miss Ansari, for her five minutes of questioning. Thank you for being here, Secretary Chavez Dmer. For the past 55 years, uh, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, that we've talked about quite a few times today, has worked to asssure safe and healthy working conditions by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.
▶ 2:20:42Every day, bluecollar, hardworking Americans, whether they are building our homes, fixing our streets, picking up our food, delivering our packages, they rely on OSHA to make sure they have protections. and um safety from injury or death in the workplace. OSHA also protects employees from retaliation when they raise safety concerns.
▶ 2:21:03I'm wondering uh Secretary if you will commit to protecting workers from employer retaliation when they raise safety concerns, especially in frontline and immigrant heavy industries. Uh it is a core mission of the Department of Labor to first and foremost protect the American worker to make sure they're safe and that includes any uh whistleblower um um complaints and we will fully enforce the law and work with the agency heads to do so and I will commit to working with your office. Thank you.
▶ 2:21:31Secretary Chavez Dreamer, do you support calls to abolish OSHA like those from my fellow Arizonan Congressman Andy Biggs? Uh I don't know any I can't reference uh what the congressman talked about. I don't know of that comment. Um, OSHA is fundamentally instrumental to the Department of Labor to protect the American worker. Okay. And President uh Trump's nominee for OSHA director is David Keeling.
▶ 2:21:54While he was the top safety official at UPS, he was the top reason for injuries resulting in 20% of incidents. And President Trump's own administration cited UPS and sought the maximum penalty. If confirmed, Mr. Keeling would be in charge of carrying out OSHA's se OSHA's heat safety efforts. And given his history, do you believe Mr. Keeling is qualified to take on this role? Uh Mr. Keeling was appointed by uh nominated by the president as he moves his way through the confirmation process.
▶ 2:22:24I'll look to the Senate um on advice and consent that he will come to the Department of Labor. If so, confirm it and work with him. And um I look forward to working with my colleague in the Department of Labor to assist in all of the safety um factors that are important to the Department of Labor and I will always fully enforce the law and work with my colleagues to do so. Do the same.
▶ 2:22:45And I know last year you yourself said, and I quote, "As we face hotter summers and more frequent extreme heat events, our communities need to be able to rely on prompt federal assistance to reduce the risk of heat related illnesses and deaths." Do you still agree with that statement? Well, I certainly never want an American worker to be unsafe or hurt. Uh outside of again, we're talking about this heat rule. I cannot speculate. It's not about the rule though. Do you you stand by your statement? Well, I certainly want to protect all American workers.
▶ 2:23:14That is important to the Department of Labor and as a secretary and especially from heat related. Okay. Um and is it true that the chairman of this committee sent a letter to you earlier this year to resin those heat illness and injury rules? Uh, I received several letters from uh the chairman and as millions as other congressmen. Um, I don't know specific to that statement. I'd have to go back and and look at what the letter specifically said. So, you don't know whether or not you responded to that letter?
▶ 2:23:40Uh, I I'm sure I have responded, but I couldn't say right now, and I'd love to get back with your office to make sure that I'm being correct in what I'm giving you. To me, this is incredibly important. Just like my my colleague from Texas, I represent Phoenix, Arizona. This is an issue that is literally a matter of life or death in Phoenix. Um, last summer 608 people at least that we can confirm in Maricopa County died as a result of extreme heat.
▶ 2:24:08This year we already had our first heat related death with more than 63 that are under investigation. When I was on the Phoenix City Council, I also have a background in local government. Um, we led a process and passed a bipartisan heat safety rule, worker protection rule for workers. It was broadly and widely supported both by labor unions, especially the construction industry and those who work at our airports as well as the business community.
▶ 2:24:35And this is also why yesterday I introduced three bills related to extreme heat. really really hope that the rule that is being worked on uh will be ambitious and will really consider extreme heat and worker protections. I think it's absolutely shameful to advocate against heat safety measures in the workplace like some people on this committee had and I also have sent you a letter earlier this spring. Mine was requesting on an update um an updated timeline for finalizing the heat rules and encouraging you to do so.
▶ 2:25:04So really I I really implore this because in states like Arizona, the legislature is constantly attacking workers. We're a right to work state. There is not enough protections and people are dying and will continue to die if we don't have ambitious federal standards. So thank you. Well, thank you. I appreciate it. And um I I know we haven't met, so I look forward to um working with your office as well.
▶ 2:25:29Thank The gentle lady's time is expired and now recognize the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Ander. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, ranking member. Thank you for appearing before the committee today. Um, Orisa establishes a broad preeemption of state laws relating to employer sponsored health plans with the exception that states retain the ability to regulate insurance.
▶ 2:25:56Uh, states may regulate fully insured group health plans, but self-insured plans are not regulated as insurance under state laws because the plan assumes the risk and the liability of the plan. Uh, the plan then often will uh buy by the employer will often then buy reinsurance to protect from excessive uh claims exposure.
▶ 2:26:23ARISA preeemption allows self self-funded plans uh a uniform set of benefits across state lines. It allows employers to offer coverage at a more uh reasonable cost, lower premiums, increased cost sharing. Um some states have passed laws um that I believe attack this this paradigm of Orisa and of self-insured plans.
▶ 2:26:49um whether it be recent state laws to regulate pharmacy benefit managers or laws to restrict uh reinsurance. Um do you will the Department of Labor under your leadership remain committed to the traditional ORISA uh self- insurance uh system that um that and Orisa preeemption that has provided health insurance for so many uh employers and employees through this country?
▶ 2:27:17Well, it's certainly important and thank you um for for visiting with me um as we again didn't get to work together. Um but it's important and incumbent upon uh the agency and Orisa to to work with um you and many other offices in order to protect the American worker as they move through this uh process in their uh their plans together. So I am committed to working with your office on any specifics that you need for me um to do so.
▶ 2:27:45But it is it is um in compliance with what we are doing now under ORISA and we will commit to stay that way. Right. And it it seems that there are some who believe that all health insurance should be government health insurance and of course I think many of us and many of us this this room today have most of our lives been covered by employer provided self-insured plans. So I think that's an important part of our health health care system that we need to protect. Yeah.
▶ 2:28:12One of the things that is often talked about in this committee is uh right employee healthcare plans and offering the best plans available um and that whether that's through again associated health plans uh taking a look into PBMs as you mentioned I know that that was a line of questioning that Dr. Fox did often in this last cycle and and the goal of the administration is to lower the cost of health care and make sure that we're providing um that benefit to the employees.
▶ 2:28:38So working with um um private businesses and public, we want to make sure that that we're offering the best health care plans and and so work that's your job and it is my job to then comply with that law. No, I I can commend you for that statement. Ensuring quality health care and of course lowering the cost of health care because the United States of course spends more than any other industrialist country for health care and yet we don't always achieve the best uh best outcomes.
▶ 2:29:06the major theme of this uh of this administration. Absolutely. Um and uh and likewise um and and I think a key to that is to provide more not fewer options. Another option would be um short-term limit duration uh health insurance.
▶ 2:29:22Um you know in April of 2023 the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Treasury um published final rules uh that um that uh that on on on on this issue. Essentially, the Trump administration had allowed short-term health plans uh to um to go for 12 months and then be renewable up to three years.
▶ 2:29:49The Biden administration reverted to the old Obama uh era policy of three months with only one month of renewal. Again, short-term uh health plans obviously are not are not for everyone in every situation, but they do offer flexible coverage um in cases, for instance, due to waiting periods, Medicaid determinations, or when an an individual cannot afford a plan on the ACA marketplace, which are often very expensive.
▶ 2:30:19Um likewise, I believe this uh is another option. Your thoughts? Yeah. So, again, I think it kind of goes back to what I was just saying about the flexibility and modernization of allowing uh businesses to be able to provide for their employees and have that flexibility of what the offering can be. Again, as we go through rulem, the specifics is where I'll look to Congress and or our stakeholders to determine and as we move through that process, then be able to make a final um determination on that on that rule making.
▶ 2:30:49But I can't really comment it as as it is in making. So, thank you. I yield back. Thank you, Congressman. I thank the gentleman. I recognize the gentle lady from Pennsylvania, Miss Lee. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, JobCore is the largest residential workforce development program for young people in the country.
▶ 2:31:09They accept low-income 16 to 24 year olds who are disconnected from education in the workforce and they give them housing and and healthcare, educational support, career guidance and skilled job training for the young people they serve. JobCore is um and it leads to good jobs in critical fields like healthcare and manufacturing. Madam Secretary, as you know, the Pittsburgh JobCore is centered in my district. So, I can't understand why you decided to close the center.
▶ 2:31:37But given the trajectory of this administration, I can't say I'm surprised. We have 66 homeless teens and young adults living at our residential center, and your department wanted to kick them back out onto the streets with only a week's notice. It took a judge's order to stop you. Besides this, the plain cruelty of these actions, our job core uh in Pittsburgh was incredibly successful. Last program year, Pittsburgh JobCore had the highest average student credential attainment rate in the country.
▶ 2:32:0583% of our students left uh with a high skilled job credential and 81% job placement rate. It's despicable that so many successful job core centers were closed based on a now discredited Doge report that is rife with false and extremely misleading data. So, I want to spend some time going through why this report is just flatout wrong. Keeping in mind that your team sent this report out last week when DL announced you're closing our job core centers.
▶ 2:32:34And I'd like only just yes yes or no questions. So uh Secretary Chavez uh Dimemer my colleague Miss Bonamishi already established that you worked together with Doge including in creating this so-called job core transparency report in the Doge and in the Doge report it claims that the average cost per graduate is $155,000. So yes or no.
▶ 2:32:55Were you aware of that in 2020 pre-Doge uh the Trump administration found job course cost per graduate to be $57,000 and the cost per enroll was 34,000 during the program year in 2017 2018. Thank you Congressman. I'm sorry um yes or no we don't know each other and that it's okay. Just yes or no and that you weren't here for some of my previous secretary secretary because you were here I know that you know that we have a really tight time crunch and we want to get in a couple things.
▶ 2:33:22So I I I appreciate the the pleasantries, but just yes or no. Were you aware? And we can we can talk after. Yeah, for sure. Um I do want to be clear that I did not eliminate job core. So no. Okay, listen. Yes or no. Okay. Reclaiming my time. Thank you. Um so to be clear here, the reason for this difference other than DOA's ineptitude is enrollment and jobcore. Uh it was at its maximum level in those program years with flat funding and forced COVID 19 shutdowns. Enrollment went down. So the cost per student went up. It's basic math.
▶ 2:33:52Madam Secretary, this is just yes or no. Are you aware that JobCore isn't a typical job training program? That part of its mission is to provide residential living and healthcare to many of the youth who are homeless or transitioning out from foster care. Yes or no, Congressman? Yes or no? Congresswoman, under the um temporary restraining order that was issued yesterday, this is a yes or no. Was are you saying that you refusing to answer? We've already established that you are able to answer questions about this.
▶ 2:34:20So, if you are choosing not to, you can say that, but it's yes or no. Or I'm choosing uh to ignore your request or I or I'm choosing to admit that I don't know the answer, which is also okay, Congresswoman, under the TTRO. So, no, you are So, you're refusing to answer comply with the law. You're not complying with the law. Actually, I I think there is no legal necessity uh for you to refuse to answer our questions. The Department of Labor has the delegation to Thank you. So, you are admitting that you do not know the answer.
▶ 2:34:48Operations of the job core sites and uh reclaiming my time respectfully. Reclaiming my time. You're either going to answer or you're not, but you don't have to waste any more of our time. Um, so knowing JobCore provides housing for its participants. Basic math would dictate that the program is going to cost more per participant than other WEO programs. Um, I'll answer for you. Yes. The Doge report also states that the average annual earnings for a graduate $16,695.
▶ 2:35:15This number was derived by multiplying the medium second quarter earnings by four. Um I don't know you you're not going to answer whether you are aware that this is a falsero approach to calculate earnings because that outcome measure doesn't differentiate someone um who got a job in the middle of the quarter or got a raise later in a quarter. So I will tell you that it is bad math. Um, this means that your Doge report always underounts earnings when aggregated at the national level. Um, I will assume that you are not aware of that. Thank you for answering.
▶ 2:35:43If you had relied on the experienced uh career staff at DO instead of the inexperienced Doge staffers, this error wouldn't have occurred. A better outcome measure is the average starting wage for a graduate in the program year 2023, the same year the Doge report is using, which was $17.13 an hour, more than twice uh the federal minimum wage. I had more questions. um and you successfully um didn't weren't going to answer them anyways, but I do appreciate your time and I hope that uh in the future you'll be a bit more transparent. Thank you. I yel back. The gentle lady's time is expired.
▶ 2:36:13Time very disrespectful and very rude from a former colleague. The uh No, Mr. Mr. Chair, her interrupting me repeatedly was disrespectful. She knows that as a former member of Congress that our time is precious and you are allowing her and allowed her to. So, I just wanted to respond to that disrespectful comment because I don't appreciate it. Thank you, chairman. The gentle lady's time is expired.
▶ 2:36:41And now I recognize goodness subcommittee chairman for workforce protections, the gentleman from Pennsylvania as well. Mr. McKenzie. Well, thank you, Madam Secretary. I appreciate you being here today and your willingness to answer questions before the committee. uh you've been very accessible uh during your tenure and we look forward to continuing to work with you. One question that I would like to ask relates to labor force participation.
▶ 2:37:08It continues to remain below prepandemic levels with millions of Americans who are working age dropping out of the workforce during COVID and not yet having returned. So, what specific steps is the department taking to re-engage these individuals, remove barriers that may be keeping them on the sidelines, and get them back into the workforce? Well, the goal of the Department of Labor is to be focused on the apprenticeship program through the executive order.
▶ 2:37:33Uh, one of the things this administration has asked um the Department of Labor to do is to be laser focused on developing that throughout the country. Uh, currently we sit at about 700,000, sometimes give or take 20,000 apprentices. uh since January 20th and the president taking office, we've had about 83,000 apprentices um come online.
▶ 2:37:56I think that that's key and a testament to what this administration is doing with the investments in onoring of manufacturing and construction jobs and transportation jobs. We've seen the numbers go up every single month. So under the Department of Labor, my goal is to be laser focused on getting out on the road, the America at work tour that which I had mentioned before, and then talking to private businesses and public uh to invest in their workforce on the front line in their respective states and then we will assist them in that uh compliance and registering those apprenticeship programs to grow the entire economy
▶ 2:38:26through all sectors. Well, that's terrific. I know there are a number of barriers that are stopping people from getting back into the workforce. One that I would just like to highlight here is working families. Two parent families where both individuals are working. Uh high costs of child care uh can certainly be a barrier. Paid u maternity leave is another barrier. So want to work on those things.
▶ 2:38:47We have uh some different legislative ideas both in the tax space and policy space that uh look forward to hopefully being able to to work with you to make sure that working families have the best opportunities uh to provide for their their family and uh and be a part of our workforce. The next thing that I would like to talk about is a a very broad topic uh relating to our American economy and American workforce uh but it's artificial intelligence.
▶ 2:39:14We've held hearings here at this committee and others about the impact that artificial intelligence is going to have particularly related to the workforce. I would like to hear your thoughts on what AI means for current workers, for the future economy and uh what we should be doing prepare for the changes that AI is going to bring. Again, thank you for for addressing that.
▶ 2:39:38Um again another executive order by this administration is um not only growing the workforce and the apprenticeship program but in line with artificial intelligence. What we know on the outset is that there are a lot of young um American workers who are coming online. This is native uh to them. AI is not going away. Uh it is something that the trajectory of it has changed dramatically.
▶ 2:40:03I sit on a uh artificial intelligence uh uh subcommittee uh with Secretary McMahon and uh Secretary Wright from the Department of Energy. We just had our first meeting yesterday in regards to that and how we're going to address the future workforce as AI um is um really um running down the same tracks at the exact same time. One of the fears oftentimes that I hear is will AI replace my job?
▶ 2:40:31One of the things that we uh never want to do at the Department of Labor is displace the American worker. We want to assist the American worker and I will be working with Congress and looking to them as they develop their policies uh in order to protect the American worker.
▶ 2:40:45But how do we modernize again and streamline some of the systems and efficiencies within the the the business community even at the Department of Labor and understanding what our systems are sometimes archaic and will AI assist us in that so that we can be more efficient in our um budgeting process or our proposals or our priorities and then assist the American worker along the way.
▶ 2:41:08So, as we move through the apprenticeship program and work with our local community colleges and our career and technical education schools, uh AI will be on the forefront and we have to be dedicated through the executive order that we will be uh focusing on a lot of the um investment programs that we do will be leaning in toward the AI so that we have the trained workforce as we move through the future. Well, that's terrific. I'm glad you're going to be involved in the AI transformation. I think it's a tremendous opportunity.
▶ 2:41:35We want to make sure that that is an American opportunity led by the innovators and entrepreneurs and everybody right here in our country. And I think it has the opportunity to make American workers that much more productive. They're already the best in the world, but I think we can do even better if we harness the power of AI. Well, I couldn't agree with you more because I think that that is really where the uh urban rural divide will completely go away because we want to make sure that we're accessing all um of the workforce in this AI sector.
▶ 2:42:04Um, and that will be through innovation. It won't just be the best and the brightest. Everybody can have access to it and we'll break down those barriers so that they can attain the American dream. Thank you again and I yield back. Thank you. I thank the gentleman. Now I recognize the gentle lady from Minnesota for five minutes of questioning. Miss Omar, thank you, Madam Secretary, for being here with us. Um, and watching the the hearing earlier, I learned that you're also a former union member. Um, so my father was a team. Ah, okay. All right. I'm a former ASME member.
▶ 2:42:35So, um I wanted to uh talk a little bit about um the child labor uh enforcement. In two appropriations hearings last month, you expressed a firm commitment to fighting illegal child labor. At the same time, your agency has decimated IAP, including its work to prevent child labor. Your budget proposal will weaken a historically underresourced wage and hour division.
▶ 2:43:03The nominee to be your solicitor of labor wrote a chapter in project 2025 which literally calls for the rolling back of child labor laws. Madam Secretary, can you assure this committee that you will not propose any roll backs of child labor rules that prevent children from being employed in hazardous occupations? I commit to um fighting against all child labor uh exploitation. Absolutely.
▶ 2:43:32In this country, we do not want to exploit our children. Um consistent with putting the American worker first, the budget does streamline that uh is one of the agency heads, agency departments that uh protect the American worker and protect against child labor violations. Um, the budget provides for about $70 million to ILAB, including 38 million in grant funding while restoring ILAB's emphasis on putting the American worker first.
▶ 2:43:57So, that's a long way of you saying yes, I will work absolutely to combat all child labor. Wonderful. Many workers across the country will feel the impacts of your staffing um and funding cuts to WHD and OSHA. As of May 2025, WHD employee employees just um 611 investigators nationwide.
▶ 2:44:22This is the lowest number since at least 1973, even though there are nearly 10 times as many workers and businesses for them to cover. Your budget proposal cutting the office by $25 million with staffing projected to fall.
▶ 2:44:41Your budget would also cut the uh cut OSHA inspectors by over 12% even though currently it will take 185 years to inspect every workplace just once. Madam Secretary, what is the plan to keep workers safe when you're slashing enforcement? Yeah. No, thank you again. Um, you know, again, one of the overall core missions is to protect uh the American worker and that includes in the wage and hour division as well.
▶ 2:45:10And while we are streamlining and and doing some cost-saving for the American taxpayer, we will always be in compliance with our statutory requirements. Well, that doesn't Madam Secretary, Madam Secretary, if I can just uh interrupt for one second. At one point, Doge was set to close 20 WHD field offices and 11 OSHA offices. If this is happening, how will this protect workers?
▶ 2:45:33So uh the offices that we have been um that were um originally proposed uh through GSA we have worked with to bring them online. I don't think that that is a a good use of um the compliance issue that we have to protect the American worker and through um the DRP none of our essential workers either through wage an hour through OSHA through enter were able to take those because we know we need those investigators on the ground to protect the American worker and I advocated for that. Yeah.
▶ 2:46:04But having having fewer investigators and inspectors will not protect workers from wage theft, mclassification, and dangerous working conditions. So, how are you going to operate with less even though we didn't even have enough to begin with? Well, it depends on what the priorities are from the past administration, but in this are inspections not priorities? They are priorities to protect, but with less inspectors, you can't do investigations.
▶ 2:46:29don't want to do is weaponize the use of those funding dollars against how is there weaponization if you are if it's going to take you 187 years to complete inspections and you are cutting the inspectors that are going supposed to do those inspections the math is not mathing well statutoily we will protect the American worker we did not have any of our investigators currently were not able to take the DRP in order so that they can be assigned to the job that they are required So are are you are you saying
▶ 2:47:00that you're going to hire more investigators to do inspections? What I'm saying is we did not allow our statutoily mandated offices that we need essential workers like our investigators through wage an hour through EMA and through OSHA to take the DRP because they are essential to protecting the American worker in these industries. We can still cost and do the job that we need to do. So, American workers can expect that you will expedite investigations to make sure that we are assuring their safety.
▶ 2:47:29American workers can expect that the Department of Labor will protect the American worker as that is a core mission of the Department of Labor. I hope you keep that promise. I yield back. I thank the gentle lady and I recognize the gentleman from Wisconsin. Thank you for coming on over here to our humble hearing room. Hi, Congressman Growthman. I miss you. Oh. Let's talk about 14C. Are you familiar with 14C? I am.
▶ 2:47:57That's that's the provision regarding uh giving people with special needs the ability to work for less than minimum wage. Yes. Uh section 14 Certificates expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
▶ 2:48:11And it's always enjoyable or one of the things I suggest you do if you haven't done it yet is tour a facility where these 14C certificates are are in use and which people who maybe otherwise would not be able to find a job at all are given all the benefits of you know being able to work themselves. Uh the Democrats in the Biden administration didn't like 14C. they felt it was taking advantage of somebody to allow them to work for five bucks an hour.
▶ 2:48:42Um, I personally am a big fan of 14C because I've toured so many different facilities in which these uh disabled uh folks are able to develop a little bit of independence work on their own, the socialization with other Um, the Biden administration tried to introduce a uh a requirement that would make it uh very very difficult to use 14C.
▶ 2:49:12Do do you have you yet developed a view of 14C and do you plan on withdrawing the Biden administration rule? Well, Congressman, as you know, um I cannot comment. It's an active rule making now. Um and you know developing that process is going to be working with Congress and absent of any congressional action as you know many states have taken on their own determination of whether they want to continue with 14C or not. This is an important issue to so many members of Congress.
▶ 2:49:41It's really not a partisan issue. Um and I've heard from so many how it's important to them on one end and not on the other. But I look to the states respectively to determine if that's what they want. Because Department of Labor is an active rulemaking on this, I cannot comment specifically on how where we are with that. I'll ask you this. Have you personally toured any of these facilities? I have not, Congressman, I can't ask you to come to Wisconsin because you'd have to come to every other every state.
▶ 2:50:08But would you would you be like it someday if we set up a tour and see a few of them so you see the type of people whose lives would be affected and in some cases I would argue almost ruined? Yes, I I I would be um I think it would be important to to understand. Absolutely. Wisconsin it is. We we'll we'll we'll set something up. Give you three or four of these things. Um next thing is kind of hopefully it's not too obscure.
▶ 2:50:34Uh they're more than uh in Wisconsin we have more than 600 volunteer fire departments. I bet it's higher than that. That's what it says here. Uh, in February, OSHA issued a proposed rule with a new safety and health standard for emergency response, replacing the existing fire brigade standards. One of the goals, I think, by the way, of the fireman's union, is to get rid of volunteer fire departments, which are such a a huge part of America.
▶ 2:51:04And actually, when I first got involved in politics, I think in my assembly district, I had like eight volunteer fire departments, and nobody uh had a full-time fire employee.
▶ 2:51:18uh given concerns about feasibility and cost and I would say more than that uh just all the wonderful volunteer firemen will the department commit to revisiting or revising the proposed OSHA rule uh to ensure lifesaving emergency services are not undermined by federal overreach and really just basically standing up to the fire fireman's union and saying we don't mind it if local communities
▶ 2:51:48want to have volunteer departments. Well, I can't speculate on what the fireman's union thinks about the volunteer um firefighters. But what I will say is again while this is in uh rule making, I I committed when I took on this job that I would look at and do an analysis on all rule making and regulation and as we move through that process, I'll be able to update you and your office and this committee um and I can follow up up with that.
▶ 2:52:14But we do want our nation's first respon responders safe and that will include all of um those first responders. I don't even know in your old in your old congressional district, do you have a lot of volunteer firemen? Uh we do have volunteer fire fire departments uh really throughout the entire country, but yes. Okay, super. Um we'll say this.
▶ 2:52:37Uh, President Trump signed Executive Order 14173, which rescended Executive 11246. That was an order from 1965. A horrible, horrible word that established employment. Am I over here? Way over. You're going over. I I'm committed to working with your office and can answer those. Um, okay. Thank you much. I thank the gentleman.
▶ 2:53:06Now I recognize the ranking member, the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Scott. Thank Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, thank you so much for being with us and you've heard from many members on both sides who have thanked you for your phone calls. We hope that communication uh continues. Um it's my understanding that many of the job training programs have either been eliminated or block granted but uh when the aggregate funding is added up it's $1.6 billion less.
▶ 2:53:36Is that right? Uh yes. Yes, that is correct. Okay. On the on the proposed budget on the proposed and I'll look for Congress for the ultimate budget. Thank you. Uh we've heard a comment about 14C. Most states have actually abandoned 14C, as you know, in favor of strategies that transform uh employees to competitive employment.
▶ 2:53:58As other states continue to abandon 14C, will you work with us to help those that need uh assistance to be able to earn a full minimum wage? Yeah, I'm committed uh to your office and many others. Again, this is really not a partisan issue. This is a really a personal issue to many members of Congress. So I'm committed to working with you on the technical assistance as needed. Uh thank you. Could you tell us the status of OFCCP? Yeah.
▶ 2:54:25Through the executive order that is um will continue to be and through this budget will be confirmed that um we will enforce all discrimination laws uh anti-discrimination laws on the books. And this was duplicative and it's an executive order that we are following through and we'll wind down OFCCP. Uh well and now it's in litigation. So, I guess we'll have to see about that.
▶ 2:54:47Uh, can you tell us the status of the Bureau of Labor Uh, independent of the Department of Labor, um, we want to make sure that we are not putting our thumb on the scale there and they're independent of those numbers and we want the most accurate data as possible.
▶ 2:55:02Does that mean they're going to um keep the um um uh the 29 USC has a provision that Bureau of Labor Statistics under the direction of the Secretary of Labor Shall and then it goes on so um let's see um I can get you um the specifics to that. I I I don't know if you finished your sentence what the question was exactly.
▶ 2:55:33You're answering the question. Yeah. Yeah. Um well, so we need to follow up on that. Sure. Men, as you pointed out, closed a number of offices that have been reopened. Who decided to close those offices and what standard was used to reopen them? Uh that was GSA before I was even confirmed.
▶ 2:55:54Um and so we've worked with them specifically to uh have them understand the importance um statutoily that we need to have that in the department of labor and I think since then 34 offices have been uh released but I can get you the specifics because actually the fluidity of that happens every single day. Um all of them have not been reopened. Uh I couldn't give you it's not all but I don't know the exact number. I think we're at 34 but I don't know exactly and I'm glad to follow up with your office and give you those. Are there other agencies on the shutdown list?
▶ 2:56:26I I don't know specifically which agencies you're referring to. Any agencies that have regional offices being shut down by people that that out of the blue? You said GSA. That wasn't under Well, GSA is the one who who had determined those um leases, but now that that's under lit, you know, litigation, I can't really speak to the specifics of that. And I don't know um of any future shutdowns that you're referring to unless you ask specific.
▶ 2:56:55Well, if you don't, that answers the question. Yeah, I don't I don't know. Okay. Um injured federal employees around the country are receiving emails telling them that hearings that they need to resolve their workers compensation claims are being cancelled because the department is deter has terminated its contract for court reporters needed to transcribe the hearings. Um, are you aware about that? And if so, who decided to cancel the contracts and why?
▶ 2:57:24I'm not aware of that and I can have uh my team follow up with your office. Okay. Um, are you aware of any um businesses run by Elon Musk that are under investigation by the Department of Labor? No. Um, you have that for me? I want to give you a specific on this. You don't have it. Okay. I'll follow up with your office.
▶ 2:57:50When when he was running through the um there was no I have no specifics on on that. Um okay. Um I think the answer is actually yes. But um uh if we can follow through on that, that'd be helpful. If my team has it for me before this ends, I'll give it to you. Okay. Um Mr. Chairman, I think the 10-second rule is about to kick in. Don't get don't get gabbled out.
▶ 2:58:18But I would I would like to thank the secretary for her for her comments. And I want to thank the gentleman for his attentiveness to the to the time. There being no further questioners, let me say thank you, Madam Secretary, for your attentiveness today, for your willingness to be here and attempt to answer all the questions that you could.
▶ 2:58:42And uh I I want to say also thank you to our full committee, both sides of the aisle for their interest uh in in hearing from you and the tentness they took to put questions together. Some challenging uh some without answer potential, but thank you.
▶ 2:59:02I want to say thank you also to the U audience for attent and and your willingness to undertake listening through this long period of time. It's important especially when we hear from a cabinet secretary on this very important department. So thank you as well to the staff who put this from both sides of aisle put this together so that I hope it'd be helpful for you madam secretary as well. Well, thank you, chairman. Thank you, ranking member.
▶ 2:59:30Thank you to my team, and certainly thank you to the committee for the assistance in uh today's hearing. I look forward to updating the committee um early and often. We look forward to that, too. I'd now like to recognize the ranking member uh for his closing remarks. Again, I'd like to thank the secretary for her comments and particularly for her willingness to communicate with all of the members of the committee. I think the many of them expressed appreciation for those those phone calls.
▶ 2:59:58We've heard a lot about the um uh funding and how you can do more with less and we'll have to see how that works out. Uh we have an obligation to our workers to make sure the Department of Labor is doing its job. We'll be doing oversight and we'll be looking for um additional answers. There were a lot of uh questions who were asked that um the secretary is committed to get back to us on. I think that's fair and we look forward to those answers.
▶ 3:00:29Thank you. Thank the gentleman and on behalf of the members of the committee, I thank Secretary Chavez Dreamer for discussing the Trump administration's plans for a smaller and more effective government, its plans to ensure there are fewer but more effective regulations and its uh efforts so that skilled workers can fill jobs and make make our economy stronger.
▶ 3:00:51I also want to say thank you for your comments, direct comments about your desire for a growing workforce, a well-trained and uh with significant choice uh in movement in the workforce as well in the workplace.
▶ 3:01:07Um also your your uh clear understanding that good opportunities for workers demand great opportunities for the employers as well to succeed and that all workers should have a reasonable expectation to work in a safe environment and to reasonably expect to return safe at the end of the day as well.
▶ 3:01:29appreciate that the Biden Harris administration reversed some common sense policies that were enacted by the first Trump administration in favor of radical one-sizefits-all regulations that prioritize labor union leaders expanded the federal bureaucracy and pushed a radical DEI agenda at times. Our hearing today provides good news that the Trump administration is advancing economic policies to unleash the American workforce.
▶ 3:01:59President Trump is putting a stop to the job killing and inflationd driving regulatory blitz and businesses and workers are optimistic. I just sense it back in my district. The committee looks forward to uh reviewing DO efforts on behalf of American workers and businesses. and we look forward to speaking with you again as you've offered about what you have heard on your tour of our great nation.
▶ 3:02:26With that and no further business to be dealt with at this time, I declare the uh committee