HR Policy’s Future Workplace Policy Council continued its year-end webinar series with post-election analysis featuring Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), senior Democratic staff members on key congressional committees, and Republican Senate staff.
Oversight from the Republican-controlled House ahead: Rep. Foxx noted that we can expect “lots of hearings looking backwards at what the Biden administration has done as well as being contemporary about what they are planning on doing.” She particularly focused on recent NLRB activity, the Federal Trade Commission, and agencies operating without clear congressional authority. “We will not be shy about pushing for answers from the administration about what it is doing and why it is doing it,” she concluded.
Challenges to Democratic priorities: Several Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee priorities will be attached to the upcoming omnibus spending bill, Mr. Schatz said, including on health care and pandemic prevention. Ms. Pluviose observed that there will likely be an effort on several key pieces of legislation through the end of the year, including the House-passed bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, but many will see challenges in the Senate.
“Fireworks” to be expected in Senate HELP Committee: Mr. Sommer pointed to Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) expected chairmanship of the Senate HELP Committee as an indication of the Committee’s intensive focus on health care and labor issues, noting “there could be fireworks.” Looking to next session, Mr. Sommer suggested that there will be a focus on the SEC’s expected rules on human capital metrics, among other issues.
You can find a recording of the discussion here.