House Republicans raised concerns about the Department of Labor’s recent actions, applauding the Senate’s decision not to confirm the department’s acting secretary.
The lawmakers cited her actions while holding the temporary office and the pressure it has put on business owners and independent contractors.
Acting U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su testified before the Committee on Education and the Workforce on May 1, seeking to justify her department’s budget request totaling $13.9 billion.
The lawmaker asserted that the Labor Department’s new independent contractor rule “will bankrupt freelancers across the country,” and that the new fiduciary rule “will limit options for individuals to invest in their own financial future.”
In addition, Ms. Foxx and asserted that the department wasn’t carrying out its current responsibility to reply to the committee’s requests concerning small business rules.
One of her primary frustrations was with the department’s request that Congress approve an investment in an expansion of the labor department’s apprenticeship program.
According to Ms. Foxx, the department “has power over apprenticeships, which will decimate the role of states and further handcuffed employers.”
During her opening statement, Ms. Foxx underscored her dissatisfaction with the department’s remote work policy, urging a return to the traditional five-day in-office work week.
Secretary Su’s Testimony
In response, Ms. Su defended the department’s budget requests, emphasizing the importance of investments in workforce development and worker protection.She cited examples of individuals whose lives have been transformed by gaining access to good union jobs through Department of Labor programs.
Ms. Su also outlined some of the priority areas for the department’s budget, including protecting vulnerable workers from exploitation.
The lawmaker also addressed concerns by committee members that responses to requests were not being met in a timely manner, saying that those issues strengthened her request for additional funding.
She added the department needed additional resources to carry out its workload.
“The investment in our budget requests are how Congress and the Department of Labor can tap into the talents and skills of all of America’s workers and make sure that the supply of skilled workers meet the demand right now and well into the future,” Ms. Su said in support of her work in the department and her budgetary request.
The acting secretary highlighted what she sees as the successes of her department, and she stressed the need for continued investment in job training and skill development to ensure a strong and resilient workforce.
The hearing also addressed lawmakers’ concerns about pre-pandemic economic growth, job participation, and unemployment rates.
There were differing viewpoints on the effectiveness of DOL policies and the need for additional mandates on apprenticeship programs.
Several lawmakers expressed frustration with the DOL’s remote work policy and called for a more robust return to in-office work.
They questioned the department’s oversight of apprenticeship programs and raised concerns about the impact of regulatory actions on businesses and workers.
Near the end of her comments, Ms. Foxx commented broadly on Ms. Su’s implementation of the Biden administration’s policy decisions, saying: “While the Biden administration likes to misuse the word invest, Americans see what it really means; a tax on workers and business in terms of both time and money, money and effort that rightly belong to the taxpayer alone.
“The priorities pursued by this administration are detrimental to American workers, American workers, job creators and taxpayers.
“The very people the [Department of Labor] should be serving.”
