OVERNIGHT REGULATION: Dems renew fight over minimum wage

Welcome to OVERNIGHT REGULATION, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Thursday evening here in Washington and we’re looking forward to the NFL Draft. (Tip: Whatever Matt Millen says, do the opposite.)

Here’s what else is happening:

 

THE BIG STORY

The Obama administration and congressional Democrats are renewing their fight with Republicans over the minimum wage.

After failing to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour in the last Congress, Democrats are back with an even higher demand.

The Raise the Wage Act introduced Thursday by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) would increase the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020. http://bit.ly/1QQhKZ0

{mosads}This would help nearly 38 million workers, Democrats say.

“Let’s make sure hard work pays off,” Murray told reporters Thursday.

The minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour, but top Democrats are stepping up the pressure on Republicans to raise it for the first time since 2009.

Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are all putting their weight behind the effort to raise the minimum wage.

“This is about Americans aspiring to the middle class, helping them get there,” Pelosi told reporters.

It unlikely a minimum wage increase will pass the GOP-controlled Congress. Republicans blocked a similar effort last year. But Democrats also see it as a potent issue ahead of the 2016 election.

 

ON TAP FOR FRIDAY

The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee will hold a hearing to discuss how floor insurance rate increases and flood mapping policy changes will impact small business and economic growth. http://1.usa.gov/1JbH2eQ

The House Financial Services’ Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee will hold a hearing on “Oversight of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.” http://1.usa.gov/1zvf3H5

The House Energy and Commerce Heath Subcommittee will hold a hearing to examine microbeads in cosmetic products. http://1.usa.gov/1EUuvP6

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 208 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Friday’s edition of the Federal Register.

Here’s what to watch for:

–The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will issue new rules for homeless veterans participating in the agency’s healthcare program.

The VA is expanding the eligibility requirements so more homeless veterans qualify.

“The rule removes the requirement that homeless veterans be diagnosed with a serious mental illness or substance use disorder to qualify,” the agency writes. “This change makes the program available to all homeless veterans who are enrolled in or eligible for VA health care.” 

The rules goes into effect in 30 days. http://bit.ly/1I1dXFR

–The Department of Energy (DOE) will issue an analysis of the energy savings and economic impact of creating an energy conservation standard for commercial and industrial fans and blowers.

The Energy Department’s Appliance Standards Federal Rulemaking Advisory Committee will use the analysis as it considers whether to establish new energy conservation standards.

The analysis will be available immediately. http://bit.ly/1zh9uf6

–The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) will issue new debt collection regulations.

The rules would establish procedures, including salary offset, for collecting debts owed to the government by agency employees.

The debt collection procedures will take effect on May 1. http://bit.ly/1dxFh1K

–The Small Business Administration (SBA) will propose new eligibility requirements for women-owned small businesses and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses competing for government contracts.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1GzD8cS

–The Department of the Interior will issue new regulations for the valuation of oil produced on Indian reservations.

The new rules go into effect on July 1. http://bit.ly/1HV26aF

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Payday lending: Florida lawmakers are asking the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to base its rules for payday lenders on “complete data” and “sound science.” http://bit.ly/1zhCFys

Predatory schools: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Thursday will introduce legislation aimed at protecting students who are interested in technical careers from being enrolled in “predatory” schools. http://bit.ly/1DFjOJ1

Food safety: Democrats are calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund Food and Drug Administration food safety rules authorized by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). http://bit.ly/1JUZaJQ

Regulations: Manufacturers are calling on lawmakers to fix a “poorly designed” and “unnecessarily complex” regulatory system that holds them back from growing and creating jobs. http://bit.ly/1DEQXEL

Antiseptics: The Food and Drug Administration is considering a new rule that would require manufacturers of over-the-counter antiseptics used in the healthcare industry to provide additional information about the safety and effectiveness of their ingredients. http://bit.ly/1Pbczzp

Poll: A new poll shows that Republican voters who rail against big government still want to maintain many federal programs,Reuters reports. http://reut.rs/1I1w0M9

Cars: Almost half of all vehicles on the road aren’t covered under existing regulation, Bloomberg reports. http://bloom.bg/1bYArdb

 

BY THE NUMBERS

$7.25: The current federal minimum wage.

$10.10: The level Democrats sought and failed to raise the minimum wage to last year.

$12: The even higher wage Democrats now hope to secure by 2020.

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

It was Rep. Bobby Scott’s (D-Va.) birthday today, so Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.) sent him a special birthday tweet: 

“@repbobbyscott: for ur bday, I planned late votes so u could spend all night on the House floor w/ 431 of ur closest friends! #Happybirthday“