Overnight Regulation: Dems, unions ramp up attacks on Labor pick | GOP chairman eyes changes for consumer agency

Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from the federal agencies, Capitol Hill, the courts and beyond. It’s Thursday evening here in Washington.

 

THE BIG STORIES

The Senate’s top Democrat is demanding that President Trump withdraw Andrew Puzder’s nomination to lead the Labor Department.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) on Thursday called Puzder “probably the most anti-worker nominee to the Department of Labor ever.”

“Donald Trump campaigned on behalf of the working men and women,” Schumer said. “He said he was going to represent them. The nomination of Mr. Puzder represents broken promise after broken promise. Donald Trump has amazing gall, to have campaigned the way he did, and then put this man as nominee for secretary of Labor.

“They ought to withdraw the nomination of Puzder before he further embarrasses this administration and further exposes the hypocrisy of President Trump, saying one thing to the workers of America, and then doing another,” he added.

{mosads}Puzder will appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Feb. 16 for his long-awaited confirmation hearing.

The new date marks the fourth time that the CKE Restaurants CEO’s hearing was rescheduled. It was delayed last week to give Puzder time to separate himself from CKE, which owns the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s fast food chains.

Puzder’s nomination has stirred criticism because of his views on issues such as sick leave and overtime pay for workers. He admitted on Monday that he had once employed an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper, but said he fired the woman when he learned she wasn’t eligible to work in the U.S.

“Unfortunately, you could not have picked a worse nominee to uphold these goals than Andrew Puzder,” Schumer continued.

“Everything in his career is antithetical to the goals of the Department of Labor. If there was a missions statement for Puzder’s career, it would be the exact opposite of the mission statement of the Department of Labor.”

Click here for the story.

For more on how labor groups are stepping up their efforts to block Puzder, click here.

 

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) is preparing a major overhaul to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would place it squarely under President Trump’s authority, according to a memo obtained by The Hill. Our Pete Schroeder has the full story:

Hensarling is overhauling his broad legislation to rework the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, putting in place changes that would significantly curtail the CFPB’s powers and make it answer directly to the president.

According to a staff memo outlining changes to his legislation, Hensarling plans to replace prior calls to establish a bipartisan commission at the top of the CFPB. Instead, he wants to stick with the single director now in place, but put that person directly under the president’s authority.

Republicans have called for a bipartisan commission at the helm of the bureau since its inception in 2010, but Hensarling now is pushing a change that would effectively allow Trump to dictate the direction of the CFPB for as long as he is in office.

The change was detailed in a memo running down updates Hensarling plans to make to his Financial CHOICE Act, which is expected to serve as a blueprint for deregulatory efforts from congressional Republicans. A new version of that bill is expected to be unveiled shortly.

Click here to read more.

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

President Trump’s regulatory moratorium delays protections for bumblebees in Friday’s edition of the Federal Register. 

Keep an eye on these rules:

–The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will delay new protections for bumblebees to comply with President Trump’s regulatory moratorium.

The FWS listed the rusty patched bumblebee as an endangered species on Jan. 11, but will now delay those protections until March 21.

–The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will delay new rules for genetically engineered organisms (GEOs).

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service proposed changes to the rules for importing and releasing GEOs into the environment on Jan. 19, but will now extending the comment period to give the public more time to consider the changes.

The delay does not appear to be related to Trump’s regulatory moratorium.

The public has until June 19 to comment.

–The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will loosen the regulations for Gulf Coast fishermen.

The NMFS said Thursday it is revising the rules surrounding the yellowtail snapper, which it expects will help fishermen “achieve optimum yield and decrease the regulatory burden.”

The changes go into effect in 30 days.

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Appeals court unanimously rejects Trump on travel ban

House panel to consider ‘modernizing’ Clean Air Act, environmental laws

FCC cracks down on staff’s ability to edit rules after passage

Schumer: Trump should drop Labor nominee

Labor unions press Trump to drop Puzder nomination

Trump administration eyes help for ObamaCare insurers

Trump vows to modernize airports in meeting with airline execs

Chairman looks to place consumer agency under Trump’s control

Bankers group sues government over Fed payment cut

Anthem will appeal ruling blocking Cigna merger

Dakota Access pipeline restarts construction

  

BY THE NUMBERS

13: Final rules

6: Proposed rules

(Source: Friday’s Federal Register)

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-stage.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-stage.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-stage.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and @wheelerlydia.

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