Overnight Regulation: Trump’s budget proposes $2.5B in Labor Dept. cuts

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 and we can’t get over that tweet that came from McDonald’s Twitter account today. Here’s what happened. 

 

THE BIG STORY

President Trump plans to slash funding for the Labor Department by 21 percent.

The department would receive $9.6 billion under the president’s proposed budget released Thursday, which is a $2.5 billion decrease from the current level of funding.

The White House budget proposed to crack down on “improper” unemployment insurance payments, claiming it will save as much as $536 per person. But it also puts various workplace training programs at risk.

“With the need to rebuild the nation’s military without increasing the deficit, this budget focuses the Department of Labor on its highest priority functions and disinvests in activities that are duplicative, unnecessary, unproven, or ineffective,” the proposal says.

But Democrats and labor groups blasted the president’s budget, which is meant to serve as a blueprint for lawmakers and is unlikely to be approved by Congress. Many of the steep cuts are likely to be met with resistance from both sides of the aisle. 

Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the upper chamber’s top Democrat on labor issues, called the proposal “yet another clear example of President Trump breaking his campaign promise to stand with workers.”

Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) called the numbers a “reckless proposal” that will make it “even harder for working families to get ahead and for older Americans to make ends meet.”

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who met with Trump recently, said: “President Trump’s proposed budget attempts to balance the budget on the backs of working families.”

“Working people in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin didn’t vote for a budget that slashes workforce training,” he said.

Trump’s proposal requires the Labor Department to decrease federal funding for job training programs, turning over the responsibility to the states for keeping these programs alive.

That includes closing job-training centers for “disadvantaged youth” which the White House said do a “poor job educating and preparing students.”

The White House would also put a job training program for senior citizens on the chopping block, which it claims will save $434 million.

The plan would seek to save another $11 million by axing job training grants offered by the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and “focusing the agency on its central work of keeping workers safe on the job.” 

The budget would, however, carve out room for more apprenticeship programs, which the White House says are an “evidence-based approach to preparing workers for jobs.” 

Click here for the story.

For more on Trump’s first budget blueprint, click here.

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

Keep an eye on these rules in Friday’s edition of the Federal Register.

–U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service is requesting permission from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to continue collecting information on the amount and types of tobacco products in the country.

The public has 60 days to comment on the request.

–The Labor Department (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will team up on new penalties “enforced in connection with the employment of temporary non-immigrant workers.”

The agencies will raise the penalties for those offenses to match inflation. The changes go into effect immediately.

–The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will issue new requirements for companies on information found online.

Certain financial companies would be required to include hyperlinks in HTML format in filings with the SEC. The rule goes into effect on Sept. 1.

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW 

Dem: GOP pushing ‘judicial gerrymandering’ 

Trump calls for air traffic control spin-off in budget 

Appeals court won’t rehear case on Trump’s original travel ban 

Second federal judge blocks part of Trump’s revised travel ban

GOP senator: EPA ‘brainwashing our kids’

GOP senator asks IRS to review enforcement of limit on church political activity

Trump budget proposes 13 percent cut to Transportation Dept

Trump budget proposes $4.7B in cuts to USDA

Trump proposes deep cuts to EPA, federal climate funding

Trump’s budget proposal gives DHS $1.5 billion for cybersecurity

White House defends proposed cuts to programs

FTC faces big changes with Trump

LGBT groups: Gorsuch a ‘significant threat’

Why this registered nurse will be at the center of the health-care debate – The Washington Post 

Firing federal workers isn’t as easy as Trump makes it seem – The Washington Post 

 

BY THE NUMBERS

5: Proposed rules

19: Final rules 

(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.