Situational Awareness
The House and Senate return to Washington this week. The Senate will continue working on executive and judicial nominations. The House will consider 22 bills on the suspension calendar, a corporate disclosure package and a bill to repeal the 2002 Iraq War authorization.
NCA Workforce Webcast Thursday
The National Club Association will hold a webcast to discuss workforce shortages on Thursday, June 17, 2021. The webcast, “Staffing Challenges in the Marketplace and Possible Solutions” will cover underlying causes of workforce shortages, policy changes and potential strategies clubs can use to increase likelihood of finding needed workers to fill vital roles in their facilities. The webcast will feature:
Congressman Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.)
Jay Salem, COO and owner of GSI Executive Search
Anne Catherine Nielsen, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, HR Consultant and Business Partner, EquaMagna Corp.
Pete Van Pelt PGA, General Manager of Mount Vernon Country Club
You can register for the webcast here.
OSHA Issues COVID-19 Rule Covering Health Care Workers
Last week, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) issued a long-awaited emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect workers from contracting the coronavirus in the workplace. While there had been concern the ETS would cover all workplaces, the agency limited the standard to health care workers in recognition of the increased likelihood of exposure in a health care setting. OSHA announced the rule last Thursday and reiterated that it is considered guidance for workplaces outside the health care sector. You can review an executive summary of the regulation here.
Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022 Set to Begin
On Friday, House Democrats introduced a resolution to establish the overall target for discretionary spending at $1.5 trillion, which is in line with the proposed budget released by the Biden Administration earlier this year. The Biden budget allocated $769.6 billion for nondefense spending and $752.9 billion for defense. By setting the overall spending target it allows House appropriators to begin the process of crafting bills to fund federal agencies under their jurisdiction. House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) anticipates a full budget resolution will allow for reconciliation instructions that would allow Congress to consider an infrastructure package and an economic proposal, which are priorities of the Biden administration.
Navigable Waters Protection Rule In Play
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Trump-era Navigable Waters Protection Rule, also known as Waters of the United States (WOTUS), will be revisited. While the process under which the rule will be reconsidered is somewhat unclear, what is clear is the definition of what bodies of water will be under federal jurisdiction is set to change once again. The Navigable Waters Protection Rule that was finalized under President Trump was widely supported by affected parties because it provided clarity and predictability, but environmental groups largely viewed it as backsliding on protections provided under the 2015 rule adopted under President Obama—though that rule was vitiated by federal courts. During testimony before the House of Representatives, EPA Administrator Michael Regan indicated the agency will likely look at both previous rules and find some middle ground but provided few details.