Situational Awareness
Both the House of Representatives and Senate are in session this week. Senate GOP leaders are expected to begin floor proceedings as soon as Wednesday on a budget resolution that must be adopted by Congress to enact President Trump’s domestic policy agenda, including a slate of tax cuts. Before Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) can bring the measure forward for consideration, lawmakers must receive approval from the Senate parliamentarian on whether they can use a budget scoring method known as current policy baseline, which would allow them to treat an extension of the 2017 tax cuts as not costing anything.
Across Capitol Hill, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) leadership team has scheduled votes on two Senate-passed Congressional Review Act disapproval resolutions that would block Biden-era rules enacted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. House lawmakers will also vote on legislation that would prevent federal courts from issuing orders blocking executive branch actions and a measure that would require individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
U.S. Appeals Court Says Trump Can Remove NLRB Chair
In a 2-1 order issued Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit halted a decision issued by a district court judge that blocked President Trump’s removal of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Chair Gwynne Wilcox—a decision that could land the issue in front of the Supreme Court. In the short term, the removal of Wilcox will leave the NLRB without a quorum to function. This case represents a key test of the president’s ability to remove Senate-confirmed officials at independent federal agencies.
Trump Announces NLRB Counsel Nomination
Crystal Carey, who has worked at Morgan Lewis for the last eight years, was nominated by President Trump to serve as top counsel at the NLRB. The announcement signals a pro-employer swing at the board, after the Senate failed to reconfirm former NLRB Chair Lauren McFerran late last year. Lawyers at Morgan Lewis have recently represented clients such as Amazon Inc., SpaceX, Apple Inc., and Tesla—companies that are at the forefront of cases challenging the constitutionality of the NLRB. Carey, who was an attorney at NLRB during the Obama and first Trump administrations, has made public remarks criticizing rulings issued by the NLRB during the Biden administration that restricted “captive audience” meetings.
Trump EPA Water Nominee Discusses WOTUS Rulemaking
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, Jessica Kramer, the president’s nominee to serve as EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Water, answered several questions related to the agency’s reexamination of the Biden-era waters of the United States rule. In response to a question from Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) on the EPA’s updated ‘WOTUS’ guidance issued earlier this month, Ms. Kramer explained that the memorandum issued to EPA and Army Corps field offices clarifies that only wetlands that are adjacent to or abutting relatively permanent waters are jurisdictional under the Clean Water Act. She also discussed that EPA is moving forward with a formal rulemaking process to resolve any “terms and phrases of ambiguity” that remain following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett, such as “continuous surface connection” and “relatively permanent waters.” Later in the hearing, Ms. Kramer signaled that, if confirmed, she would work to provide states with greater jurisdiction over certain bodies of water.
New Webcast: Cyber Insurance Basics: What Your Club Needs to Know
Join us on Thursday, April 10 at 2pm EST to learn how to strengthen your cyber security program.
This session will explore how a club’s cybersecurity measures impact cyber insurance—from the application process to ongoing compliance. We’ll discuss what insurers typically look for, why accurate security disclosures matter and how strengthening your club’s cyber posture can position you for better coverage. Whether you’re considering a new policy or preparing for renewal, understanding the connection between cybersecurity and insurance is key to managing risk and costs effectively. Register here.
New Webcast: Getting Culture Right
On Thursday, May 22 at 2pm EST, join us to learn how to better establish your club’s culture. This session, led by Larry Hirsh of Golf Property Analysts and Jon Last of Sports & Leisure Research Group continues the conversation they started in the winter edition of Club Director and will identify questions clubs need to address and answer and how to learn about their club’s culture to plan effectively for a successful future. Register here.
