Joe Trauger
President & CEO National Club Association July 28, 2025
Situational Awareness
The Senate is in session and set to depart Washington for its month-long August recess at the end of the week. Republicans are aiming to confirm as many of President Trump’s nominees as possible before departing Friday afternoon. Trump previously urged the Senate to stay in session through August to work through the backlog of outstanding confirmation votes. Senators are also hoping to advance the FY 2026 Military Construction-VA and Agriculture-FDA funding bills. At the committee level, appropriators are scheduled to mark-up the Labor-HHS-Education bill on Thursday, July 31.
Labor Agency Regulators Roll Out Enhanced Self-Auditing Programs
Last week, the Department of Labor announced several programs designed to help employers, unions and pension plans voluntarily assess and improve their compliance with federal labor laws. The self-audit programs are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce penalties for employers and provide greater clarity on the interpretation of current regulations, particularly those under litigation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is expanding its Voluntary Protection Program to allow businesses to undergo regular self-evaluations and avoid routine inspections. The Wage and Hour Division (WHD), meanwhile, is restarting a program that allows employers to self-identify and resolve minimum wage, overtime and leave violations, according to the agency’s announcement.
House Tax Panel Holds Field Hearing on No Tax on Tips
Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee held a field hearing in Las Vegas to examine the benefits of the no-tax-on-tips and no-tax-on-overtime provisions passed in Congressional Republicans’ reconciliation bill. Hearing witnesses included a DoorDash delivery driver, a restaurant server and a painting company foreman. These individuals discussed how new tax deductions for overtime wages and tips are expected to contribute to their personal savings. The National Club Association prepared a comprehensive summary of the no-tax-on-tips and no-tax-on-overtime provisions included in the One Big, Beautiful Bill. This hearing marks the beginning of a “victory tour” for Trump administration officials and Congressional Republicans as they tout new tax breaks, with a particular focus on voters in swing states such as Nevada.
USCIS Director Signals Changes to Skilled Worker Visas
In an interview with TheNew York Times, Joseph Edlow, the new director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said that the Trump administration was planning to change the visa system for skilled foreign workers. Edlow’s comments focused primarily on H-1B visas, which have been a point of contention among Republican lawmakers since President Trump’s elections: “I really do think that the way H-1B needs to be used, and this is one of my favorite phrases, is to, along with a lot of other parts of immigration, supplement, not supplant, U.S. economy and U.S. businesses and U.S. workers.” It’s possible that any reforms to the H-1B program proposed by USCIS could spill-over into the H-2B visa program. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would release the maximum number of supplementary H-2B visas authorized by Congress. However, there are remaining concerns over the Trump administration’s deportation activities and whether or not immigration officials will pursue industry-specific exemptions.
Thursday, August 7 at 2 pm ET, now is the time to start thinking about your summer 2026 H-2B visa petitions—work on them will start in mid-September. With so many changes to international worker programs and the current administration largely embracing the H-2B visa program, learning about the options and opportunities to staff with H-2B visa holders is more important than ever!
This webcast led by Keith Pabian, Founding Partner, Pabian Law, will discuss:
H-2B visa program basics, with a discussion of who can benefit from this staffing solution.
H-2B visa trends and best practices.
Trump administration changes to the H-2B visa and J-1 visa programs.
H-2B compliance obligations, pitfalls and tips for success
Preview of the year ahead in immigration law, including potential changes.
This webcast is not to be missed for National Club Association members. Be sure you understand the landscape and paths forward for employing H-2B visa workers and preparing for next year’s petitions! Register here
