FY27 Budget Request Expected Friday​
Washington Update​
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March 30, 2026
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Appropriations/Budget
On Friday, March 27, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (ME) announced that Senator Jon Husted (OH) has been appointed to serve on the Committee after Senator Markwayne Mullin (OK) was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Husted will also serve on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies subcommittee.
Additionally, White House Budget Director Russ Vought plans to testify before Congress on Wednesday, April 15, regarding President Trump’s FY27 budget request, which is expected to be released on Friday, April 3.
Click here to access the full press release on Senator Husted’s appointment.
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Department of Labor AI
On Tuesday, March 24, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the launch of “Make America AI-Ready,” a free artificial intelligence (AI) literacy course designed to provide American workers with foundational AI skills. The seven-day, 10-minutes per day course, which will be delivered via text message, was developed through a public-private partnership with the education technology company Arist and aligns with DOL’s AI Literacy Framework released last month.
The program reflects broader Administration efforts to integrate AI education into workforce development and K-12 curricula, aiming to prepare American works for opportunities in an AI-driven economy.
Click here to access the full DOL press release on the initiative.
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Department of Labor Visas
On Thursday, March 26, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule that would raise wage requirements for H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visa holders, as well as for permanent labor certification applicants, to better align foreign workers wages with those of similarly employed American workers. The rule would increase prevailing wage levels for all four wage tiers, using updated statistical thresholds from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Survey.
The intent is to curb abuse of visa programs by reducing incentives for employers to hire lower-paid foreign workers in place of American workers. The proposed rule updates the methodology for determining prevailing wages in both temporary and permanent employment-based visa programs and aims to ensure wage parity between U.S. and foreign workers with similar qualifications. Under the current law, employers must pay at least the prevailing wage or the wage paid to similarly qualified U.S. workers in the area of employment — the new rule would raise the minimum thresholds.
The proposed rule will undergo a 60-day notice and comment period, with additional guidance and technical assistance to be provided on DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification website.
Click here to access the full press release.
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Senate HELP Committee
On Monday, March 23, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (VT) sent a letter to Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (LA) urging he hold a public hearing with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to discuss the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation on American workers. The letter referenced reports that Bezos is seeking to raise $100 billion in order to fund a manufacturing transformation driven by these technologies. Bezos’ initiative intends to buy up firms in key industries and use AI to boost productivity, which Sanders fears would put millions of blue-color manufacturing workers' jobs at risk.
Click here to access the full letter.
USCM/WDC STAFF ANALYSIS
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Click here to read the entire March 30 weekly legislative update.
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Click here to access legislative updates from previous weeks.
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Click here to access the entire catalogue of WDC publications.
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Click here to access the WDC SharePoint site, a centralized hub where WDC workforce leaders can upload, access, and exchange materials that help advance local workforce and economic development efforts.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
WDC in the News
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The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), and especially generative AI, is creating new opportunities and challenges for workforce systems and training organizations. Through listening sessions over the course of 2025, we engaged with nearly 20 representatives of workforce, training, educational, and other community-based organizations that work with lower-income populations to help them prepare for, attain, and advance in employment opportunities. Click here to access the full article.
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For 250 years, simple arithmetic has helped define the US labor market: More jobs are held by men than women. That gap has shaped everything from wage dynamics to sector composition to how employers think about their recruiting pipelines. But that gap is closing, likely faster than most people realize. At this point, it has vanished entirely. Click here to read the full article.
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President Trump is right to set an ambitious goal of reaching 1M registered apprentices. It’s the kind of bold target the country needs to expand opportunity and strengthen the workforce. But setting a goal alone won’t get us there, especially when the administration’s own policy choices would undermine the effort. Click here to access the full article.
New From DOL/ETA
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In the week ending March 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 210,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 205,000. The 4-week moving average was 210,500, a decrease of 250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 210,750. . Click here to access the full press release.​
Fact of the Week --- ​
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A Gallup survey found that about 2 in 10 workers ages 18 to 34 think now is a good time to find a job, compared to about 4 in 10 workers ages 65 and older who say the same. The survey reflects what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” job market: businesses are keeping most workers on staff, and layoffs remain low. This provides job security for older workers, but slow hiring makes it harder for young workers to break in and secure permanent employment.
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Click here to access the full article on the survey.
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