FY24 Appropriations Markups to Begin in May
Washington Update
Su Confirmation
Uncertainty still remains for Julie Su’s confirmation as Labor Secretary with multiple senators, including Senator John Tester (MT) who is facing a difficult reelection, still not publicly disclosing how they will vote. Another holdout, Senator Joe Manchin (WV) met with Su on Wednesday, May 2, but has provided no indication on his stance either. Another wrench for Democrats to secure the votes needed to confirm Su is Senator Dianne Feinstein’s (CA) continued absence due to illness.
Appropriations/Debt Ceiling
House lawmakers are expected to begin markups of the annual spending bills for FY24 later this month, according to a letter to committee members from House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger (TX). Subcommittee and full committee markups will take place between May 17 and June 15 with the schedule “subject to change.”
Click here to read the letter from Chairwoman Granger.
SelectTalentUSA
On Tuesday, May 2, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su announced the joint initiative SelectTalentUSA, which aims to help build a pipeline of skilled workers to meet the growing workforce needs of foreign multinationals as they establish or expand operations across the country. The goal of the initiative is to assist foreign investors in building local and state partnerships, help them adapt their traditional talent-development approaches to the U.S., and harness America’s diverse and skilled workforce. This year, the program will be piloted with the German, Swiss, and Austrian markets. The three Departments have in place a Joint Declaration of Intent with the federal government of Germany and Memoranda of Understanding with Switzerland and Austria—each meant to increase cooperation and the exchange of information on the countries’ well-established and highly successful apprenticeship systems.
Click here to read the press release.
House Education & the Workforce Committee Hearing
On Thursday, May 11, at 10:15 am ET, the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold the hearing Examining America’s Workforce Challenges: Looking for Ways to Improve Skills Development. The hearing will be livestreamed on the Committee’s YouTube page.
Click here to access the Committee’s YouTube page.
Unemployment Rate
On Friday, May 5, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the April unemployment report, which showed the U.S. economy added 253,000 jobs last month with the unemployment rate dropping to 3.4% - matching a low from May 1969. The April report was better than economists’ had forecast and showed the 28th straight month of solid job growth, which has averaged 290,000 jobs per month over the prior six months.
Click here to access the report.