all right, microphone on. the subcommittee on labor health and human services,

education and related agencies, please come to order. today, we are having a hearing on president joe biden's administration, 25 budget request for the department of labor. i'm happy to welcome acting secretary, as we grow, we are looking at a bipartisan manner. this is passing into law by the president. this is part of the common ground. instead of pursuing the policy riders, looking at the cuts with the workforce development protection program. a small minority is able to derail the appropriations process. house republicans did that last year. repeatedly threatening government shutdowns. it hurts the constituents, the

communities, intended to be served by another federal program. causing federal agencies to waste time and money, instead of making sure that every dollar is used effectively, as intended by the laws that we pass in congress. we need to do better. acting secretary, this budget is a good step. acting secretary, you are joining us today, to talk about the fiscal year 2025 budget for the department of labor. we have had 27 months in a row of unemployment below 4%. the longest stretch in 50 years. i know that we still have more work to do, to give americans the economic security that they need and deserve. over the last few years, democrats and republicans came together to pass legislation, and invest in manufacturing. helping us compete against china, and that growing infrastructure, and investing in our work lives.

home state of wisconsin, microsoft announced that they would be investing $3.3 billion for an artificial intelligence data center conference. creating thousands of paying jobs. we have education programs for the next generation. this budget built on this progress that we have made, will help to continue to build a strong economy that helps for workers. it poses investments necessary for training the workforce that we need today. and, the evolving needs of employers. the budget also requested resources to maintain critical investments in our nations core workforce training programs. these programs support workers and families, providing them with access to high-quality training programs, as they seek to grow their careers. we are working to improve the

nation's public workforce system. boosting the community college system, help offenders land on their feet, and addressed the employment and training needs of native americans, migrant and seasonal workers, and other workers. high-quality workforce training programs, are a proven path to accessing a job that pays a good wage. it has good benefits. i am pleased that this budget continues to support these important programs. the budget also includes a request, a proposed increase in funding for the registered apprenticeship program. i have been proud to lead the effort to reauthorize the national apprenticeship act. with my colleague senator, and i'm pleased that the department is proposing to expand apprenticeships, and increase opportunities, for individuals who have historically not had access to apprenticeship programs. including women, people of color, and underrepresented

groups. apprenticeship programs, provide technical instruction, and on-the-job learning experiences, to ensure that workers are well prepared for job. according to the wisconsin department of workforce element, employers in wisconsin, train around 10,000 registered partitions, looking at nearly 200 occupations every year. supporting the federal register apprenticeship program, will help wisconsin and other states continue to strengthen and grow their apprenticeship programs. the budget includes funds for the department of veterans employment and training service. this provides workforce training services for our nations veterans, and separating servicemembers. these resources help ensure that servicemembers can transfer the skills that they have learned, serving our country, to land a family supporting job. helping them successfully transition into the workforce. the department's office,

provides critical services to military spouses, as they make their transition to civilian life. i look forward to learning more about how the president's budget request, would support the workforce training needs of them and their families. i'm pleased to see the increased investment in our division. the proposed $35 million increase, is needed to recover the hartford eight wages earned to workers stolen by their employers. last year's wage and hours, able to recover more than $156 million in federal minimum wage over time, ode to more than 135,000 workers. in wisconsin, wage in hours, identified $3 million in wages owed to 1400 workers. this front think is also

critical to enforcing child labor laws. ensuring that we are working there, doing safely and appropriately. there have been egregious instances of child labor violations. appropriations can think that they can ignore federal child labor laws. kids will continue to be put at risk. this is children working in slaughterhouses and meat- packing industries. historic lows included, i believe we must provide an increase for the agency's important word. the budget includes an additional $23 million for the vital work of the arctic national safety health administration. we have just marked workers memorial day on april 28th.

remembering workers who have died or have been injured on the job. the latest statistics, indicate that there were 5400 fatal workplace injuries. this is up nearly 6% from the prior year. 5486 too many. we believe the proposed increase would move us in the right direction. this is part of the employee benefits security administration. they would help secure workplace benefits, looking at what their families are owed. i'm pleased to see the increased investment of $46 million, for the bureau of international labor this includes the labor commitments of the trading partners. this is including china. we can strengthen the economic

security of these communities at home, working to work at these labor abuses abroad. acting secretary, thank you for being here today, to talk about the department of labor's important work. in a moment, i'm going to turn it over to a ranking member for her remarks, following, we will hear from you. after that, the senators will have a few questions. >> thank you, chair baldwin. this is the first labor budget hearing that we have had since we took over the reins of the labor hhs acting secretary. thank you for coming. secretary walsh was leaving the department. thank you for being here today, to describe fiscal year 2025 budget priorities for the

department of labor. first of all, i will say that i have had some concerns with the department. there seems to be an agenda to push new regulations that propose layers of red tape. in some cases, workers choice. to be clear, not all regulations are bad. we have violations that the chair was talking about and keeping hard-working west virginians, safe. thank you for your efforts. this department of labor should be focused on workforce training, and creating new jobs. not mandating the burdens that take away from the work responsibility. for example, the way they are changing the rules, governing who qualifies as the independent contractor, complicating a six factor task.

jeopardizing the ability for millions of americans to work at our needs and schedules. freelance workers, and self- employed workers, need to choose their own hours, to work around other life priorities. taking care of children. in other regulations, creating more complexity. this is the so-called esd investment protocol. this is the inventor mental, environment, and social investment decisions. involving more life savings. they need to optimize the returns to afford life in retirement. this is part of the financial experts to ship potential gains away from the american retirees. into the white house, and the radical claimant agenda.

just last month, your department furthered its ability. drastically, this is the threshold. starting july 1st, west virginia businesses of all sizes, looking how to absorb the mandate. if you hours, some cases, instead of doubling down on this agenda. one area, and the chair also talked about this. we are looking at the inquest and increase of 2020. i'm concerned that your budget would use these. this is a green jobs agenda. i'm looking at the opportunity,

playing key role in that mission. i support the apprenticeship programs. i'm concerned about the department's proposed release from late last year, to completely overhaul the regulations, looking at the apprenticeship program. these proposed changes, it would make an already complex system, more difficult for employers to navigate. it could reduce apprenticeship opportunities for workers across the country. they have a lot of were the apprenticeship opportunities. they don't fit the current registered apprenticeship model. i'm glad to see the innovation, to expand those opportunities to the programs and fields. 2022, securing funding from the university, to establish an initiative through the works. training rest virginians to compete for good paying, long- term jobs across the state. we have been expanding and strengthening the early childhood education workforce,

through apprenticeships. giving the educators a clear path to successful careers, opening the doors of higher quality, better coverage of care. hoping both families and childcare workers in our state. this should be focused on strengthening workforce development strategies, helping all americans get the skills they need to succeed. acting secretary, i hope you will work with this congress on that goal, as we work through this process. thank you again for being here. >> thank you, senator. our witness today, acting secretary of the department of labor. acting secretary, thank you for joining us. you have five minutes for your opening remarks. you may begin. >> thank you so much. chairwoman baldwin, and members of the sub committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of president joe biden's fiscal year 2025 budget west for the department of labor. as the acting secretary of labor, i get to travel the country to meet with workers.

workers like mariah, a single mom, who was living paycheck to paycheck, worried every day about how she would have enough to get by. she went to her local social services office, to apply for medicaid and snap benefits. that is where she noticed a flyer, for a job training program in the pipe trades. today, mariah is in a good union job. she has quadrupled her income. what struck me about mariah, was not just how much a good income meant to her, it was the pride that she felt, putting in a hard days work, and getting rewarded for it. and, the pride she saw in her children's eyes. it is undeniable, good jobs change lives. this $13.9 billion request will help more people like mariah get good jobs, that can support families, lift up communities,

and bring dignity and pride that are core to the american dream. i want to frame the request under two priority areas. first, pathways to good jobs for all of america's workers. i have met with thousands of workers, working programs that work. programs exist because we have invested in them. that's why we are requesting investments to develop and expand approving models as this chairman said. connecting workers to the good jobs that they want and need, and employers, to the workers that they want. for example, we are requesting $1 billion for the career training fund. that investment would help as many as 750,000 able, who do not see four-year college, as that path. evidence-based, high quality training programs, for actual jobs in their communities. workers who complete high quality programs, don't end up

with a job search. they end up with a good job. we seek $335 million for apprenticeship programs. registered apprentices, apprenticeships, provide training for the employers. they allow workers to earn while they learn, and the increased job pathways, for underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. when i talk to business owners, many of them tell me that the top concern is maintaining workers. the investments in our budget request, is how congress and the department of labor can tap into the talents and skills of all of america's workers. making sure that the supply of skilled workers, meets the demand. right now, and well into the future. the second priority i would like to highlight, is the department of labor's mission to protect workers. including and especially, those

most vulnerable to explication. too often, employers who hire 13-year-olds, working in hazardous conditions, failed to pay workers overtime for 60 hour work weeks. or, whoever puts workers at risk of losing their limbs or lives on the job. they do it because they believe they will get away with it. no one will stop them. they can operate in blatant disregard of the laws that congress has passed. not on our watch. that's why we are requesting modest but important increases for the departments worker protection agencies. we can do this without dedicated public servants. combating child labor. ensuring workplaces are free from safety hazards. benefits advisers who answer the phone, and in panic, patients have been looking at insurances by the health

insurance company. $35 million for staff to combat wages for child labor. additional $23 million for high hazard work leases. protect whistleblowers, and give employers compliance assistance actions. this has been essentially flat funded for more than a decade. this is part of the equity addiction act. when congress passes laws, we should make it going. all the budget request, make sure that workers can come home safe at the end of the workday. this is truly changing lives. we are looking forward to these questions. >> thank you, round of five

questions. that is starting with myself. acting secretary, i am deeply troubled by the industrials. over 200 workers on the facility in wisconsin. this is within mexico. we have been made by workers in his home state for 175 years. this is the manufacturing circle of the powerhouse that it is today. i'm being told that there is a longer welcome. average worker at the plant, receives $52,000 annually. 62 million hundred dollars in stock last year. four times more than the 150 million dollars more, reducing

their workforce. moving production to mexico, this is the workers that have been doing well. this is part of institutional knowledge that the plans workforce has developed over decades of building agricultural equipment. american workers are the best in the world. they have unfair advantages when it comes to competing against low road employers. can you start by expanding on the budget? this is a fair mobile worker, and what they expect at home. thank you so much. this is yesterday. the race to the bottom is looking at the right

investments. creating a race to the top. we are looking at the agencies. this is part of the idea. the interests of welfare working people, is intricately tied to the welfare of workers in united dates. too often, i also hear what you have suggested. we are demanding that we take our work to another country. this is intended to create a more level playing field. they are looking at research and advocacy, to make sure that conditions like child labor and forced labor, have not been condoned. made with these conditions, they tried to enter the united states. they do not allow that.

we have also been engaged in helping to monitor and assist the country of mexico, with the implementation of the united dates, mexico, canada agreement. workers in mexico also have their fair and free choice to joining in, and they are protecting their working conditions. again, so that we can really end the race to the bottom. >> thank you for that answer. we appreciate this important work to level the global playing field, and discouraged playing companies, we also want to recognize everything from them losing their jobs. i would like to follow-up on this act. this is an important law that followed the communities plan, providing services affected by massive layoffs. unfortunately, in the case, not every company complies with it.

the department of labor's authority is going to enforce the law. they need to be strengthened. congress is trying to strengthen the act for this congress. yes, absolutely. >> thank you. >> we have discussed the desire to increase workplace violence. especially for our nations nurses. unfortunately, they continued to suffer from rising levels of workplace violence. 2023, reporting from national nurses united, found that nearly one in five nurses have changed or left their jobs, two to workplace violence. with wisconsin facing a shortage of 20,000 nurses by the year 2040, we must do all that we can to protect, retain, and strengthen the nursing

workforce. i know they have looked at some steps to issuing a proposed rule on workplace violence, healthcare, and social assistance. can you update us on the actions that the department is taking now to provide all nurses with actions from work is violence? is this what they deserve? describe your efforts to accelerate the issuance of this proposed workplace violence standard. >> thank you so much. as you know, workplace violence is too often the reality for many in our healthcare settings. recently, i made a trip in a community, which there was a home healthcare nurse that had been killed on the job. i also meet with nurses, and look at the nursing programs, when they are passionate, and they want to do the job. they recognize that violence is a reality that they should face. this simply should not be the case. this points to something that we believe really deeply at the

department of labor. sometimes, labor shortages, or people not staying in jobs, taking from what they want to do, is a result of job quality issues. we need to make sure that every job is a good job. our efforts include creating a workplace standard, that would work to help reduce and eliminate the incidences of workplace violence. we have gone through the initial small business review process. this is always something that our ocean is going to wire. we are going to do everything we can to issue a notice rule to do a weekend. >> senator? >> acting director, i wanted to ask about two of the rules that i brought up in my next statement. over time, i want to start with that. just two weeks ago, the new

level of 59,000, i'm trying to ask you this question really quickly. talking with someone who's going to be talking about this, deeply affected. the 59,000 goes upright to another figure shortly. is that correct? >> thank you very much. can i just say one thing? i know that you mentioned some of the workforce investments in west virginia. we also have a strength in community colleges grant for west virginia, and the university partners. in connecting it. the thing is overtime. basically, what will happen, in july, we will be using a current methodology, and a bump up in overtime. >> 65% increase. >> the new methodology, will not kick in until january 1st of next year. >> that is projected to be 75,000? is that correct? >> no.

15,506 five. this is an example. we are getting comments. we really pay attention to them. several of the rules, we are giving employers a ramp-up of time. the july 1st ramp, is not new methodology. $58,000, based on the 35th percentile methodology. going into effect january first. >> we have a lot of comments for this. threatening to look at worker flexibility. little or no effect of what actual employees are going to take home. this includes colleges and universities. we have tuition and profits abilities. how do you justify 65% increases? this is four years ago under donald trump's integration.

is that correct? >> one of the fundamental parts of labor, is looking at the well-being of workers. they have been overtime. too many workers that basically were working over 40 hours a week. they could not be compensated for it. they are giving people titles, managers, and supervisors. they were actually doing frontline baseline work. overtime, the law for the family standards act, remains beautiful. >> if you get a lot of pushback on this, you had your comments when you first roll it out. you had a lot of smaller businesses. i don't know you how you are going to keep track of them all. >> we had several sessions.

27 virtual listening sessions around the country. more than 2020 22. we conducted nine separate listening sessions, with small business stakeholders. it is important for us to engage and listen. we received this for 33,000. again, we have two tiered implementations. we have small businesses. this is all tied into it. we have as much assistance as possible. we are incrementing the rules like this. we have different tools. we stand ready to assist in these players that needed in your state. >> let me make sure that i get the process. it does go to the 58,000 on

july 1st. this is part of the old methodology. >> it will close at the same level. that doesn't happen until january 1st, correct? >> give me one second. >> this is slightly behind you. >> is on july 1st, using the existing methodology, looking at the current use rates. >> they have responded right. >> i know it won't surprise you to hear that one of the issues are out here frequently. this is from small businesses in new hampshire.

they have difficulty finding seasonal workers. >> new hampshire has consistently for a response, looked at covid. 2.6%. is it below 2%. >> this is where we rely on tourism. we have seasonal workers. we need seasonal workers. one of the things we are hearing, we have more employers replying to the department of homeland security for that reason. they have to be approved by the department of labor, to certify that there are no u.s. workers. they have had trouble getting that certification. processing delays at the department of labor, what are

you doing to address that? what do we need to do to address this budget to make sure that you have the funding you need to help make sure we can approve these workers running their businesses? >> thank you very much, senator. i understand the importance of the program. your statement, many others, and multiple reasons across the country. this is a program that has grown in demand. in fact, in the first four days of january of this year, we had an application for four times the number of visas than the maximum number. maximize just how dire the need is. i have also focused, as i came in depth terry secretary, increasing what we can do the functioning of how we process. i have heard that they have

different processing. i would love to talk to you further about those of you who struggle in your home state. senator, one thing that i will say, the department of labor, the way it is funded to process these claims, has no relationship to the number of claims that we get. as the number has gone up, we have remained flat funded. >> that is why i am asking. you need in this budget, we have different approvals. this is a two part process. one of them is getting worker certified. the other, we don't have enough in the program. we are looking at the nationwide unemployment rate. this is a good problem to have. we are not producing enough workers to fill the jobs that we are creating. we have to figure out how to do that. that role, ensuring there are enough visas available to employers, is really critical.

the budget request, does include $1.8 million for the staffing processing. keep in mind, the overall budget request, comes in from the fiscal responsibility act. i'm very happy to explore with you, other options. something we have floated in the past, looking at the flavoring of some fees that have been submitted, again, leveling up with that increase. i'm happy for the other ideas that we can process. >> in new hampshire, we have a federal action. really struggling to recruit corrections officers, and other employees that they need. part of the problem, there is a lack of parenting and salaries that have been offered by local

agencies. they compete in front of companies in the region. this is the rest of the locality pay program. this is local salaries in the area. this is from a statistical area. the bureau of labor statistics, said that the current wage survey model, is not capable of producing reliable salary estimates for micro-politics, to statistical areas of rural counts. how can we encourage the bureau of labor statistics, to explore ways to address this? we have so many rural areas in new hampshire, and across the country. this is a huge problem. people are competing with an area like that. we get thrown in with boston. there's a big difference between what is happening in

hampshire with pay, and what is happening in the boston area. what can you tell us that the bureau of labor statistics can do to help us deal with this problem? >> thank you, senator. this is definitely the issue that we are seeing. this is a moment where we have a tight labor market. this is resulting in workers with more choice. employers have been needing to recruit, retain, and competing on wages. this has had some positive impacts, in terms of workers, and their wages. especially one thing we have seen since president joe biden came into office. real wages rise. especially for low income americans. more money in the pockets of work families. i'm working with you. >> we want workers to do better. the federal government has to keep up with that pay scale.

thank you. >> thank you. >> in december, the apartment of labor, proposed significant and controversial changes to the national apprenticeship system. learning other issues and proposed rules, knowing that they would eliminate apprenticeship programs, that face program completion on the mastery of skills, rather than an explicit time requirement. competency-based apprenticeship programs, is a very important part. this is particularly in the areas of healthcare, information technology, and education. we file competency-based

programs, often have a higher success rate than time-based hybrid programs. over the past four years, the percentage of apprentices, that failed to complete hybrid or time-based time-based apprenticeship programs, we have doubles of competency programs. i don't understand why the administration, made the decision to remove competency- based approaches. this is to the apprenticeships. could you explain what the rationale was? >> thank you, full ranking committee member. good to see you. wide agreement, apprenticeships have been proving the ineffective model, helping them get the skilled and incompetent employees that they need. creating opportunities for people who might not otherwise have seen themselves in jobs,

or be able to stop what they are doing. getting the training they needed for another job. the earned and learned models for that. we have expanded those apprenticeship programs in numerous industries. healthcare, i.t., education. we have printer ships in over 30 states. we continue to expand that. if that is part of the request. i think if you are referring to the proposed rule about this, our goal is not to limit the options for expanding apprenticeships. it is to make sure that those programs continue to have the standards that have made them everything.

this is them also keeping themselves. >> this is going to measure the confidence. this is not going to be the arbitrary amount. let me switch to a different issue. this is absolutely the plan. i hope that you are recommending it. we have an additional 64,716 thesis action for this fiscal year. i want to switch to another issue that i am hearing a lot

about. in the state of maine, from our proprietors and first responders. they had aspects of the new emergency response standard. this includes february. they have huge concerns about compliance costs. we have training requirements for this proposed standard. indeed, they have estimated nationwide compliance costs. they are looking at $100 million per year, for volunteer fire departments. when i'm talking to the larger cities, they have fewer problems with complying with the standards.

you can agree with working with small volunteer fire department. this would hurt public safety, rather than help them. >> going back to the caps, in the simplest ration, we have the use discretion. this is the department of homeland security, partnering with us, making sure that we are within the discretion. congress, ultimately has the authority. i will definitely commit to you with all stakeholders. first responder forces, they are so vital. both, making sure that we hear them. we are producing a standard that keeps them safe as well. >> thank you.

>> thank you, vice chair. >> thank you, acting secretary, for coming here and joining us today. they have a really crucial charge. it protecting workers who are truly the back of our economy. it should not be controversial to say that we have all workers with good benefits and wages, with fair treatment from their employer, and the safe workplaces. the department does crucial work on those issues. cracking down theft, ensuring work lay safety, and in some cases, fighting discrimination. i'm pleased that you are here today, to talk about what resources that you need to support our workers. let me start with a topic that i have been particularly concerned about. this is the rise in child labor. number of children employed in violation of federal law, 80%

since 2019. record number of businesses have been fined for violation -- i actually helped to combat child labor, and strength of the law. i know the d.o.l. is already doing a lot to enforce the existing child labor protections. can you talk with us about what the funding levels in your budget request would mean in real terms for child -- labor attributions, and commitment? >> it is very good to see you. thank you for raising this very important issue. as everybody knows, we have seen a rise in child labor. part of the reason, is because the department of labor is doing our job. we are exposing these practices, putting a stop to them. issuing penalties, using the full authority that we have. not just penalties, but using hot goods, and other ways to ensure that goods that are

touched by child labor, companies are not able to profit from it. the budget request, we have the budget increase of $35 an hour for the division, with $7.5 million of that for child labor. we have to keep in mind that the solicitor's office, and the attorneys that advise on cases, include litigation to drive home the seriousness of enforcements. they have also been funded. both of those are part of the funding request. we simply cannot stop this gorge of what we see, which has already been matched by 13-year- olds working on the kill floor of a meat-packing plant, on the night shift, with dangerous chemicals. a 60-year-old who recently died in a sawmill. it is unconscionable that this is happening. the department of labor often stands as the most important

work against those kinds of practices. the budget request is meant to stay within the bounds of the fiscal responsibility act, but also using our capacity to invest. >> you are asking for the witching hour division, and the solicitors that are working together for the more compact list? thank you, that is so important. another issue that we are focusing on, combating wage theft. workers of the full wages. some companies in the country, denying workers tens of billions of dollars, in a hard earned pay each year. this is going to include the wage recovery act. putting them back into workers pockets, protecting their right to fair and timely pay. strengthening account ability for the accreditations. i want to ask you today, what is the department of labor doing right now to fight wage

theft? >> we are making sure that they get a just days pay for a hard days work. we see the violations and the failure to pay the minimum wage. the majority when it comes to wage theft, are overtime. they are working over 40 hours. our investigators, are in the field every single day. they are uncovering these types of violations. it should be obvious for employers that choose to violate basic labor laws, they will go to great lengths, to prevent those practices from being found. it is very important for the department to be able to gain the trust of workers, to learn about what is going on. specific sections of the workplace, they are able to see that these records are being

kept. what exactly is going on in the workplace? this is for those employers that decided it is cheaper to break the law. chances of getting caught are slim. consequently, if they do the minimal, we need to tell them that that is not the proper way. we are not going to allow those kinds of violations. it is also very important. and online at c-span.org..

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