FY 2008 Budget Resolution Passes in Senate; House Will Consider This Week

Last Friday afternoon, the Senate passed its $2.9 trillion budget resolution (S. Con Res. 21) on a vote of 52-47.

The House Budget Committee reported out its version of the resolution on a vote of 22-17. It provides for $20 billion more in domestic spending than The White House proposal. It also assumes extension of various middle-class tax cuts. The resolution will be considered on the House floor this week.

Much of the debate in both the House and Senate on the budget resolution has centered on various tax provisions and how their expiration or continuation over the long-term will affect projected federal revenues. Democrats have vowed to operate under “pay/go” rules that require offsets in spending increases, thus tax cuts or increases are important to the budget discussion.

Should the House pass its resolution, it would then conference with the Senate. The budget resolution is a non-binding concurrent resolution setting spending caps, and does not require the President’s signature.

House Passes Defense Supplemental Bill; Senate Will Consider This Week

Last Friday, the House narrowly passed its FY 2007 emergency defense spending bill (H.R. 1591) on a vote of 218-212. Along with the appropriations to support military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, the $123.4 billion supplemental also contains a number of non-defense provisions, including an increase in the minimum wage and small-business tax relief, including an extension of the work opportunity tax credit. The Senate Appropriations Committee reported out its version of the supplemental bill last Thursday, and it will go to the Senate floor this week. President Bush says he will veto legislation that sets a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

Hill staff say that the minimum wage/small-business tax relief issue will probably be resolved separately from the defense supplemental bill.

Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao to Testify This Week

Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao will testify this Wednesday before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education regarding the U.S. Department of Labor’s FY 2008 proposed budget.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education will be hearing from a variety of public witnesses regarding FY 2008 appropriations on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. These hearings will be webcast. Cick here.

TAA to be Discussed in House Education and Labor Committee Hearing

The Trade Adjustment Assistance Act (TAA) expires this year and is thus due for reauthorization. Today, the House Education and Labor Committee will hold an oversight hearing on TAA titled “How Effective are Existing Programs in Helping Workers Impacted by International Trade?”

TAA provides income and job training assistance to eligible manufacturing workers who become unemployed due to international trade. Legislation has been introduced in the 110th Congress that would extend TAA benefits to service workers.

USDOL Launches Initiative to Advance Employment of People with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) launched last week its new “Alliance Initiative” to advance the employment of people with disabilities. The Alliance Initiative is open to businesses, trade and professional associations, labor unions, educational institutions, government agencies, and other organizations. The ODEP Alliance Initiative is a cooperative program that enables those organizations committed to improving disability workplace practices to work with ODEP to develop and implement model policies, initiatives, and strategies that increase recruiting, hiring, advancing, and retaining workers with disabilities. More information is available at www.dol.gov/odep/alliances/index.htm.

Workforce3One Webinar will Feature Workforce Innovations Network

Workforce3One will conduct a webinar on Thursday, March 29, 2007, beginning at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, that will examine how intermediary organizations such as business associations can bring regional stakeholders together to forge a partnership for workforce development. Over a period of three years, the Workforce Innovations Network (WIN) coordinated a dozen intermediary local projects. For more information, see www.workforce3one.org/public/skillbuilding/w ebinar_info.cfm?id=185.

NASWA Selects Job Central National Labor Exchange for Transition Away From America’s Job Bank

Job Central National Labor Exchange (www.jobcentral.com ) has been selected by The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) (www.naswa.org) to provide job seekers, employers, and states a cost-effective transition from America's Job Bank (AJB) when AJB is discontinued June 30, 2007, as previously announced by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Job Central will allow job seekers to search over five million (5,000,000) jobs from corporate websites, newspapers, trade associations, and other Internet sources in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, U. S. territories, major metropolitan areas, and all U.S. cities and postal zip code areas. It will be available free-of-charge to job seekers. Job postings, resume searching capabilities, and other services will be available to all employers in all industries. The service will be free to employers through participating state workforce agencies.

For more information, click here.