Posts by Matt Zuiderhof

U.S. Japan Trade Relations On Tuesday, President Trump signed an Executive Order implementing the framework agreement between the United States and Japan that he announced on July 22, 2025. The framework agreement provides American producers and manufacturers well over $15 billion of unprecedented access to Japanese markets while still accounting for U.S. national security needs.…

Update: Overtime Rule The U.S. Department of Labor has included an update to overtime pay eligibility in its “long term action” regulatory agenda, indicating that the Trump administration does not intend to address this rule in the near future.  The DOL re-released its Spring 2025 regulatory agenda last Thursday, after previously publishing and removing it…

Revised: OSHA Rules   The Trump administration aims to revise over 40 workplace safety rules, narrowing or removing provisions seen as obstacles to technological and economic progress. The OSHA Standards Improvement Project 2025 proposes changes to numerous Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. Key changes include excluding hazards “inherent and inseparable from the core nature”…

This Week in Congress   Congress returned from their August recess to tackle a busy few months, including a potential government shutdown, a fight over presidential nominations (and adjacent issues relating to the President’s authority to fire a Federal Reserve governor), a bipartisan procedural maneuver to release files relating to disgraced late-financier Jeffrey Epstein, work…

September – National Preparedness Month   September is National Preparedness Month, an initiative designed to enhance emergency readiness across the nation. Though this timing coincides with peak hurricane season as we transition from summer to autumn, emergency preparedness remains vital year-round since natural disasters strike without warning. The financial toll of weather-related disasters continues to…

ASA Supports the Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act The Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act (H.R. 2844) would require the Secretary of Labor to establish a voluntary protection program (VPP), recognizing employers’ voluntary commitment to establishing comprehensive safety and health management systems.  This legislation encourages collaborative partnerships between the regulated community and the Occupational…

ASA Supports a New Surface Transportation Bill ASA joined the Transportation Construction Coalition in a letter to House and Senate Transportation Committee Leadership urging their support for a new surface transportation law before the September 30th deadline.  Per their letter, “as your committees begin drafting this important legislation, we ask that the following principles guide…

Administration Rolls the Dice on a Pocket Recission   Last week, the White House notified Congress of the President’s intent to rescind $4.9 billion in funds appropriated for foreign aid.  The legality of this “pocket recission” is untested. The move has outraged Democrats and raises concerns among some Republicans regarding executive branch encroachment on Congress’s…

Status of FY 2026 Funding   Before recessing, the Senate passed just three of the twelve appropriations bills – Agriculture, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-Veterans’ Affairs (Mil Con).  The House passed only two – Defense, and Mil Con. None of these bills have been enacted into law.  At least some Democratic votes will be necessary…

Confirmation of Trump Nominees As previously noted, Democrats have refused to consent to expedited Senate consideration of any of President Trump’s nominees this year.  As a result, moving each nomination involves several preliminary process votes, a two-session-day waiting period after the Majority Leader files cloture, and up to two hours of debate before the chamber…