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Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act The $74 billion WIOA bill, which was crafted by Democrats and the White House to address lagging workforce development has widespread Republican opposition due to the price tag. Rep. Foxx (R-NC) said that should the Republicans take over the House in January, they plan to take up an alternative WIOA that…

Student Loans President Biden and Senate Democrats are working on legislation to cancel certain student loans.  The Administration is considering limiting loan forgiveness based on borrowers’ income, but officials from the Education Department have signaled that they do not have the income data available for borrowers. Sen. Burr (R-NC), the Ranking member of the HELP…

Domestic Terrorism Majority Leader Schumer stated that he expects the Senate to act on legislation to combat domestic terrorism. “We, all of us, have an obligation to protect Americans by treating these incidents of violence like the terrorist acts they are,” he said, calling on Republicans to support the effort. Last week the House passed…

SBA’s Comments on Davis Bacon Act Proposed Rule On May 17, 2022, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) filed a comment letter recommending that the Department of Labor (DOL) reassess the impact of this rule on small entities in a new Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. Per SBA, “DOL’s Initial Regulatory…

This Week in Congress This week, the House voted on legislation that would address rising gas and home energy prices, along with an approximately $80 billion six-year reauthorization of the nation’s workforce development programs.  Additionally, the House voted on legislation addressing veterans’ issues in advance of Memorial Day and officer training and benefits recognizing National…

ASA Advances Transportation Infrastructure Legislation on Capitol Hill This week, ASA attended the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC)’s 2022 Legislative Meeting to advance transportation infrastructure legislation on Capitol Hill.  Sen. Fischer (R-NE), a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, and former New Orleans Mayor Landrieu, who has been appointed by the Biden Administration to oversee the…

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, the House considered the WIOA bill, which includes 39 amendments and a full list of amendments can be found here: https://rules.house.gov/sites/democrats.rules.house.gov/files/Rule_HR6531HR7309S2938.pdf Return to the ASAToday page to read more articles.

COMPETES Act As negotiations continue on the COMPETES Act (anticompetition with China legislation), House Democrats and outside groups are pushing for immigration provisions that would attract high-skilled workers and boost critical sectors of the economy. The House-passed bill contains a provision that would allow more immigrants who have a doctorate degree in science, technology, engineering,…

May 17th Primary Day in KY, NC, OR, ID, and PA Tuesday, May 17th marked the busiest primary day this year with primaries in Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.  In North Carolina and Pennsylvania primaries were held for their U.S. Senate seats and House incumbents faced re-election challenges from within their party including…

This Week in Congress Congress returned this week starting a three-week legislative stretch with the House debating a $33 billion aid funding package for Ukraine, legislation to bolster U.S. competitiveness, along with legislation allowing the right of House staffers to unionize.  Additionally, the House voted on legislation that would expand federal benefits for firefighters, allow…