Overnight Regulation: GOP advances bill to block union ‘persuader’ rule

Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from the federal agencies, Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Wednesday evening here in Washington and we’re happy to be over the hump. 

Here’s the latest.

 

THE BIG STORY

A key House panel voted Wednesday to rollback yet another controversial Obama administration labor regulation.

The House Education and Workforce Committee in a 22-13 party-line vote approved Republican legislation that would block the Labor Department’s so-called persuader rule.

The measure now heads to the full House.

{mosads}The rule requires companies to disclose conversations they have with their legal advisers about strategies for blocking their workers from unionizing.

The Obama administration believes workers deserve to know more about who companies hire to influence their decisions about unionizing and how much they are spending. But Republicans say those conversations should be protected by attorney-client privilege.

“The latest scheme concocted by the Labor Department is the persuader rule,” Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) said at the five-hour, marathon hearing. “This new rule abandons nearly 60 years of subtle labor polices by forcing employers to disclose virtually any contact with outside legal advisers on union-related matters.

Kline warned the rule would “chill the right of employers to seek legal council, and in the process chill the right to speak to employees on union matters.”

But Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said the rule would “pull back the curtain” on companies that are looking to block unions from organizing.

“Some opponents argue that the workers have a right to hear both sides of the debate. I agree,” Scott said. “But, as they hear both sides, workers deserve to know whether or not what they are hearing is a product of certain, well-known consultants hired to influence their decisions and how much their employers are paying them to influence their views.” 

Republicans are turning to the Congressional Review Act to overturn the persuader rule. This allows lawmakers to disapprove of regulations from the Obama administration with a simple majority vote. It is likely to pass in both the Senate and House, but Republicans may not have enough power to overcome an almost-certain veto from President Obama. http://bit.ly/23XE0UB

 

ON TAP FOR THURSDAY

The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing to examine transparency issues at the Department of Interior. http://1.usa.gov/1Tp7KIB

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest will hold a hearing to look at the administration’s immigration policies. http://1.usa.gov/1Xmvazy

The Supreme Court is expected to issue opinions in one or more cases at 10 a.m.

 

THE HILL EVENT 

Join us 5/24 for State of the Sharing Economy: A Discussion on the Future of Cross-Border Commerce, featuring conversations with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Navdeep Bains, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development. Topics of discussion include: New markets created by technological innovation, the global sharing economy, and policy & regulatory reforms to protect personal and proprietary data. Register here.

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 144 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register.

–The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will issue new restrictions for flying with electronic cigarettes.

The PHMSA will prohibit airline passengers and crew members from packing e-cigarettes in their checked luggage, as well as from charging e-cig device batteries during the flight.

E-cigarettes will only be allowed inside of carry-on baggage.

The new rule goes into effect in 30 days. http://bit.ly/27A5Gn7

–The Department of Labor (DOL) will issue its new overtime protections for millions of workers.

Professionals making less than $47,476 a year, or $913 a week, will qualify for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week under the new rule.

This doubles the overtime threshold from the current level of $23,660 a year.

The new overtime protections go into effect on Dec. 1. http://bit.ly/1WEffgY

–The Department of Energy (DOE) will propose new efficiency rules for compressors.

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is looking to strengthen energy conservation standards for compressors.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1W2Btcm

–The Department of Energy will also propose new test procedures for battery chargers.

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is considering a new test procedure for “uninterruptible power supplies.” 

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/25090FW

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW 

House panel questions legitimacy of CFPB arbitration rule http://bit.ly/1stbsGO

House committee votes to delay ozone rule http://bit.ly/1TI5Lv2

Ryan: Overtime rule is ‘absolute disaster’ http://bit.ly/22giafP

Obama extends overtime pay to millions http://bit.ly/23XevTr

Senate Dems hold mock Supreme Court hearing http://bit.ly/1OAtLi6

FCC consumer database holds 22,000 net neutrality complaints http://bit.ly/1U0dt6p

House seeks to boost ethanol in fuel supply http://bit.ly/1U0dg34

Why this judge has such a lively Twitter feed – The Washington Post http://wapo.st/1To9SPw

What you should know about airport security lines – The New York Times http://nyti.ms/1WEuSVI

Judge strikes blow to Kansas’ voter ID requirements – CNN http://cnn.it/1WEv6fu

 

BY THE NUMBERS 

$47,476: New salary cutoff to be eligible for overtime pay. 

$26,660: Former salary cutoff. 

4.2 million: Workers newly eligible to earn overtime. 

$12 billion: Additional wages workers are expected to earn in the next 10 years as a result of the Labor Department rule.  

For more on the overtime rule: http://bit.ly/1Nz6Etm

Speaker Paul Ryan called the rule an “absolute disaster.” For more on the GOP response: http://bit.ly/1U00gHQ

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY 

“It’s like ringing the dinner bell for lobbyists. They are swarming this place, because they have all sorts of goodies they want to sneak in,” — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said about policy riders in government spending bills.

Warren and fellow Democrats are vowing to block Republican efforts to roll back controversial regulations through policy riders in must-pass government funding bills. http://bit.ly/1W3dIks

  

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-staging.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-staging.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and @wheelerlydia.

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