Congress ends partial shutdown by completing work on nearly all fiscal year 2026 appropriations
On Feb. 3, the House gave final approval to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, by a vote of 217-214. The final count was not a typical party-line vote—21 Democrats voted in support and 21 Republicans opposed the funding measure. Because the Senate passed it the previous week, the funding package was sent to President Trump’s desk, and he signed it into law.
Nearly all federal agencies now have funding through Sept. 30, which includes the Department of Education, with $1.43 billion provided for Perkins Career and Technical Education grants. These grants are critical to the roofing industry’s workforce needs and remain a top advocacy priority for NRCA.
The one federal agency that did not receive full fiscal year 2026 appropriations is the Department of Homeland Security, which got less than two weeks of funding as lawmakers weigh proposed restrictions regarding federal immigration enforcement. Republicans and Democrats in both chambers will need to reach a consensus on potential changes such as requiring federal agents to abide by standard warrant procedures; barring agents from wearing masks; requiring federal agents to obtain permission and coordination with local law enforcement before conducting operations; and putting agents involved in shootings on administrative leave for an independent investigation.
Immigration reform developments in Congress
On Feb. 4, NRCA participated in a meeting at the Library of Congress hosted by Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) to discuss bipartisan immigration reform legislation. Suozzi and Luttrell serve together on the House Homeland Security Committee and are building a coalition to bridge the partisan divide that has prevented Congress from moving forward regarding this critical issue. The concepts discussed include strengthening border security, reforming the asylum system, reforming the legal immigration system to address workforce needs and providing an opportunity for long-term undocumented individuals to obtain permanent lawful status. Other lawmakers participating in the meeting included Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), all of whom spoke about the urgent need to address immigration reform.
Additionally, NRCA participated in a press conference held by Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) to announce the Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393) now has 38 bipartisan co-sponsors and many other lawmakers are expressing interest. This legislation would combine provisions to strengthen border security with establishment of the Dignity Program, which would provide the opportunity for individuals with Temporary Protected Status, those eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and qualifying long-term undocumented persons to earn lawful status through work experience, military service or higher education. The bill sponsored by Salazar and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) also would provide new resources for expanded workforce training for U.S. workers and is fully funded by restitution payments and application fees made by participants, therefore using no taxpayer funding. View NRCA’s press statement in support of the Dignity Act.
Registration for Roofing Day in D.C. 2026 is open!
Join your friends and colleagues April 14-15 for the largest advocacy event dedicated solely to the roofing industry. Each year during Roofing Day in D.C., roofing professionals meet with members of Congress and their staffs on Capitol Hill to discuss major issues of importance to the roofing industry. Our priority issues this year will focus on solutions to workforce shortages and addressing the U.S.’ affordable housing crisis.
All you need to do is register! During the event, expert speakers and panelists will inform and inspire you to help you prepare for your meetings on Capitol Hill. As always, attendees will have ample opportunity to network and connect with fellow professionals, and we encourage you to bring key employees to the event.
To view our draft itinerary, book your hotel and register, please visit www.nrca.net/roofingday.
Supplemental visas for H-2B visa program announced
On Jan. 30, the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor jointly announced the issuance of a temporary final rule that will make available 64,716 supplemental visas for the H-2B seasonal visa program for fiscal year 2026. This is in addition to the maximum of 66,000 visas allowed under the original statutory authority. This new allocation is the maximum number of supplemental visas allowed under an amendment included in annual appropriations legislation and is an increase over the preliminary number of 35,000 supplemental visas announced Dec. 31. During fall 2025, NRCA and partner organizations in the H-2B Workforce Coalition urged the administration to provide more than the maximum number of supplemental visas given strong economic demand. NRCA will continue working to provide solutions to ongoing workforce shortages. Employers seeking to apply for the additional visas for peak season in 2026 should review the eligibility criteria and filing requirements contained in the temporary final rule published in the Federal Register Feb. 3.
Court blocks DHS termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians
On Feb. 2, the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia indefinitely postponed the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for qualifying individuals from Haiti announced in early 2025. Many affected individuals were scheduled to lose their TPS Feb. 3, and many others had already lost status in 2025. With this temporary court injunction, affected individuals may be able to continue working in the U.S. indefinitely pending further litigation in the court case, as the Trump administration is likely to appeal the decision. More information is available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website. Employers with affected individuals within their workforce should consult legal counsel with respect to any potential change in the validity of work authorization documents of employees because of this court decision. NRCA will continue to monitor this situation and provide information about any further guidance provided by the federal government.
