Razor-thin margins and new leadership in the 118th Congress
Senate control will remain in Democrat hands after they secured wins in toss-up seats in Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Georgia is the only Senate race that remains undecided, with incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and football star Herschel Walker moving to a runoff election Dec. 6. This race will determine whether Senate control is 51-49 or 50-50. The latter will require the vice president to decide any tie votes. The House officially flipped to Republican control but by a razor-thin margin.
Leadership elections were held in the House Republican Conference. House Leader Kevin McCarthy received a majority vote within the conference for speaker-designate but lost 31 votes. Of those 31 votes, he needs to flip all but one to receive the required 218 votes to become speaker when the new Congress begins in January 2023. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana won the majority leader title by voice vote, and the contentious whip race was won by Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota. The new leader of the Republicans’ campaign committee will be Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina.
On the Democrat side of the aisle, Speaker Pelosi announced their leadership elections will be held the week after Thanksgiving so members have time to jockey for their spots. Earlier today, Pelosi announced she will step down from leadership as she once promised, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer also will step back from leadership to make room for a fresh generation. We will dive into these leadership races as things become clearer.
The Senate Republican Conference also reelected Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to serve as minority leader for another term, fending off a challenge from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will continue to serve as majority leader in the new Congress.
NRCA comments on performance metrics for core programs under the WIOA
NRCA joined a letter with the Opportunity America Jobs and Careers Coalition to the Department of Labor regarding a proposed rule to standardize a performance measure for core programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The agency uses retention rates of employees obtained through the WIOA system to measure how effectively WIOA training programs work in helping employers address their workforce needs. NRCA believes a better metric would be the rate at which employers return to WIOA programs to address their workforce needs. The letter urges a reconsideration of its proposal before finalizing the rule. NRCA will continue encouraging DOL’s responsiveness to the roofing industry in regulatory and legislative processes as the Biden administration and Congress attempt to improve the programs.
DHS continues Temporary Protected Status for qualifying beneficiaries
On Nov. 10, the Department of Homeland Security announced the continuation of Temporary Protected Status for qualifying beneficiaries from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua through June 30, 2024, from the current expiration date of Dec. 31, 2022. This action automatically extends the validity of certain TPS-related documentation, including Employment Authorization Documents, for many individuals. Qualifying beneficiaries will not need to pay a fee or file an application to maintain their status and will have their documentation automatically extended. The Federal Register notice outlining which TPS beneficiaries qualify for the automatic extension was published Nov. 16. Questions? Contact NRCA’s Duane Musser at dmusser@nrca.net.
Registration for Roofing Day in D.C. 2023 is open!
Each year, roofing professionals meet with members of Congress on Capitol Hill to discuss the critical issues facing their companies and the roofing industry. And you know what? We’re making a big difference. So far, we have increased funding for career and technical education, advanced legislation that addresses workforce development needs and secured a strong buildings component in bipartisan infrastructure legislation.
But our work is not done yet. We are just getting started. Join us for Roofing Day in D.C. April 18-19, 2023, and help us make it the biggest and best roofing industry advocacy event ever! After you sign up, click on the link to invite a friend from your confirmation email and you could win a $500 Amazon gift card!
Registration is only $95 for company representatives and $35 for field workers, students and spouses. Please visit www.nrca.net/roofingday to view testimonials from last year’s event and learn more. Sign up today!
