Support ROOFPAC at NRCA’s Midyear Committee Meetings in Chicago!
Join your friends and colleagues for a fun cocktail reception in support of ROOFPAC Wednesday, July 17, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse ($150 per person/$225 per couple). Members of NRCA’s Political Insiders Council and Capitol Hill Club are invited to attend complimentary as a benefit of their membership. We also would like to thank our sponsoring partner Johns Manville for making this event possible.
To RSVP, please fill out our form and email it to Teri Dorn at tdorn@ncra.net or call (202) 510-0920 with questions.
Senate committee hearing regarding workforce development
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing to review the need for reauthorization and reform of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which provides funding for workforce training programs operated at state and local levels. At the hearing, witnesses testified regarding the need for reforms and improvements in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs to make them more effectively address employer workforce development needs. NRCA sent a letter to committee members outlining support for reforms to streamline the bureaucracy and reduce paperwork burdens; provide more flexibility within Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs to spur innovation and be more responsive to regional workforce shortages; and adopt other provisions to improve accessibility for small businesses. The letter urged senators to move forward with bipartisan legislation that includes provisions in H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, bipartisan legislation to reform workforce training that was approved by the House in April. NRCA will continue working with lawmakers to advance workforce development legislation that provides effective workforce solutions for employers.
Immigration Executive Orders
President Biden issued two Executive Orders regarding the status of undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S. who meet certain qualifications.
The first order uses existing authority known as “parole in place” to temporarily streamline the process through which undocumented spouses and some children of U.S. citizens apply for lawful permanent residence. This action will allow noncitizen spouses who are married to U.S. citizens; have been in the U.S. for at least 10 years; are deemed not to pose a threat to public safety; and meet other criteria to apply for permanent residence status without having to leave the country, as is generally required under current law.
The second order will allow qualifying undocumented immigrants, including some currently enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, to obtain employment-based visas in a more expedited manner. More information about the application and eligibility process for these Executive Orders will be published in the Federal Register during the coming weeks. These actions and another Executive Order recently issued by Biden that implemented more restrictive asylum rules to reduce unauthorized crossings at the U.S. southern border come as Congress remains deadlocked regarding immigration reform or border security legislation.
House Committee approves returning worker exemption for H-2B visa program
The House Appropriations Committee approved a fiscal year 2025 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, which includes a “returning worker exemption” for the H-2B seasonal visa program. This provision is critical because it enables the DHS to exempt qualifying H-2B workers from the annual statutory cap of 66,000 H-2B visas, expanding the number of visas available for 2025. During committee mark-up of the bill, Reps. Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) offered an amendment to strengthen the returning worker exemption.
NRCA supported this amendment because it will ensure supplemental visas are issued in line with economic demand in a timely manner, providing more certainty for employers and workers for the 2025 peak season. NRCA was pleased to see the amendment approved with bipartisan support and will continue working to maximize the number of H-2B visas available for 2025 as the House and Senate continue working on this legislation.
