Tag: Committee

  • DOL Secretary Testifies in House and Senate Committee Hearings – CUPA-HR

    DOL Secretary Testifies in House and Senate Committee Hearings – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | June 22, 2022

    On June 14 and 15, the House Education and Labor Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held hearings on policies and priorities of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), as well as President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request for DOL. In both hearings, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh testified and answered questions about DOL’s regulations and actions, as well as potential future funding for programs under DOL.

    In both hearings, Walsh pointed to the accomplishments DOL has achieved during the Biden administration. He discussed efforts to increase the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 and to protect workers’ organizing rights as some of the highlights of the department’s work during the Biden administration thus far. In addition to these accomplishments, he also called for increased funding and investments for workforce training and development.

    During the House committee hearing, Walsh was asked several questions about the anticipated overtime regulations. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) began his question period by restating his request for DOL to increase the minimum salary threshold to $82,732 by 2026, and asked Walsh his opinion on the current level and whether it was too high or low. Walsh responded saying he had no opinion on where the current level stands at this time, but that the department recently concluded listening sessions to hear from stakeholders about their opinions on updating the salary threshold. Additionally, Takano asked Walsh if there was a timeline of when the anticipated Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would be released for the overtime regulations, but Walsh responded that there was no set timeline at the time of the hearing.

    Many representatives and senators also discussed DOL’s workforce development and training programs. In the Senate hearing, Walsh explained that the current disconnect between youth and job openings is an opportunity for DOL to reach out and connect with those workers, better preparing them for the jobs available. Walsh also expressed his support for a wide range of apprenticeships in different, untraditional industries, and he stated DOL should partner with community colleges, existing workforce development programs, and other organizations to expand apprenticeships.

    CUPA-HR will keep members apprised of any developments that arise as a result of these hearings.



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  • CUPA-HR Participates in Hill Meetings With House Ways and Means Committee Member Offices – CUPA-HR

    CUPA-HR Participates in Hill Meetings With House Ways and Means Committee Member Offices – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | May 10, 2022

    Over the last month, CUPA-HR’s government relations team joined the American Council on Education (ACE) and other higher education organizations in virtual Capitol Hill meetings to discuss tax priorities for the higher education community. Meetings have been held with staffers of Members of the House Ways and Means Committee to advocate for tax policies and proposals to alleviate various burdens placed on students, employees and institutions alike.

    Specifically, the meetings have allowed the higher education community to encourage members’ action on the following issues:

    • Supporting the extension and expansion of the universal, non-itemizer charitable deduction;
    • Repealing the taxability of scholarships and grant aid, specifically for the Pell Grant and other scholarships for graduate and medical students;
    • Enhancing higher ed tax credits like the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit;
    • Repealing the endowment tax;
    • Expanding and modernizing tax-free employer-provided educational assistance as granted under Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC);
    • Reinstating advance refunding of tax-exempt bonds and expanding debt issuance with a Direct Pay Bonds program;
    • Creating “lifelong learning and training accounts” to provide workers and employers the opportunity to make tax-free contributions to pay for future training and credentials; and
    • Repealing the unrelated business income tax “basketing” provision.

    In June 2021, ACE sent a letter to House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee leadership requesting these proposals and others be included in the American Jobs and American Families Plans. CUPA-HR signed onto this letter, along with several other higher education groups.

    CUPA-HR joined the most recent meetings specifically to advocate for the Section 127 expansion and modernization. Section 127 of the IRC is an educational assistance program that allows employers to pay or reimburse an employee tuition or student loan repayments on a tax-free basis up to $5,250. CUPA-HR previously advocated for the program to include student loan repayments, which was granted under the 2020 CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, as well as to increase the annual exclusion cap of $5,250 to an amount closer to $12,000, to expand coverage to employee’s partners and dependents, and to expand coverage to gig workers and independent contractors, all of which were a focus during the meetings.

    CUPA-HR will continue to participate in these meetings and will keep members apprised of any legislative proposals that result from these meetings.



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