NUCA National News Summary
Industry News and Advocacy
House Passes Final NUCA Supported WRDA Legislation
The House passed on Dec . 10 the final version of the Water Resources Development Act ( WRDA , and labeled for this vote as S . 4367 ). NUCA strongly supported this bill , writing in our media statement , " This bipartisan bill will deliver water infrastructure resources to many critical projects around the nation ." The Senate has agreed to the House bill ' s framework and policies , and is expected to vote on the bill before Congress recesses later this month , sending it to the President for his signature .
Trump Cabinet Picks for USDOT , USDOL
President-elect Donald J . Trump finished announcing his major Cabinet picks last week , including two heads of federal departments affecting our industry . Former Rep . Sean Duffy ( R- WI ) was picked to lead the U . S . Dept . of Transportation . Duffy left Congress in 2019 after four terms and is known for his current presence on cable network Fox Business .
Trump ' s pick for the U . S . Dept . of Labor has drawn more controversy from business and construction groups . Rep . Lori Chavez-DeRemer ( R-OR ) lost her reelection bid in November before being announced by the President-elect as his USDOL Secretary nomination . During her single term in Congress serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee , she was one of three Republicans who co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize ( PRO ) Act , a bill strongly opposed most business organizations , including NUCA .
The USDOL Secretary nomination has sparked significant concern among those hoping that the Trump Administration would mark a clean break from the Biden Administration ’ s labor policies . NUCA is currently working with its coalition members to address the Chavez-DeRemer nomination before hearings start in January . NUCA is monitoring these developments closely and will wait to hear more from our members and the nominee herself before making any final recommendations .
Federal Court Strikes Down New Overtime Rules
A Texas federal court struck down on Nov . 15 all of USDOL ' s 2024 changes to the overtime rules . This decision invalidates the rule nationwide for all employers . This means that employers may revert to the 2019 salary threshold of $ 684 per week ($ 43,888 per year ) to determine whether employees are exempt or non-exempt . The court found that USDOL had exceeded its authority , since Congress had intended for an employee ' s job duties to determine exemption status , not salary level . This decision may be appealed , but the new Trump Administration may decide to halt any appeal after taking office on Jan . 20 .
22 Ditchmen November / December