logo
Washington prepares to take on portable benefits

Washington prepares to take on portable benefits

Politico07-07-2025
QUICK FIX
BENEFITS YOU CAN KEEP: Congress is finally getting into the portable benefits game.
Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are up with three bills aimed at providing workers the flexibility to carry their benefits from one job to another.
The proposal comes after the committee spent months gathering input from business groups before ultimately releasing a framework for what portable benefits legislation could look like.
Here's what's in the bills.
What to watch for: Labor groups are fiercely opposed to portable benefits plans, which they say are inferior to traditional employer-provided plans, even as Democratic-led states advance legislation aimed at shoring up benefits for gig workers.
The Wisconsin AFL-CIO protested a bipartisan bill passed last month by the state legislature to make delivery drivers eligible for benefits without making them employees, with its president Stephanie Bloomingdale calling the legislation 'an attempt to deprive workers of important rights to which employees are entitled.'
However, Cassidy is encouraged by the progress he's seen in the states and hopes that Democrats in Congress will eventually hop on the bandwagon. Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) have previously signed onto legislation aimed at expanding the Labor Department role in facilitating portable benefits.
Lawrence has more for Pro subscribers.
GOOD MORNING. It's Monday, July 7. Welcome back to Morning Shift, your go-to tipsheet on labor and employment-related immigration. Send feedback, tips and exclusives to nniedzwiadek@politico.com, lukenye@politico.com, rdugyala@politico.com and gmott@politico.com. Follow us on X at @NickNiedz and @Lawrence_Ukenye. And Signal @nickniedz.94.
Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories.
AROUND THE AGENCIES
BIG OOPS: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce last week seemingly leaked who the White House planned to tap to serve on the National Labor Relations Board, our Daniel Lippman wrote in Playbook.
'In the lead-up to the long Independence Day weekend, the White House today announced several much-anticipated appointments of two members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): Scott Mayer, Chief Labor Counsel at The Boeing Corporation, and James Murphy, a former career official with the NLRB,' the Chamber wrote in an email.
The Chamber sent out an email 15 minutes letter telling recipients to disregard their previous message. A White House official told Playbook that no selection has been made, while Mayer and Murphy did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Chamber acknowledged the error was a mistake but declined to comment on the mishap.
More agency news: 'Trump wants more skilled tradespeople. His Labor Department is trying to cut off a pipeline of workers,' from CNN.
Even more: 'Workers died in high heat as OSHA debates protections,' from Ariel Wittenberg for POLITICO's E&E News.
ANOTHER ROLLBACK: The Trump administration will no longer pursue a Biden-era effort to end the subminimum wage for disabled workers.
DOL announced in a filing that the administration doesn't have the authority to halt granting 14(c) certificates — which allow employers to pay disabled workers less than the minimum wage.
House Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) expressed support for the move.
'These programs make it easier for job creators to employ individuals with disabilities, empowering them to contribute to their community and build a satisfying life,' Walberg said in a statement. 'I am proud to work with the Trump administration in our continued effort to expand—not limit—opportunities for every American to thrive.'
Nick has more.
Unions
JOINING THE FRAY?: A second Philadelphia public-sector union is planning on holding a strike authorization vote after a major group walked off the job recently, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Roughly 9,000 workers represented by AFSCME District Council 33 announced a work stoppage after stalled negotiations with Mayor Cherelle Parker prompted the union — which represents trash collectors and other city workers — to strike.
Although DC 47 has a more complicated structure that could make striking more difficult, a second work stoppage could have a major effect on city operations as Philly grapples with overflowing trash cans.
THUMBS DOWN: Several unions panned Trump's megabill, which was signed into law by the president's self-imposed Independence Day deadline.
'Today, Donald Trump signed into law the worst job-killing bill in American history,' AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler wrote in a statement. 'It will rip health care from 17 million workers to pay for massive tax giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations, amounting to the country's largest money grab from the working class to the ultra-rich.'
In separate statements, United Auto Workers called the legislation a 'gut punch' and the American Postal Workers Union said the bill is a 'crushing blow' to families.
More union news: "A second union for Philadelphia city workers is holding a strike authorization vote,' from The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Even more: 'Safeway strike ends as Albertsons and local union reach agreement,' from Colorado Public Radio.
In the Workplace
WORSE THAN YOU THINK: Business leaders are becoming increasingly adamant about predictions that artificial intelligence could eliminate swaths of white collar jobs.
'In interviews, CEOs often hedge when asked about job losses, noting that innovation historically creates a range of new roles,' WSJ's Chip Cutter and Haley Zimmerman write. 'In private, though, CEOs have spent months whispering about how their businesses could likely be run with a fraction of the current staff.'
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that government and CEOs need to be honest how disruptive the technology will be amid growing projections that many firms may begin cutting entry-level jobs that could push unemployment rates between 10 percent and 20 percent.
Related: 'Don't let AI steal your job,' from Vox.
More workplace news: 'America has two labor markets now,' from Axios.
IMMIGRATION
WAITING GAME: Foreign medical residents who fill jobs in U.S. hospitals are unable to start their assignments due to the Trump administration's visa and travel restrictions.
The administration lifted its pause for J-1 visa interviews. But four foreign medical residents told the AP that U.S. embassies have been slow to offer interview slots. The U.S. is likely to face a physician shortage in the next 11 years, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The Associated Press has more.
WHAT WE'RE READING
— 'How Trump's megabill could slam the job market,' from our Sam Sutton.
— 'How Health Care Remade the U.S. Economy,' from The New York Times.
— 'Companies keep slashing jobs. How worried should workers be about AI replacing them?' from the Los Angeles Times.
THAT'S YOUR SHIFT!
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Americans split on party lines over support for Supreme Court: Survey
Americans split on party lines over support for Supreme Court: Survey

The Hill

time6 minutes ago

  • The Hill

Americans split on party lines over support for Supreme Court: Survey

Americans are split along party lines over their support for the Supreme Court, with the majority of Republicans approving of its actions, according to a Friday survey. The new YouGov poll found that 45 percent of respondents strongly or somewhat disapprove of the Supreme Court's work, while 40 percent said they strongly or somewhat approve. Some 14 percent were unsure. The majority of GOP voters, 73 percent, strongly or somewhat approve of the Supreme Court's handling of recent cases, far higher than 34 percent of independents and just 14 percent of Democrats. Liberal Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor had the highest net favorability rating on the court's bench with plus 4 percentage points. Ketanji Brown Jackson had a plus 2 percentage point rating. The poll found that Democratic Party voters view Sotomayor the most favorably, while they see Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh as the most unfavorable. Among Republicans, Kavanaugh and Thomas were seen as the most favorable, while Brown Jackson and Sotomayor were viewed the least favorably. Around a quarter, 26 percent, of respondents said the Supreme Court has too much power, a decrease from last year when 42 percent of Americans said the same thing. The sentiment has dropped the most among Democrats, going from 73 percent in 2024 to 41 percent this year. About 22 percent of independents said the nation's highest court has too much power, a 16-point decrease from a year ago when it was 38 percent. Most respondents, 55 percent, said the Supreme Court has the right amount of power. A recent poll from AP-NORC Research Center found Americans' confidence in the Supreme Court has increased slightly, but that around one-in-three adults are still wary of the country's highest court. The Supreme Court's approval was at 51 percent among Americans in February, according to a Marquette Law School national poll. The other 49 percent disapproved. Friday's survey was conducted between June 30 and July 2 among 1,043 U.S. adults. The margin of error was around 4 percentage points.

Epstein is our national horror story
Epstein is our national horror story

Politico

time34 minutes ago

  • Politico

Epstein is our national horror story

The Epstein story has consumed Trump's Washington for weeks, dividing the MAGA movement and handing Democrats a rhetorical foothold they've been searching for ever since Trump retook office. Why, of all things, is this the story that connects with people? According to writer Dan Brooks, it touches on a kind of fundamental metaphor in our culture — one that speaks to how we understand power, predation and corruption today. 'As a vehicle for our worst fears about the 21st-century United States,' he writes, 'Epstein is our Dracula.' Read the story. MORNING MONEY: CAPITAL RISK — POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting. Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs, or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here. 'Did anyone really think the sexual predator president who used to party with Jeffrey Epstein was going to release the Epstein files?' Can you guess who said this about Trump? Scroll to the bottom for the answer.** An Epstein Scandal Timeline ... As scrutiny on the administration and its allies in Congress mounts over the Epstein saga, the rhetoric of senior officials has begun to shift. So legal columnist Ankush Khardori put together a timeline of the statements and stories we've heard from figures like FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump himself. 'Taken together,' he writes, 'Trump's comments suggest the possibility that he suspected that there may be politically damaging information about him in the files and wanted to preemptively discredit revelations about him.' South Park Slaps Trump ... South Park returned to the airwaves with a comedic blitzkrieg on Trump, whom it depicts as Satan's lover — a role in which he has replaced Saddam Hussein. Perhaps most notably, the show leans hard into Trump's past connections with Epstein. 'It's the latest sign that Trump has lost control of the Epstein narrative, and that the saga has broken Washington containment and permeated deep into popular culture,' writes Calder McHugh. 'That makes it the worst kind of White House mess.' History's Warning for ICE ... ICE raids are already leading to dramatic sights in communities across the United States, with un-uniformed, masked agents arresting not the kids of hardened criminals you find in Trump's rhetoric, but everyday people who are beloved members of their towns, workplaces and churches. As ICE grows into the largest law enforcement agency in history, those sights will only increase the spectacle — and according to historian Joshua Zeitz, we've seen something similar play out before. 'In the 1850s, the federal government enforced a brutal dragnet aimed at hunting down and returning 'fugitive slaves' — formerly enslaved persons who had escaped captivity and fled north,' he writes. 'The political response proved explosive. Seemingly overnight, white people who previously cared little for the plight of Black Americans, free or enslaved, became committed antislavery voters.' From the drafting table of editorial cartoonist Matt Wuerker. **Who Dissed? answer: That would be Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for reelection in Georgia. politicoweekend@

Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own
Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own

UPI

time37 minutes ago

  • UPI

Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own

1 of 2 | California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he may seek to change his state's congressional maps if Texas redraws its borders. File photo by Jonathan Alcorn/UPI | License Photo July 26 (UPI) -- As the Texas Legislature plans to redraw congressional maps in an effort to increase Republican members in the U.S. House, the governors of California and Illinois may devise their own new borders. Traditionally, the boundaries are changed every 10 years with the latest U.S. Census data but Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special legislative session after pressure from the White House to preserve the GOP majority in the U.S. House. President Donald Trump believes an additional five seats could be created by changing the borders. Of the state's 38 districts, 25 are held by Republicans. Democrats hold seats in big cities of Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, San Antonio. Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Republicans hold a 219-212 advantage in the House with four vacancies -- three Democrats who died and one Republican who resigned this week. More than a dozen Texas House members flew to Illinois and California -- two blue states -- on Friday for a meeting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzkeper, during which they revealed their intentions. "Donald Trump called up Governor Abbott for one simple reason: to rig the 2026 elections. California's moral high ground means nothing if we're powerless because of it," Newsom said after meeting with Democrats from the Texas House. "This moment requires us to be prepared to fight fire with fire. Whether that's a special election, a ballot initiative, a bill, a fight in court. If they proceed in Texas, we will be ready." "This is not a bluff. This is real, and trust me, it's more real after listening to these leaders today, how existential this is," Newsom said. As the most populous state in the nation, California has 43 Democratic members of the house and nine Republican members, while Illinois is represented by 14 Democrats and three Republicans. "Everything is on the table," Pritzer said. The Illinois governor said he doesn't want to redraw the maps but "if they're going to take this drastic action, then we might also take drastic action to respond." "We want the country to understand [that] what's going on in Texas is a national battle," State Rep. Richard Pena Raymond, a Democrat from Laredo, said. Raymond told Pritzner that redistricting is "clearly aimed at affecting the entire country." Responsibility for determining Congressional district maps differs from state to state. In California, an independent commission approved by voters in 2010 works on the maps. Illinois maps, on the other hand, are put together by the state lawmakers have been drawn strongly to favor the Democrat Party in the state. Newsom said he is considering having a referendum to change the rules before the 2026 election, unless the Legislature comes up with another solution, which would take two-thirds of legislators voting in favor of. "We have to fight fire with fire," Newsom said. Other states Two other Democratic governors are considering new maps -- Phil Murphy in New Jersey and Kathy Hochul in New York. "There's other states that are violating the rules," Hochul said during a news conference on Thursday. "I'm going to look at it closely with Hakeem Jeffries," a New York member of the House, as well has House minority leader. In New York, Democrats have a 19-7 advantage as a result of their districting maps. "It's deplorable," Murphy said during an interview at the summer meeting of the bipartisan National Governors Association in Colorado Springs. "If they're going to play these games, we're going to have to be just as aggressive. We can't bring a knife to a gunfight." Democrats hold nine of the 12 seats in New Jersey. In Florida, the state Supreme Court on July 17 upheld its newest congressional map. He said he believes the state had been "malappropriated" and redistricting "would be appropriate" in a few years. Florida's congressional delegation is controlled by Republicans, 20-8. In Ohio, legislators are required to redraw maps before 2026. The GOP has 10 of the 15 seats. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is against redistricting more frequently. The state's maps are overseen by an independent commission and it's eight U.S. House seats are evenly split 4-4. Texas situation Texas last redrew its borders in mid-cycle in 2003 after the GOP gained control of both chambers for the first time since Reconstruction. In Texas, Abbott noted a July 7 letter from the Justice Department that said majority Black and Hispanic districts in Dallas need to be redrawn based on a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit last year. The DOJ said those districts are "unconstitutional racial gerrymanders," but Abbott argued the opposite in 2021. In federal court in El Paso, he argued race had not been taken into account there. "We are no longer compelled to have coalition districts," Abbott said in an interview with KDFW in Dallas. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, appeared at a state House hearing. "That's what's at stake here, whether you all are going to work for the people of Texas, as we used to do, to try to do, or whether you take your commandments from Donald Trump and the White House," Castro said. "I hope that you all will choose to do the business of the people of Texas, as this body has a history of being independent from the federal government."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store