News Home

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) wants to reverse a variety of Obama administration labor actions and push legislation to limit the executive branch's regulatory authority if she's named chairwoman of the Education and the Workforce Committee in the next Congress.

“We need to not just roll back the regulations from the Obama administration, but write legislation that makes it abundantly clear what Congress wants,” Foxx told Bloomberg BNA Nov. 9. “We don't want any president—Republican or Democrat—to legislate, and that's what many of these rules do.”

Foxx is considered the front-runner for the committee's leadership post when Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) retires at the end of the year. She said the Labor Department's overtime and fiduciary rules are likely to be top targets under her watch, along with a National Labor Relations Board decision expanding joint employer liability and a recent regulation to streamline the union representation election process.

Across the aisle, ranking member Bobby Scott (D-Va.) is expected to stay in that role now that Hillary Clinton's Democratic running mate, Tim Kaine (D-Va.), will be returning to the Senate. Scott and the panel's other Democrats will once again be fighting an uphill battle against the Republican majority.

Little Room for Bipartisanship

Foxx has been a harsh critic of the Labor Department, NLRB and Education Department under the Obama administration for moves she says hamper business activity and public school operations. She's already making no bones about wanting to undo much of the Obama administration's labor agenda.

“We have so much to do in so little time,” Foxx said. “Our number one priority is block and repealing Obama administration rules and regulations.”

That work is likely to start with new legislation to scrap many of the initiatives. Foxx said she'd also like to see the committee take up measures to update existing laws, such as the National Labor Relations Act.

There hasn't been a whole lot of common ground for the committee on labor issues, but Foxx and Scott may consider taking a bipartisan approach to student loans and other education matters. They may also be asked to consider new job training and apprenticeship programs if President-elect Donald Trump is able to get Congress to back his ambitious intentions for infrastructure spending.

Foxx said she hasn't yet talked to Trump about the committee's agenda, but believes that he'll be on board with her approach.

“I expect President-elect Trump to work very well with the Congress,” Foxx told Bloomberg BNA. “I think he understands our respective roles.”

https://www.bgov.com/core/news/#!/articles/OGEJF23H65TS