Government Shutdown Threat Recedes. Earlier today, the U.S. Senate voted 62–38 to advance a continuing resolution to maintain government funding through September 30, 2025. After House Republicans passed their version of the bill and left town for a weeklong recess, Democrats in the Senate were left with a tough choice: vote to approve a bill that they did not like but keep the government open, or vote “no” and shut down the federal government. Enough Democrats appear to have chosen the former option, which will put the funding issue to bed until at least this summer. The political fallout, however, will be felt immediately and will likely continue to impact legislative debates for the remainder of the 119th Congress.

DOL Personnel Update. Leadership ranks at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) are starting to be filled out, as there was significant news this week on the DOL personnel front:

• Nominees Confirmed. On March 10, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Lori Chavez-DeRemer as secretary of labor by a vote of 67 to 32. Two days later, Keith Sonderling, nominated to be Chavez-DeRemer’s deputy at the DOL, was confirmed by a vote of 53 to 46. With the top two political officials in place at the DOL, this clears the decks for the Senate to begin considering the nominations of individuals to lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), and the Employment Training Administration (ETA). President Donald...

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