The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business.
Government Shutdown Arrives. The federal government shut down on October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to reach an agreement to extend funding for federal agencies. This is the first government shutdown since the thirty-four–day shutdown that spanned the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019. Obviously, the current shutdown will have a significant impact on federal labor and employment agencies, as well as immigration-related agencies. As of this writing, there is no clear path for Congress to strike a deal, though the U.S. Senate is remaining in Washington, D.C., to negotiate and—potentially—vote. (The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed its continuing resolution funding bill.)
Lawmakers Turn Focus to Outsourcing, H-1B Program. While the administration seeks changes to the H-1B visa program via presidential proclamation and the weighted selection regulatory proposal, members of Congress are also seeking to codify their own reforms to the program.
When examiners don’t get veterans’ records, bad decisions aren’t a mistake—they’re a systemic failure. In a blistering oversight hearing this week, members of Congress openly questioned whether th...