Cuts to Labor Dept., NLRB Funding Considered by House Panel

The House Committee on Appropriations has begun to consider a bill to slash discretionary spending for the Department of Labor (DOL) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), reports BNA . The bill would allocate DOL $12.1 billion in discretionary appropriations, an $88.8 million markdown from current funding levels, while cutting NLRB funding by $12.8 million to $261.3 million. The DOL funding reductions would stem from the elimination of certain job training programs deemed less effective. The bill also would raise funding for some apprenticeships and veteran training programs. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) has praised the legislation for including measures that "prioritized funding for career and technical education and other job training programs that will help our nation train and support a 21st Century workforce." Some Democratic appropriators targeted sections of the legislation, including labor-related policy riders such as a provision to impede the NLRB from exercising jurisdiction over tribal governments, rescinding their right to unionize under the National Labor Relations Act. "It even includes riders that will strip away essential protections that keep Americans safe at work," warned Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.). The Senate bill's proposed discretionary appropriation for the DOL is very similar to the House version, but it would not cut NLRB funding for fiscal 2019 or include any of the House measure's policy riders.