As expected, today the Senate confirmed
Thomas Perez as the next Secretary of Labor by a margin of
54-46. This vote comes a day after the Senate narrowly garnered 60
votes – the bare minimum needed to proceed without the threat
of a filibuster – in his favor. The advancement of
Perez's nomination was part of the
recent deal made earlier this week to avoid changing the
chamber's filibuster rules. Now that the Department of Labor
once again has leadership, expect the regulatory floodgates to
open.
During a Senate committee
hearing in April, Perez listed his top priorities as
reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), ensuring safe and
equal opportunity workplaces, establishing pension security, and
providing even-handed enforcement of wage and hour laws. It is
likely, however, that Perez will push through more contentious
rules, including the much-maligned
persuader regulations that will threaten attorney-client
confidentiality and facilitate union
