ASAP
Policy Week in Review – April 3, 2026
At a Glance
The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal legislation, regulations, and congressional activity affecting the workplace.
White House Releases FY27 Budget Request
The White House released its FY27 budget proposal this morning, which seeks $2.2 trillion for the federal government. As stated in the preamble, which reveals the president’s priorities, the proposal constrains non-defense spending, proposing a 10% cut compared to FY26 non-defense levels; maintains investments in border security and immigration enforcement; and requests $1.5 trillion for national defense, a 44% increase.
The Department of Labor would receive $9.9 billion, a $3.5 billion or 25.9% decrease, with investments in workforce development to promote post-secondary education and training options. In an effort to centralize and strengthen the Department’s national security function, the budget proposes to reorganize the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), which enforces the legal obligations of U.S. employers to prove American workers are not available before they hire foreign workers, under the Office of the Secretary of Labor. Program cuts and eliminations include: Job Corps (-$1.6 billion); Senior Community Service Employment Program (-$395 million); Worker Protection Agencies (-$234 million); Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (-$101 million); and Bureau of International Labor Affairs (-$46 million).
Department of Homeland Security Shutdown Continues
While Congress is still out another week for the spring congressional recess, pressure to end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown is mounting. When the members return, House leadership is expected to try to pass the Senate-approved DHS funding bill, which funds the entire Department except funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). As a next step, in the following months, Republican leaders will try to use budget reconciliation to fund ICE and CBP for three years – taking the funding issue off the table for the duration of the Trump administration. As context, a bill can pass through budget reconciliation with a simple majority vote in the Senate, bypassing the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate, but only if provisions meet the Byrd rule, which restricts extraneous non-budgetary matters.
DOL Seeks to Modernize Registered Apprenticeships by Integrating AI-Related Training
In an effort to prepare America’s workforce for the jobs of the future, the Department of Labor announced a new initiative through the Department’s Employment Training Administration to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills into registered apprenticeship programs nationwide. Through a national contracting opportunity, a contractor will be selected to serve as a national intermediary to work with employers, industry associations, and workforce development groups.
