{"id":4690,"date":"2022-01-24T15:28:22","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T23:28:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/?p=4690"},"modified":"2022-01-24T15:28:27","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T23:28:27","slug":"u-s-federal-labor-report-labor-updates-from-washington-d-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/feusa\/u-s-federal-labor-report-labor-updates-from-washington-d-c\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Federal Labor Report. Labor Updates From Washington, D.C."},"content":{"rendered":"

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The U.S. Congress was in session this week.\u00a0 Democrats in the U.S. Senate fell short in their effort to approve voting rights legislation.\u00a0\u00a0 Facing unified Republican opposition, Majority Leader Schumer (D-New York) sought to change the filibuster rules to allow for passage of the legislation by a simple majority vote. <\/span><\/h2>\n

Consistent with their previously announced positions, Senators Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) voted against the proposed change.\u00a0 As a result, the proposed legislation was not put to a vote.<\/span><\/u><\/u><\/h3>\n

U.S. President Joe Biden participated in a two-hour long\u00a0<\/span>press conference<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on January 19, touting his Administration\u2019s first year accomplishments before engaging in a Q&A.\u00a0 He also spotlighted the\u00a0<\/span>Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, saying:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ll be creating better jobs for millions of people modernizing our roads, our bridges, our highways, our ports, our airports \u2014 everything from making clean water; lead \u2014 removing lead pipes that every American can turn on \u2014 every American can turn on a faucet and drink clean water \u2014 urban and rural and suburban communities.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 The President further acknowledged the need to get inflation under control and to break up his Build Back Better legislation into pieces that might have a better chance of passage in the Senate\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

<\/u>\u00a0<\/u><\/span>Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives is not in session, as House lawmakers will have a district work week.\u00a0 The U.S. Senate is also in recess next week.\u00a0 Both chambers of Congress return to session in Washington on February 1.\u00a0 Democratic Congressional Leaders indicated this week that an Omnibus spending bill to fund the U.S. Federal Government for the remainder of the fiscal year is likely to come together before current funding runs out on February 18.\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

<\/u>\u00a0<\/u><\/span>Federal Vaccine Mandate Updates.\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0On January 21, a Federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction against enforcement of the federal contractor vaccine mandate, ruling that the Biden Administration could not require Federal Government employees to be vaccinated.\u00a0 U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown said\u00a0in an order<\/a>\u00a0that the vaccine mandate is \u201ca bridge too far,\u201d noting Congress has a role in requiring \u201cmillions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment.\u201d\u00a0 The U.S. Department of Justice has already appealed Friday\u2019s ruling, sending its request to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

<\/u>\u00a0<\/u>Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairwoman Alma Adams (D-North Carolina)\u00a0sent a letter<\/a>\u00a0to President Biden and Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on January 15, urging the Administration to reverse its plans to remove a COVID-19 emergency workplace safety standard for health care workers.\u00a0 The Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), issued by the Biden Administration in June 2021, requires health care facilities to take necessary steps to protect health care workers from COVID-19.\u00a0 On December 27, the Labor Department announced its intentions to withdraw the ETS while it worked on a permanent safety standard, which the Democratic lawmakers noted could take months or years to complete and implement.\u00a0 In a\u00a0separate letter<\/a>\u00a0dated January 20, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Washington) echoed her House colleagues in urging Labor Secretary Walsh and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a permanent standard to protect health care workers and to take immediate action to secure strong workplace protections for all workers.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

COVID-19 Updates.<\/b>\u00a0 On January 21, U.S. residents can now order free at-home coronavirus tests from the Federal Government by phone (800-232-0233), after the White House opened a hotline on Friday to accept test orders.\u00a0 This expands access for individuals that may not have access to the Internet, after the White House launched the\u00a0www.covidtests.gov<\/a>\u00a0website, where people can enter their mailing address and order four rapid, at-home tests.\u00a0 The White House has said tests are expected to ship in about seven to 12 days after they are requested.\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n

On January 15, despite a 30-fold increase in on-board COVID cases on cruise ships, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not extend its COVID restrictions on the cruise industry that were set to lapse that day.\u00a0 This came after the Agency recommended just two weeks ago against cruise ships for even for vaccinated passengers, with the Agency\u2019s official guidance stating:\u00a0 \u201c[E]ven fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.\u201d<\/i><\/u><\/p>\n

A preliminary study in Israel reflected<\/a>\u00a0a fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine boosts antibodies to even higher levels than the third jab but it is not enough to prevent Omicron infections.\u00a0 An Israeli medical official was quoted as saying,\u00a0\u201cWe know by now that the level of antibodies needed to protect and not to get infected from Omicron is probably too high for the vaccine, even if it\u2019s a good vaccine.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 A study published on January 17 in\u00a0Nature Genetics<\/a>\u00a0identified a genetic risk factor associated with the loss of smell after a COVID-19 infection \u2013 a genetic locus near two olfactory genes is associated with COVID-induced loss of smell and taste.\u00a0 A locus is the fixed position of a gene on a chromosome.<\/u><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Yale School of Public Health researchers have developed<\/a>\u00a0an easy-to-use clip-on device that can detect low levels of coronavirus.\u00a0 The \u201cFresh Air Clip,\u201d a 3D-printed air sampler measuring about one inch in diameter, collects samples of air on a film inside the badge-shaped device.\u00a0 The researchers are looking at how best to scale application in workplaces, schools and with community members.\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n

Notable Labor Department Developments.<\/b>\u00a0 On January 21, the U.S. Department of Labor announced an initiative aimed at improving job quality throughout the country.\u00a0 The \u201cGood Jobs\u201d initiative, led by the Labor Department, will provide critical\u202finformation\u202fto workers, employers and government entities as they seek to improve job quality, and\u202fcreate\u202faccess to union jobs\u202f\u2013 free from discrimination and harassment\u202f\u2013 for\u202fall\u202fworkers and job seekers.\u00a0 Secretary Walsh unveiled the initiative at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in a\u00a0keynote address<\/a>\u00a0that day.\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n

According to the Labor Department, the Good Jobs\u202finitiative will focus on:<\/p>\n