Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced a bill to undo the Biden administration’s red tape within a federal employment program.
The legislation, dubbed the Pathways to Paychecks Act, would codify a proposed Trump administration policy overturning the Biden action that hindered states’ use of the Wagner-Peyser Employment Services (ES) program, which facilitates connections between job seekers and employers.
Former President Joe Biden’s Department of Labor (DOL), under then-Secretary Julie Su, eliminated states’ flexibility to administer ES with local government staff or contractors in 2023, making it hard to provide such services while denying states the ability to respond to changing workforce needs.
In July, President Donald Trump’s DOL proposed a “deregulatory action” that would allow states to “use the staffing model that provides the required services with the most efficient model for their State.”
The Pathways to Paychecks Act would codify that deregulation into law to prevent future Democrat administrations from infringing on states’ ES authority, a HELP official explained to Breitbart News.
“By eliminating states’ flexibility to administer employment services, Joe Biden and Julie Su took away opportunities from those looking for a better job. I’m glad to see Secretary Chavez-DeRemer restore this flexibility to better serve American workers,” Sen. Cassidy said in an exclusive statement. “This legislation codifies President Trump’s policy into law, making it easier for Americans to find employment so they can provide for their families.”
The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) is on board with the proposed legislation, with president and CEO Brad Turner-Little telling Breitbart News that his organization “applauds Chairman Cassidy for recognizing that local decision-making is one of the key principles of the public workforce system.”
“The organization is proud to once again endorse the Pathways to Paychecks Act to empower state and local workforce systems to use staffing models that align with the needs of their local communities,” he added. “We look forward to working with Chairman Cassidy to codify this important flexibility for local communities.”
The legislation is also supported by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Louisiana Workforce Commission, HELP officials noted.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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