SCOTUS Denies New York v. Yellen. The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Tax Day it would not hear a constitutional challenge to the $10,000 deduction limit on state and local taxes (SALT) enacted under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act...more
The House and Senate will reconvene Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and Monday at 3:00 p.m., respectively....more
On March 21, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted along party lines to propose its long-awaited climate disclosure framework for public companies. The proposed rule borrows concepts and definitions from the Task...more
On March 9, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to propose cybersecurity disclosure requirements for public companies. The proposal follows the release of interpretive guidance on the matter in both 2011 and...more
House and Senate leaders announced the release of a $1.5 trillion bipartisan omnibus package for fiscal year (FY) 2022 on March 9. The agreement also encompasses an emergency supplemental for Ukraine security and humanitarian...more
President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union (SOTU) address last night against the backdrop of war in Europe, persistently high inflation, a waning global pandemic and a deeply divided Congress. The scene was a...more
Yesterday, the Supreme Court released its opinion in National Federation of Independent Business v. Department of Labor and Ohio v. Department of Labor. Concluding that OSHA’s proposed emergency temporary standard (ETS) was a...more
1/17/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
National Federation of Independent Business v Department of Labor and OSHA ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
After negotiating for months with the White House and congressional Democratic leaders, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on Sunday announced he would not vote for the Build Back Better Act (BBBA)—the $2.4 trillion reconciliation...more
Tax Tidbit -
Year-End Legislative To-Dos. Washington has been consumed by President Joe Biden’s twin legislative vehicles: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Build Back Better Act—only one of which has been...more
On Sept. 14, Gary Gensler, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, testified before the Senate Banking Committee that the agency has authority using the existing, “broad” definition of a “security” to regulate the...more
9/22/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Instruments ,
Financial Markets ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Token Sales ,
Virtual Currency
On June 24, President Joe Biden announced his support for a bipartisan infrastructure framework that would invest $1.2 trillion over eight years. The framework, a slightly modified version of the one released on June 17,...more
A group of 10 Republican and 10 Democratic senators (the “G20”) released their bipartisan framework on June 16, nearly a week after announcing they had reached an agreement. The framework details $579 billion in new spending...more
On Friday, June 11, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rolled out an ambitious rulemaking agenda, reflecting Chair Gary Gensler’s promises to prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues; respond to...more
Senate Republicans released a second infrastructure counterproposal this morning. The eight-year $928 billion “Republican Roadmap” includes $360 billion more funding than the party’s April 22 proposal, with increases in every...more
WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK -
- Republican Counterproposal. Senate Republicans are crafting a counter-proposal as an alternative to President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan (AJP). The package is expected to cost around $600 to...more
5/5/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Federal Budget ,
Infrastructure ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits
Congress recently voted on a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package—the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, P.L.117-2). It includes stimulus checks for individuals, expanded unemployment benefits, and funding for vaccines, state...more
WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK -
- White House Selling AJP. As the administration seeks to gain bipartisan support for its American Jobs Plan (AJP), President Joe Biden will be holding a series of meetings with lawmakers to discuss...more
5/5/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Federal Budget ,
Infrastructure ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits
On April 28, President Joe Biden delivered his first address to Congress, touting the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Act Plan, highlighting progress on vaccinations and outlining a path forward on rebuilding the...more
WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK -
- Administration Proposal. President Joe Biden will travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 31, where he will unveil the contours of the infrastructure package. Biden Preliminary Budget...more
Note: Congress recently voted on a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package—the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, P.L.117-2). It includes stimulus checks for individuals, expanded unemployment benefits, and funding for vaccines,...more
4/14/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Clean Energy ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Energy Storage ,
Federal Budget ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits ,
Wind Farm
Earlier today, during a speech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden unveiled the American Jobs Plan—the first part of a two-tranche strategy modeled after the post-Depression-era New Deal program to spur economic...more
The Jan. 27, 2021, “Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” is a broad, aspirational directive from the Biden administration to swiftly realign federal policy toward climate change. But the...more
On Jan. 25, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm President Joe Biden’s nomination of Janet Yellen to be the 78th treasury secretary. Yellen is the first woman to hold the position and she will be responsible for...more
On Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) submitted a final rule to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review—the rule aims to make it easier for employers to use independent...more
On Dec. 20, the House and Senate passed H.R. 133, The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The bill includes a $900 comprehensive package to provide COVID-19 relief to businesses and individuals, including a second round...more