It is National Small Business Week, a week that honors America’s entrepreneurs nationwide. In President Trump’s proclamation he called on Americans “to recognize the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners as they grow our Nation’s economy.”

In labor news, a memo issued by the General Council of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will make it easier for union non-members to challenge the mandatory collection of union dues.

Over the weekend, the Department of Justice appealed a district court judge’s decision to allow Obama-era changes to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) employer survey to go into effect. The ruling made in March meant businesses with 100 or more employees would be required to submit pay data to the EEOC broken down by race, ethnicity and gender. The appeal now sends the case to the D.C. Circuit.

On Capitol Hill, the Senate is back in session and will hold a hearing today titled, “Intellectual Property and the Price of Prescription Drugs: Balancing Innovation and Competition.” The House also returns today and on tomorrow, the House Appropriations Committee will mark up a FY 2020 spending bill that provides funds for the departments of Labor, HHS and Education.

On Capitol Hill

Floor proceedings

House: In Session

Senate: In session

  • The Senate will convene and proceed to executive session to resume consideration of Joseph F. Bianco to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit

Committee proceedings

House Committee on Small Business

  • Tomorrow, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Honoring the Nation’s Small Business Heroes”
  • On May 9th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “The Digital Ecosystem: New Paths to Entrepreneurship”

House Committee on Financial Services

  • On May 15th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Oversight of Prudential Regulators: Ensuring the Safety, Soundness and Accountability of Megabanks and Other Depository Institutions.”
  • On May 15th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Promoting Economic Growth: A Review of Proposals to Strengthen the Rights and Protections for Workers.”

House Committee on Appropriations

  • No relevant hearings today

House Committee on Ways and Means

  • Tomorrow, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Paid Family and Medical Leave: Helping Workers and Employers Succeed.”

House Committee on Energy and Commerce

  • Tomorrow, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission: Strengthening Protections for Americans’ Privacy and Data Security.”
  • On May 9th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Lowering Prescription Drug Prices: Deconstructing the Drug Supply Chain.”

House Committee on Education and Labor

  • Tomorrow, there will be a subcommittee hearing titled, “The Protecting the Right to Organize Act: Deterring Unfair Labor Practices”

Senate Committee on Appropriations

  • No relevant hearings today

Senate Committee on Small Business

  • No relevant hearings today

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

  • Today, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Data Rights and Collection in a Digital Economy.”

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

  • Today, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Implementing the 21st Century Cures Act: Making Electronic Health Information Available to Patients and Providers, Part II.”

Senate Committee on Finance

  • No relevant hearings today

Senate Judiciary Committee

  • Today, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Intellectual Property and the Price of Prescription Drugs: Balancing Innovation and Competition”

Bills of Interest

  • A bill was introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) to ensure that persons who form corporations or limited liability companies in the United States disclose the beneficial owners of those corporations or limited liability companies, in order to prevent wrongdoers from exploiting United States corporations and limited liability companies for criminal gain, to assist law enforcement in detecting, preventing, and punishing terrorism, money laundering, and other misconduct involving United States corporations and limited liability companies, and for other purposes (H.R. 2513)

At the Agencies

Department of Labor:

  • No relevant news today

Treasury:

  • No relevant news today

SBA:

  • May 5th – May 11th is National Small Business Week.
  • SBA Announces Funding Opportunity through the State Trade Expansion Program

USTR:

  • No relevant news today

Commerce:

  • U.S. Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of magnesium from Israel

Links You Can Use

For reviewing legislation and tracking appropriations: www.congress.gov

For reviewing proposed and pending regulation: www.federalregister.gov