It’s Monday…
President Biden’s Public Schedule for Monday, November 28th 2022:
| 10:30 AM | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing Oval Office Closed Press |
| 1:30 PM | The President hosts a congratulatory visit with 2022 Nobel Prize Winners from the United States Oval Office Closed Press |
| 2:30 PM | In-Town Pool Call Time In-Town Pool |
| 2:30 PM | Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby James S. Brady Press Briefing Room |
The congratulatory visit is closed to the press.
The press briefing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. D.C., time.
Bonus live stream: First Lady Jill Biden Reveals the 2022 Holidays at the White House and Thanks Volunteers at 12:30 p.m. D.C., time.
President Biden has tweeted…
As of 8:45 a.m. my time; he has not tweeted. I’m sure he will tweet. I’ve decided to just hold the new tweets for tomorrows thread.
When the post was posted for Friday, President Biden had tweeted 1 time. He added 6 tweets giving him a Friday Tweeting Total of 7 tweets and 0 retweets.
I struggled to find anything related to the $22 million in back wages.
I did find the Executive Order on; Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors issued on April 27th 2021.
I also found the handy dandy fact-sheet; Biden-Harris Administration Issues an Executive Order to Raise the Minimum Wage to $15 for Federal Contractors issued the same day as the EO.
Today, President Biden is issuing an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage to hundreds of thousands of workers who are working on federal contracts. These workers are critical to the functioning of the federal government: from cleaning professionals and maintenance workers who ensure federal employees have safe and clean places to work, to nursing assistants who care for the nation’s veterans, to cafeteria and other food service workers who ensure military members have healthy and nutritious food to eat, to laborers who build and repair federal infrastructure.
This executive order will:
White House.gov. 04/27/2021
- Increase the hourly minimum wage for federal contractors to $15. Starting January 30, 2022 all agencies will need to incorporate a $15 minimum wage in new contract solicitations, and by March 30, 2022, all agencies will need to implement the minimum wage into new contracts. Agencies must also implement the higher wage into existing contracts when the parties exercise their option to extend such contracts, which often occurs annually.
- Continue to index the minimum wage to an inflation measure so that every year after 2022 it will be automatically adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of living.
- Eliminate the tipped minimum wage for federal contractors by 2024. Federal statute allows employers of tipped workers to pay a sub-minimum wage as long as their tips bring their wage up to the level of the minimum wage. The Obama-Biden executive order raised the wages for tipped workers, but didn’t completely phaseout the subminimum wage for these workers. This executive order finishes that work and ensures tipped employees working on federal contracts will earn the same minimum wage as other employees on federal contracts.
- Ensure a $15 minimum wage for federal contract workers with disabilities. To ensure equity, similar to the Obama-Biden minimum wage executive order for federal contractors, this executive order extends the required $15 minimum wage to federal contract workers with disabilities.
- Restore minimum wage protections to outfitters and guides operating on federal lands by revoking President Trump’s executive order 13838 “Exemption From Executive Order 13658 for Recreational Services on Federal Lands.”
This order will build on the Obama-Biden Executive Order 13658, issued in February 2014, requiring federal contractors to pay employees working on with federal contracts $10.10 per hour, subsequently indexed to inflation. The minimum wage for workers performing work on covered federal contracts is currently $10.95 per hour and tipped minimum wage is $7.65 per hour.
This executive order will promote economy and efficiency in federal contracting, providing value for taxpayers by enhancing worker productivity and generating higher-quality work by boosting workers’ health, morale, and effort. It will reduce turnover, allowing employers to retain top talent and lower the costs associated with recruitment and training. It will reduce absenteeism, a change that has been linked to higher productivity, not just by the employees who are more present, but by their co-workers, too. And, it will reduce supervisory costs. One recent study focusing on warehouse workers and customer service representatives at an online retailer found that raising hourly wages by $1 yields a return of approximately $1.50 through increased productivity and reduced costs. As a result of raising the minimum wage, the federal government’s work will be done better and faster.
At the same time, the executive order ensures that hundreds of thousands of workers no longer have to work full time and still live in poverty. It will improve the economic security of families and make progress toward reversing decades of income inequality. Extensive, high-quality research shows that higher minimum wages have the intended effect of raising wages without significantly reducing employment outcomes. Higher minimum wages increase earnings growth for workers at the bottom of the income distribution, and those gains persist for years. A higher minimum wage, and an elimination of the tipped minimum wage, will benefit many women and people of color who likely have children and are the breadwinners in their households. It will help improve the economic security of their families and narrow racial and gender disparities in income. In addition to directly lifting the wages of hundreds of thousands of contract workers, the executive order will have impacts beyond federal contracting, as competitors in the same labor markets as federal contractors may increase wages, too, as they seek to compete for workers. Employers may seek to raise wages for workers earning above $15 as they try to recruit and retain talent. And, research shows that when the minimum wage is increased, the workers who benefit spend more, a dynamic that can help boost local economies.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and the Federal Acquisition and Regulatory Council will engage in rulemaking to implement and enforce this Executive Order.
White House.gov. 04/27/2021
The PRO Act (H.R.842) passed the House in March of 2021.
The summary:
This bill expands various labor protections related to employees’ rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace.
Among other things, it (1) revises the definitions of employee, supervisor, and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards; (2) permits labor organizations to encourage participation of union members in strikes initiated by employees represented by a different labor organization (i.e., secondary strikes); and (3) prohibits employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct such secondary strikes.
The bill also allows collective bargaining agreements to require all employees represented by the bargaining unit to contribute fees to the labor organization for the cost of such representation, notwithstanding a state law to the contrary; and expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of, or discrimination against, workers who participate in strikes.
The bill makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership and prohibits employers from entering into agreements with employees under which employees waive the right to pursue or a join collective or class-action litigation.
The bill further prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against an employee, including employees with management responsibilities, in response to that employee participating in protected activities related to the enforcement of the prohibitions against unfair labor practices (i.e., whistleblower protections). Such protected activities include
Congress.gov. 03/09/2021.
- providing information about a potential violation to an enforcement agency,
- participating in an enforcement proceeding,
- initiating a proceeding concerning an alleged violation or assisting in such a proceeding, or
- refusing to participate in an activity the employee reasonably believes is a violation of labor laws.
Finally, the bill addresses the procedures for union representation elections, provides employees with the ability to vote in such elections remotely by telephone or the internet, modifies the protections against unfair labor practices that result in serious economic harm, and establishes penalties and permits injunctive relief against entities that fail to comply with National Labor Relations Board orders.
Congress.gov. 03/09/2021.
On January 27th 2022, HHS.gov said in part; The success of the Biden-Harris Administration’s first OEP affirms the Administration’s commitment to making health care affordable and accessible for consumers and builds on the momentum of the 2021 Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, through the 2021 SEP and the 2022 OEP, 5.8 million people across the country newly gained access to affordable health care coverage subsidized by the President’s American Rescue Plan. That includes 2.8 million during the 2021 SEP and 3 million during the 2022 OEP.
The open enrollment period ends on December 15th 2022; on November 22nd 2022, HHS.gov. reported:
Total plan selections represent a 17% increase over last year, and includes a significant increase in new enrollees on Healthcare.gov
With four out of five people eligible for coverage at $10 or less, the Biden-Harris Administration urges everyone to visit HealthCare.gov and sign up for high-quality, affordable health care
ACA Marketplace National Enrollment Snapshot
The Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly 3.4 million people nationwide have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan since the start of the 2023 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1. This represents activity through November 19 (Week 3) for the 33 states using HealthCare.gov and through November 12 (Week 2) for 16 states and the District of Columbia with State-based Marketplaces (SBMs).[1] Total plan selections include 655,000 people (19% of total) who are new to the Marketplaces for 2023, and 2.7 million people (81% of total) who have active 2022 coverage and returned to their respective Marketplaces to renew or select a new plan for 2023. These plan selection numbers represent a 17% increase in total plan selections over last year.
As President Joe Biden and Secretary Xavier Becerra announced, new customers enrolling on Healthcare.gov are up nearly 40% over last year. On November 16, Healthcare.gov had 493,216 new enrollees, compared to 354,137 on the same date in last year.
The 2023 Marketplace OEP runs from November 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023 for states using the HealthCare.gov platform. People generally need to submit an application and choose a plan by December 15 for their coverage to start January 1. State-based Marketplace enrollment deadlines vary. State-specific deadlines and other information are available in the State-based Marketplace Open Enrollment Fact Sheet – PDF.
“We are off to a strong start – and we will not rest until we can connect everyone possible to health care coverage this enrollment season,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action to expand access to health care, and ensure everyone can have the peace of mind that comes with being insured. With four out of five people eligible for coverage at $10 or less, do not miss your opportunity to sign up for high-quality, affordable health care. We urge everyone to visit HealthCare.gov and find the coverage that meets your needs.”
“Providing quality, affordable health care options remains a top priority. The numbers prove that our focus is in the right place. In the first weeks of Open Enrollment, we have seen an increase in plan selections and a significant increase in the number of new enrollees over the previous year,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “I am pleased to see such a strong early showing and I encourage all those looking for affordable health care coverage to visit HealthCare.gov.”
The Biden-Harris Administration has made expanding access to health insurance and lowering health care costs for America’s families a top priority, and under their leadership, the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low earlier this year.
The Biden-Harris Administration encourages all families to visit HealthCare.gov and check out the health care coverage options and savings available to them. This year, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, more people will continue to qualify for help purchasing quality health coverage with expanded financial assistance. Thirteen million Americans will continue to save an average of $800 per year on their health insurance. Four out of five people will be able to find a plan for $10 or less after tax credits. People with coverage through HealthCare.gov are encouraged to return and shop to see if another plan better meets their needs at a lower cost.
Individuals can enroll or re-enroll in health insurance coverage for 2023 by visiting HealthCare.gov, or CuidadoDeSalud.gov, or by calling 1-800-318-2596 to fill out an application. Individuals wanting assistance signing up for coverage may go to Find Local Help on HealthCare.gov to find a Navigator, Certified Application Counselor, or agent or broker: https://www.healthcare.gov/find-assistance/.
HHS. 11/22/2022.
Saturday and Sunday’s tweeting total was 7 tweets and 0 retweets.
Sunday’s first tweet is similar to Saturday’s first tweet.
For some reason Twitter users felt Sunday’s tweet needed “added context”.
EIG.org. reported on January 19th 2022: New Startups Break Record in 2021: Unpacking the Numbers
Key Findings:
- Nearly 5.4 million applications were filed to form new businesses in 2021 — the most of any year on record, based on the latest data from Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics.
- The exceptional pace means there were roughly 1.9 million more business applications in 2021 — a 53 percent increase from 2019 and a notable improvement on that especially strong year for economic performance.
- Nearly one-third, or 1.8 million applications, were for likely employer businesses — a subset of total applications capturing those most likely to hire employees if and when a business becomes operational.
- Likely employer business applications are up 37 percent over 2019 levels and up 17 percent relative to 2006, the prior peak. Seven of the top 10 highest monthly totals for likely employer filings came last year.
- Applications for businesses likely to hire employees rose in every state in 2021, but faster in some parts of the country than others, especially in the Southeast.
Their intro:
The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the economic status quo in many unexpected ways over the past two years. While some of these changes have been unwelcome — high inflation rates not seen in decades and supply chain issues leaving store shelves barren — one of the most potentially beneficial developments is the unexpected explosion of new business applications that began taking shape in the summer of 2020. Contrary to expectations, that year turned out to be the best for business applications on record — only to be surpassed in 2021.
A record 5.4 million applications were filed to form new businesses in 2021 based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics. This potential entrepreneurial boom in the midst of the pandemic looks nothing like what occurred after the last economic crisis when intentions to form new businesses declined for two straight years amid the economic turmoil of the Great Recession. The latest statistics suggest that the pandemic delivered a meaningfully positive shock to American entrepreneurship that may have significantly altered established trends.
New business formation traditionally helps power economic recoveries, as entrepreneurs and new growth companies take advantage of new market opportunities as well as the resources freed up by firms that contracted or failed during recessions. This mechanism broke down somewhat in the wake of the prior economic crisis, and the depressed startup rates that persisted throughout the 2010s may have contributed to the slow and uneven nature of the recovery that followed. The starkly contrasting ongoing flood of applications this time is an important and promising indicator for the strength of the recovery ahead. While credit was dramatically curtailed and significant amounts of wealth wiped out during the Great Recession, the massive federal support during the pandemic through programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program and stimulus payments to millions of Americans may have helped support existing small businesses and encourage their formation during this latest economic upheaval.
And yet, while the present surge in applications is notable, it provides only a forward-looking indicator that hints at future potential economic activity. It takes time for an application for a new Employer Identification Number, or EIN (the underlying variable tracked here), to actually turn into a new business, and just a fraction of applications typically complete the journey. Individuals and corporations have many different reasons for applying for EINs, and not every instance reflects a true new company formation in the colloquial sense. Nevertheless, the durability and widespread nature of the surge suggests that it is capturing a true groundswell of entrepreneurial interest in the United States as the pandemic upends industries and careers.
This analysis highlights four major takeaways for business formation that defined 2021. Most comparisons are made relative to 2019 in order to explicitly highlight how Covid-19 has dramatically altered prior trends.
Total business applications were the highest on record in 2021 — a stunning 53 percent jump above the total filed in 2019 and 23 percent higher than in 2020.
Nearly 5.4 million applications were filed to form new businesses in 2021 — the most of any year on record going back to 2005, based on the latest Census data. The exceptional pace of filing translates into roughly 1.9 million more business applications in 2021 than in 2019 before the pandemic, a 53 percent increase.
EIG.org. 01/19/2022.
They have charts and more that I will not be copying and pasting.
The rest of Saturday’s Tweets:
So I had a bunch of family bounding time Thursday and Friday which lessened my online time. Yesterday, I decided to take a dip back into the interwebs…
First thing I saw; posted by Tony in the Noir open thread:
Here’s the context of the photo…
I swear people will take all good things and simply try to ruin them cause they are truly miserable pricks.
The rest of Sunday’s Tweets:
We are “looking” for an electric car or hybrid. They all seem nice, but our goal is to test drive some of our higher rated fav’s sometime next year. I plan to provide a photo review when the car shopping goes beyond the internetwebs…
This is an Open Thread.
1 Trackback / Pingback
Comments are closed.