On May 19, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing titled “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of Labor.” Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling testified regarding the Administration’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2027 funding levels and policy priorities for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

Throughout the hearing, senators questioned the Administration’s proposed restructuring of federal workforce development programs, reductions to overall discretionary spending, and the growing coordination between the Departments of Labor and Education.

Democrats on the subcommittee criticized the administration’s “political crusade” to eliminate the Department of Education (ED) by shifting to co-manage programs with other agencies through recent interagency agreements. They argued that DOL is not equipped to manage these programs[AH1]  and that moving ED programs across agencies has resulted in difficulties in administering education programs while creating new challenges for DOL in administering its own programs.

Proposed cuts to the Job Corps program also emerged as a major flashpoint. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said the program helped students in her state move into cybersecurity, shipbuilding and other careers. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) also warned that eliminating Job Corps could hurt workforce pipelines tied to shipbuilding and the defense industrial base.

A recording of the hearing can be found here.