# Senate Confirms Labor Secretary Sonderling

The U.S. Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as Secretary of Labor in a 47–41 vote, formalizing his position after he served as acting secretary since April. The Department of Labor is expected to pursue business-oriented regulations while increasing enforcement of foreign-worker program rules, a policy direction relevant to federal contractors that rely on these programs or manage sizable workforces.

- Federal contractors using foreign-worker programs should review their workforce processes and records in light of the anticipated increase in enforcement; the signal does not identify a new requirement or compliance deadline.
- The expected regulatory approach may affect contractor workforce planning and labor-related compliance practices, but no specific rule, contract opportunity, or procurement change is identified.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 01, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
- U.S. Senate