Senior Counsel Christopher Wilkinson was quoted in “Walsh Lonely at Top Without Deputies to Advance Labor Agenda,” an article in Bloomberg Law, regarding the delayed OSHA rule.

“It can be difficult during a transition time to get major priorities done when you don’t have everyone who’s been fully confirmed,” said Christopher, who was a senior career attorney at DOL under three different presidents. “When I looked at OSHA, for example, and the anticipated emergency temporary standard, that’s something that you want to have your permanent people in place so that they can be on the frontlines of selling the priority.”

Chris, now a senior counsel at Perkins Coie in Washington, said the absence of Senate-confirmed leaders in an administration’s initial months can stall policy decisions.

“It’s on the policy front where there’s much greater deliberation and things just tend to move much more slowly,” Chris added.