In this April 18, 2013, file photo, Thomas Perez testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 18, 2013, before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on his nomination as Labor Secretary. With Perez now confirmed as head of the Labor Department, the agency is expected to unleash a flurry of new regulations that have been bottled up for months _ a prospect that has business leaders worried and labor advocates cheering. Some long-awaited rules would help boost employment for veterans and the disabled, increase wages for home health care workers, and set new limits for workplace exposure to dangerous silica dust. Other more controversial rules and actions could help labor unions in organizing campaigns and allow union officials to take part in safety inspections at non-union companies. (AP Photo/Molly Riley, File)