Senate Committee Schedules EBSA Head Nomination Hearing for June 5

The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has scheduled its nomination for June 5 on the nominee to be assistant secretary of labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration.

In February, President Donald Trump nominated Daniel Aronowitz to serve in the position; Lisa Gomez, the previous assistant secretary of labor for EBSA, had resigned after Trump’s inauguration.

After his nomination, Aronowitz wrote on his LinkedIn profile that, if confirmed, he would “work hard to protect the retirement and health security of American workers.”

EBSA enforces the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and related regulations, safeguarding employer-sponsored retirement, health and welfare benefits for workers and retirees. Its head requires confirmation by the committee and then by the full Senate.

Aronowitz is the president of Encore Fiduciary, which insures employers against liability for alleged violations of their fiduciary duty as sponsors of defined benefit plans. His firm has tracked ERISA-related litigation for about a decade, and he has served as president of Encore Fiduciary for more than 13 years.

In January, Aronowitz co-authored an article in PLANADVISER, a sister publication of PLANSPONSOR, stating that ERISA excessive fee litigation proliferated in 2024, in part because of a surge in plan forfeiture suits, which have continue to be filed with frequency so far this year.

The June 5 hearing also will consider nominations for three other deputy secretary roles: two at the Department of Education and another at the Department of Labor.