Benefits Regulator Wants to Cut Down Lawsuits Against Plans

The head of the Department of Labor’s employee benefits regulator defended how he’s changed the agency before lawmakers, saying he’s cut down on excessive litigation and enforcement.

Daniel Aronowitz, leader of the Employee Benefit Security Administration, told members of a House Education and the Workforce subcommittee that the agency had reoriented its approach to follow the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, boasting that it was “the most pro-ERISA EBSA administration ever.”

“We’re not pro-plan sponsor, and we’re not pro-participant: we follow ERISA wherever it goes,” Aronowitz said.

The hearing was Aronowitz’s first appearance before the panel since his confirmation in ...