Education and Labor Committee RSS Articles

PA Leaders Discuss ObamaCare's Failure to Address Health Care Challenges

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

The Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), today held a field hearing entitled, “Health Care Challenges Facing Pennsylvania’s Workers and Job Creators.” Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) joined Chairman Roe at the field hearing, which took place in Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District.

During the hearing, state and business leaders testified that increasing health care costs impose burdens on employers, restricting their ability to create new jobs. Additionally, they discussed ways the 2010 health care reform law has exacerbated the health care challenges facing Pennsylvania workers and employers.

“Recently, the Gallup polling company talked to a number of small business owners who said they weren’t looking to hire new workers right now,” stated Chairman Roe. “Gallup asked: Why? The vast majority expressed concerns about the state of the economy and poor sales. However, 46 percent of small business owners cited fear of government regulations and 48 percent pointed to rising health care costs. As a policymaker, these responses by our nation’s leading job creators are startling yet not unexpected. For too long, some in Washington viewed our economic crisis as the political means to advance an agenda that ignores the real challenges facing the nation.”

“Our state needs jobs,” said Rep. Kelly. “We’ve been fortunate to experience modest progress recently as more Pennsylvanians are working today than a year ago. However, this progress still does not make up for the devastation caused by the economic downturn… I am grateful for the opportunity to listen to folks in this room describe the challenges facing families in the Keystone state, and learn what you see coming in the horizon. Regrettably, I don’t have to tell you that numerous new mandates and regulations will soon threaten our workplaces, thanks to the health care law many of us have dubbed ObamaCare.’”

Highlights from today’s hearing include:

State Senator Donald C. White, Chairman, Pennsylvania State Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance: “To begin with, I want make it clear that Pennsylvania is taking the initial steps to comply with this federal mandate by January 1, 2013. The last thing that anyone in Pennsylvania wants is for the federal government to take this over and issue addition edicts over the people of my state – and I am sure that feeling is echoed by my peers from most other states. And, yes, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is yet another mandate on states, on business and individuals and families.”

Will Knetch, President, Wendell August Forge: “I believe that we as a nation are about to walk into an unknown abyss that humbly I believe our country will face with the full effect and implementation of the 2010 health care bill in 2013-14… The shear monstrous size of the bill intimidates most Americans and provides so many unknowns for the business community, it is scary. To paraphrase then-Speaker Pelosi during the voting on the bill in the House, ‘We have to pass it so we can read it.’ In other words, no one really knows all of the tentacles of this bill and that is bad for America and bad for business.”

Lori Joint, Director of Government Affairs, Manufacturer & Business Association: “Our member companies have been very clear in expressing their concerns over the uncertainty of this law and its potential implications and cost. That concern and uncertainty has caused a paralysis among many employers, who are now holding off on plans for growth and investment in their business operations. A majority of small-business owners are already dealing with increased regulatory and tax burdens and this is one more government intrusion that could negatively impact their ability to successfully run their business.”

Paul T. Nelson, Owner and CEO, Waldameer Park, Inc.: “Waldameer is one of the major engines of promoting our region as a recreational area and have spent millions of dollars advertising between Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Cleveland… What worries us is what the government is planning for part-time employees… The majority of our part-time employees are students, and many of them are already on their parents’ health insurance policies. Insurance companies are not interested in part-time employees being added to our plan. A part-time employee could have an expensive procedure, then leave employment, sticking the insurance company with the bill. This increased cost would cause the insurance company to raise our rates.”

Patti-Ann Kanterman, CFO, Associated Ceramics & Technology: “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is concerning for me mostly on the things that it did not do: It did not reduce cost of insurance; It did not reduce uncertainty of offering insurance; It did not force insurance companies to disclose information to the purchasers (employers); and it did nothing to address the supply side of the health care equation.”

Kathleen Bishop, President and CEO, Meadville-Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce: “Back in the day, if you were looking for work you either chose the employer who had benefits or you didn’t. You also knew that if they offered Health insurance then you had a good chance at a retirement plan, vacation pay and paid holidays. But, sometimes you just wanted a good old fashioned job where you worked on straight commission and you took care of yourself. Just as men and women are not the same size and created equal, neither are businesses created equal, the health care reform bill cannot be a one size fits all. We should be able to choose!”

To read testimony and view related documents from the Pennsylvania field hearing, visit www.edworkforce.house.gov/hearings.

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Kelly Statement: Field Hearing on "Health Care Challenges Facing Pennsylvania's Workers and Job Creators"

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:10:00 GMT

Today’s hearing is a timely and important event. I think it is critical for members of Congress to get outside the Beltway and hear from the men and women whose lives are affected by the policies advanced in the nation’s capitol.

The recent recession ended almost three years ago, yet we continue to struggle with a difficult and sluggish economy. Our state needs jobs. We’ve been fortunate to experience modest progress recently as more Pennsylvanians are working today than a year ago. However, this progress still does not make up for the devastation caused by the economic downturn. We must make sure federal policies support continued gains, and are not permitted to undermine the growth we’ve seen here in Pennsylvania and across the nation.

I am grateful for the opportunity today to listen to folks in this room describe the challenges facing families in the Keystone state, and learn what you see coming on the horizon. Regrettably, I don’t have to tell you that numerous new mandates and regulations will soon threaten our workplaces, thanks to the health care law many of us have dubbed “ObamaCare.”

Employer-provided health insurance is critical to the health care needs of many Pennsylvania families. Roughly 54 percent of Pennsylvanians receive insurance through an employer, slightly more than the national average. As a business owner, I, like so many employers, am keenly aware that shifts in health care policies can have a dramatic impact on my business. The costs associated with health insurance can often determine whether an employer is able to raise wages or hire new workers.

You noted, Mr. Chairman, a recent Gallup survey of small businesses currently not looking to add new workers. It is deeply troubling that one out of every two small business owners may not be hiring due to concerns of rising health care costs and government regulations. This kind of fear and uncertainty among the country’s top job creators poses a clear threat to our economic recovery and future job creation.

I know some prefer to focus on a few provisions in the law that continue to receive bipartisan support, such as providing coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions. However, this debate has never been about whether we help those who need help. The choice has never been between doing nothing and supporting a government takeover of health care.

It has and continues to be about the degree to which we allow the federal government to dictate some of the most personal decisions in our lives. The recent regulatory action taken by the president that will force private employers to offer health services they find morally objectionable demonstrates Washington has gone too far.

We can enact smart, responsible reforms that will lower costs and expand access to care without putting the federal government in charge of one-sixth of our nation’s economy. Those who would have us believe that change is only possible through more government control and spending do the nation a great disservice.

We have a responsibility to chart a different course and our witnesses today will help us to do just that. Rest assured, we will bring your thoughts to Washington, D.C. and use them to persuade our reluctant colleagues that it is time to repeal ObamaCare, get government out of the way of our job creators, and work toward commonsense solutions that help expand access to affordable health care for the American people.

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Roe Statement: Field Hearing on "Health Care Challenges Facing Pennsylvania's Workers and Job Creators"

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Over four years ago, our nation fell into the worst recession since the Great Depression. Businesses closed, jobs were lost, savings disappeared, and countless lives were transformed by the pain of a deep economic downturn. While we’ve made some modest progress in recent months, we still have a long way to go before we reach the height of prosperity our families, employers, and workers once enjoyed.

Recently, the Gallup polling company talked to a number of small business owners who said they weren’t looking to hire new workers right now. Gallup asked: Why? The vast majority expressed concerns about the state of the economy and poor sales. However, 46 percent of small business owners cited fear of government regulations and 48 percent pointed to rising health care costs.

As a policymaker, these responses by our nation’s leading job creators are startling yet not unexpected. For too long, some in Washington viewed our economic crisis as the political means to advance an agenda that ignores the real challenges facing the nation. This disturbing trend of the last several years has destroyed virtually any sense of certainty in the economy, making it more difficult for businesses to grow and create jobs.

Perhaps the greatest example of this misguided agenda was the health care reform legislation signed into law in 2010. At a time when millions of Americans were looking for work and taxpayers were swimming in government debt, Democrats in Washington were advancing a multi-trillion dollar government takeover of health care.

A lot of lofty promises were made in an attempt to win public support, yet the reality of the new health care law is one of broken promises. We were told it would help lower health care costs. President Obama pledged that his plan would decrease insurance premiums by $2,500 for the average family. Not true. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that the average family health plan now costs more than $15,000 – thanks to a nine percent increase in cost just last year.

We were told if you like your current health care plan, you can keep it. Not true. The president’s decision to force private employers – including religious organizations – to offer services that may violate their moral beliefs, demonstrates that Washington is in control and significant changes to our health care are inevitable.

Finally, we were told the law would create millions of new jobs. Again, not true. At the center of ObamaCare are job crushing mandates and regulations. Employers with more than 50 workers are now forced to provide expensive and government-approved health insurance. If they can’t afford to, they face a fine of $2,000 per worker (except for the first 30 workers). We’ve heard many employers, and we will hear more today, describe the difficult choices they now face, choices between providing government-approved health care and cutting hours or laying off workers.

It is clear the health care law is failing to address the challenges facing our country. In fact, in many ways, it is making things worse. I am committed to repealing this government takeover of health care and pursuing the right reforms that will lower costs for workers while not undermining the success of employers. I know that is a commitment shared by Representative Kelly, and many of our colleagues across the country as well.

The questions we will ask today are: What types of responsible reforms will help rein in the costs of health care? How can we turn the recent gains we’ve seen into long-term economic growth? What do the people of Pennsylvania see as the challenges facing their state and country, and where do they believe the road to prosperity lies? I look forward to our discussion.

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ICYMI: Better health care approach needed

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

By Reps. Phil Roe(R-TN) and Mike Kelly (R-PA)

A recent survey by Gallup, Inc., asked a number of small business owners why they were not looking to hire new workers. While the vast majority expressed worries about the state of the economy and a lack of sales, our leading job creators highlighted two additional fears that should concern us all. Forty-six percent of small business owners said they weren’t hiring for fear of future government regulations, and 48 percent listed rising health care costs.

The Gallup study confirms what we hear on a regular basis. As members of Congress, we are privileged to meet regularly with the nation’s employers. In fact, on Wednesday we will hold a congressional hearing in Butler to discuss with Pennsylvania employers the issues of health care and job creation.
Employers come from different backgrounds; however, they are often united by the constant worry that rising health care costs and government regulations will make it harder to grow their businesses and hire new workers.

This is exactly why so many in Congress and across the country oppose President Barack Obama’s health care law. At a time when millions of Americans were looking for work and employers were searching for a sense of economic stability, Democrats in Washington were advancing a multitrillion- dollar government takeover of health care. In less than two years since the president signed his health care plan into law, the federal bureaucracy has added more than 10,000 pages of rules and regulations to enforce the law, and health care costs continue to rise.

As we witnessed with the president’s decision to force private employers — including religious organizations — to offer services that might violate their moral beliefs, every new regulation affecting health care carries a price. Unfortunately, the price is paid by those who purchase health insurance: individuals, families, employers and workers.

Yet, costly and burdensome regulations lie at the heart of the president’s health care law. For the first time in our nation’s history, employers with more than 50 employees are forced to provide government-approved health insurance. If they can’t afford insurance and are unable to fulfill this unprecedented mandate, employers face a fine of $2,000 per employee (excluding the first 30 employees).

Private citizens also are now compelled by law to purchase health insurance, whether they can afford to or not. Democrats promised their health care plan would help create millions of new jobs. However, crushing mandates by the federal government can only undermine job creation, not encourage it.
Democrats also promised their prescription for reform would lower health care costs. In fact, President Obama pledged that the average family would see premiums drop by $2,500 a year. Anyone who has taken their child to the doctor or visited an emergency room in the last two years knows this promise has been broken.

A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed the cost of a family plan increased 9 percent in 2011, topping $15,000 for the average family. And the nonpartisan health care experts at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid estimate the president’s law increases national health spending by more than $300 billion over the next decade.

ObamaCare is a flawed law that will destroy jobs and exacerbate the health care crisis facing our nation. The most glaring acknowledgment of its failure is the fact that more than 1,200 “waivers” have been given to various entities. These waivers offer temporary relief from the law’s expensive requirements. Remarkably, a vast majority of these waivers have gone to the administration’s allies, including those who support ObamaCare. Handing out special relief to favored friends while the rest of the nation struggles with the consequences of a broken law is irresponsible. Pennsylvania and the nation deserve better.

In recent months, the people of the Keystone State have received some welcome economic news. Unemployment has fallen and more Pennsylvanians are back to work. We cannot allow flawed policies from Washington to undermine the gains we’ve seen.

Together, we have personal experience practicing medicine and running a business. We know the challenges confronting our families and employers. We need a better approach to health care and job creation, one that rejects job-destroying mandates and encourages free-market solutions to lower health care costs and spur economic growth.

At 1 p.m. on Wednesday in the Butler Township Administration Building, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions will hold a public hearing to examine these important issues and the impact they have on Pennsylvania. Local employers and state representatives will discuss the very real challenges they face today and the positive solutions needed for the future.

We hope you will join us for this event.

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Doubling Down on Failed Stimulus Policies

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Hours before the nation recognized the anniversary of President Obama’s failed stimulus plan, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office announced unemployment could stay above 8 percent for the next three years. We are experiencing the longest run of high unemployment since the Great Depression, despite promises that a trillion dollars in “timely, targeted, and temporary” federal spending would stimulate job creation.

Instead of changing course, this week the president unveiled his fourth budget plan that doubles down on his administration’s failed stimulus spending policies. A look at a few of the details of the president’s budget proves he is leading our nation down a path of bankruptcy.

First Things First: Some Startling Facts

At a time when our economy is struggling to create jobs and taxpayers are already swimming in debt, it takes a lot of audacity to propose a budget that will increase taxes, spending, and debt. The numbers don’t lie:

$47 trillion – Government spending over the next 10 years;
$1.9 trillion – New tax hikes to pay for the president’s latest spending spree;
$11 trillion – The amount of new debt future generations will have pay;
$2 trillion – Cost hidden behind the president’s accounting gimmicks; and
0 – The number of long-term reforms that will tackle the nation’s challenges.

Piling New Programs on Top of Old

In his State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to “cut through the maze of confusing [job] training programs” and implement “one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help [job seekers] need.” In stark contrast, his budget proposal includes new job-training initiatives, and little to support his previous request for consolidation.

Right now, the federal government operates roughly 47 job training programs at a cost of $18 billion a year. Yet the president wants to add more than $20 billion in new spending to fund even more programs.

Budget Gimmicks to Hide the True Size and Cost of Government

The president claims his budget request for the Department of Education comes in at $69.8 billion, but a closer look at the fine print shows the real costs of the president’s plan. Here are just some of the hidden costs in the president’s budget:

$13.3 billion – To shore up the bloated Pell Grant program;
$10 billion – To support teacher union bailouts;
$2.5 billion – To fund a new competition to “elevate the teaching profession;”
$6 billion – To expand the federal role in school construction; and
$1.1 billion – To support a new joint job-training program with the Labor Department.

Strip away the gimmicks, and taxpayers on the left on the hook for nearly $103 billion in education spending during the next fiscal year alone.

Feeding a Job Destroying Federal Bureaucracy

President Obama has requested even more money (an additional $14 million) to fund the Big Labor agenda of his National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Over the last several years, the NLRB has quietly advanced sweeping changes to our nation’s workforce, such as weakening workers’ right to cast a secret ballot and making it more difficult to challenge union representation. The president’s budget represents a rubber stamp of approval on this radical agenda, ensuring the board can continue to wreak havoc on our workplaces. Taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for policies that assault the rights of American workers and employers.

Failing to Meet our Commitments

Despite stuffing loads of new spending and tax hikes into his budget proposal, the president is still unable to move our nation closer to meeting its commitment to students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included a promise that the federal government would pay 40 percent of the additional cost of educating students. The president’s budget blueprint once again ignores this obligation, funding IDEA at only 16 percent, in favor of creating dozens of new multi-billion-dollar programs – many of which are redundant to existing federal initiatives.

Putting forth another budget proposal full of the same failed stimulus policies of record spending, debt, and taxes is a disservice to families, workers, and employers. House Republicans urge the president to join us in our efforts to advance a fiscally responsible budget plan that will meet our commitments without breaking the bank.

President’s Visit to Boeing Plant a Painful Reminder of the NLRB’s Destructive Actions

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Later today, President Obama will visit a Boeing plant in Everett, Washington to tout his administration’s manufacturing policies. At a similar event held earlier this week in Wisconsin, the president discussed the opportunities that “exist right now to bring jobs and manufacturing back to the United States of America.”

Unfortunately, some of those opportunities are being undermined by the actions of the president’s own National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Two actions in particular have created a great deal of uncertainty that may force America’s employers to seek opportunities outside the United States.

Picking Winners and Losers in a Labor Dispute

Before the NLRB was a household name, it was a largely unknown federal agency charged with enforcing labor law fairly and objectively. However, that all changed last year when the Obama NLRB filed a legal complaint against The Boeing Company for building a plant in South Carolina instead of the more union-friendly Washington state, trying to force this employer to move thousands of jobs across the country.

Following months of legal wrangling, the NLRB mysteriously decided to withdraw the complaint just days after Boeing agreed to a new labor contract with its Washington union. Or was it so mysterious? Democrat leaders on Capitol Hill exclaimed that the labor dispute process workers. But that is true only if you believe the federal government should pick sides in a labor dispute and use taxpayer dollars to bully a private employer. As the Wall Street Journal noted:

As for the NLRB, its decision to drop the case so quickly after the machinists cut their deal exposes how politically motivated the Boeing suit was. The NLRB is supposed to be a fair-minded referee in labor disputes, making sure neither side breaks the law. But the board put its fist squarely on the union side…

America’s manufacturers apparently share the same view. Last year, they were asked whether the NLRB’s Boeing complaint would negatively impact their hiring decisions and 60 percent said YES. One witness at a congressional testimony stated the NLRB’s job-destroying complaint caused Canadian employers to question whether to do business in the U.S. – a clear indication the board’s agenda threatens opportunities for American workers.

Stifling Employer Free Speech and Worker Free Choice

Despite winning roughly 70 percent of all elections, Big Labor has been trying for years to undermine a workers right to a secret ballot and his or her ability to make an informed decision in a union election. In June of last year, the Obama NLRB introduced sweeping changes to the rules governing union election, changes that would allow an election to take place in as little as 10 days by undermining employer free speech and worker free choice.

Larry Getts, an employee of Dana Corporation, testified last year that this radical proposal is “intended only to make it easier for union officials to harass and force workers like myself into joining their union, into paying dues and increasing the union bosses’ power.”

Instead of land of freedom and opportunity, the Obama NLRB is stacking the deck against workers and employers. One employer said of this ambush election scheme:

These proposed “quickie elections” are not about helping workers make informed decisions. In fact, these elections would accomplish exactly the opposite.

The impact of this decision in clear: American businesses will have yet another reason to invest elsewhere rather than in creating new jobs here at home.

A Sure Approach to Promote American Manufacturing

If the president really wants to ensure the promise of American manufacturing can become a reality, we hope he will support Republican efforts to protect workers and employers by reining in his activist NLRB.

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ICYMI: House and Senate Join in Opposition to NLRB’s Ambush Election Scheme

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Yesterday, 65 members of the House of Representatives and 44 United States Senators introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that will block the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) recent ambush election rule. In December, the NLRB finalized the first phase of its anti-worker election scheme that would allow union elections to take place in as little as 10 days.

The NLRB’s chairman has vowed future action on the rest of this plan, which is why Congress is using every tool available to protect workers and employers by reining in the power of the Obama labor board. In today’s Washington Times, Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) – lead sponsor of the House resolution of disapproval – and F. Vincent Vernuccio at the Competitive Enterprise Institute describe the dangers of the NLRB’s ambush election plan and the need for congressional action:

Workers should be free to choose whether or not to join a union. They should be able to make that decision without pressure and with all the pertinent information available. The current regulations coming out of the NLRB undermine workers’ freedom of association by making this exceedingly difficult.

In response to Mr. Obama’s continuing assault on workers’ rights, on Thursday, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline, Minnesota Republican, and I [Rep. Phil Gingrey] introduced a joint resolution of disapproval pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) on the NLRB’s ambush election rule. Sen. Michael B. Enzi, Wyoming Republican, introduced the Senate companion.

The CRA would allow Congress, with the full force of law, to reverse the NLRB’s “ambush elections” rule and restore the ability for workers to have the tools they need to make an informed decision when voting on unionization.

The House of Representatives already has passed, with bipartisan support, the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act, which reins in the activist NLRB and preserves long-standing workforce protections. Congress must continue to use every tool available to support the rights of workers and employers. With each passing day, the board continues to promote a culture of union favoritism that undermines the strength of the American workforce. We must take action to prevent this assault on workers and employers.

To read the rest of today’s op-ed, click here.

To learn more about House action on this issue, click here.

To learn more about Senate action on this issue, click here.

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Sixty-Five Representatives File Challenge to NLRB's Ambush Election Rule

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:00:00 GMT

Today, House Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) joined Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) and Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) to introduce a resolution (H.J. Res. 103) under the Congressional Review Act that will block the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) December ambush election rule. Sixty-five representatives supported the resolution upon introduction.

A companion resolution (S. J. Res. 63) was introduced in the United States Senate, under the leadership of Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA). S. J. Res. 63 has received support from 44 senators, including Senators Enzi and Isakson.

In June, the NLRB introduced sweeping changes to the rules governing union elections that would have allowed elections to take place in as little as 10 days, stifling employer free speech and worker free choice. On December 21, the board finalized a number of these provisions, and the chairman of the board has expressed his desire to move forward with finalizing the rest of the initial proposal.

At a press conference held earlier today, Chairman Kline discussed the importance of the resolution. "With the addition of these three non-recess 'recess' appointees, it’s very clear to us that Chairman Pearce from the NLRB intends to go back and pick up some of those provisions that were left out from the rule passed last year," said Chairman Kline. "We are very concerned about this board and its agenda. We’re pleased the Senate is going forward with this resolution of disapproval and we look forward to being right there with them."

Rep. Phil Roe, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, said of the board's ambush election proposal, "This is a solution looking for a problem. Right now, most of the elections, a majority of them, are won by the union and labor. The NLRB should be a fair arbiter and this legislation right here will give us an opportunity to have a chance to bring it back to the people who decide - that’s the legislators in the Senate and the House. "

To learn more about this issue, visit www.edworkforce.house.gov.

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Education Leaders Express Support for K-12 Reform Legislation

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:00:00 GMT

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), today held a legislative hearing on the Student Success Act (H.R. 3989) and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act (H.R. 3990). The two pieces of legislation represent the next chapter in Republican efforts to rewrite elementary and secondary education law.

During his opening remarks, Chairman Kline said, “The Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act…present a new way forward for K-12 education. These proposals build upon the progress made under No Child Left Behind while also offering thoughtful solutions to address its shortfalls… These proposals strike a more appropriate balance between the need for a limited federal role to ensure transparency and the demand for state and local control.”

The videos below showcase education experts’ support for the policies in the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act.

Supporting State and Local Innovation

Across the country, state and local education leaders have successfully implemented creative reforms that expand transparency, enhance accountability, and help close student achievement gaps. These efforts have had a positive impact on children, and the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act will foster continued progress on the state and local level.

States are currently engaged in a ‘renaissance’ of education reform. More than 30 states last year passed some form of comprehensive education reform legislation. States across the nation are addressing antiquated labor practices, improving student access to technology, engaging in system redesign, adopting clear and high academic standards, and developing data systems that support targeted student interventions and improved program evaluation.” – Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna

Restoring State and Local Control over School Accountability

Parents, teachers, and state and local leaders are more suited to address students' needs than a one-size-fits-all accountability system developed by Washington bureaucrats. The Student Success Act will call on each state to implement its own accountability system that considers the challenges and opportunities facing local schools and more accurately measures student achievement.

“States ought to be trusted completely. That’s what the premise of the country is… The level of accountability and the immediacy of response is far quicker, greater, and more meaningful when we move authority away from Washington and back to the neighborhood.” – Colorado State Board of Education Chairman Bob Schaffer

Shrinking the Federal Footprint

Rather than continuing to force states to adopt policies that reflect the priorities of Washington bureaucrats, the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act will give control back to the state and local education officials who best understand the unique needs of their students.

“The Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act represent a strong step in the right direction…because they re-center the balance of federal involvement in education, returning leadership to education stakeholders at the state and local level… We strongly support the efforts of these bills to balance the proper role of the federal government in education.” – Hampton School District Superintendent Jimmy Cunningham

Improving Teacher Effectiveness

Instead of placing excessive emphasis on credentials and tenure, the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act will direct states and school districts to develop and implement their own teacher evaluation systems based on student learning.

“Understanding the difference between good teaching and great teaching is what inspires me to support the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act. Like any other parent, I want nothing less for my own three children thnt I would give to any of my students and this effective instruction provided to them by a teacher who has been proven to get results while at the same time creating a positive learning environment.” – Otero Elementary School Teacher Felicia Kazmier

To read witness testimony, opening statements, or watch an archived webcast of today’s hearing, visit www.edworkforce.house.gov/hearings.

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Kline Statement: Hearing on H.R. 3989, the Student Success Act and H.R. 3990, the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Last January, we began a discussion on the importance of rewriting elementary and secondary education law. We acknowledged No Child Left Behind’s shortcomings, and convened a series of hearings in which dozens of witnesses described the challenges facing our nation’s education system. We discussed the overly prescriptive accountability system that has labeled half our schools as failures, explored the inadequacies of federal teacher policies, and examined the regulatory burdens confronting states and school districts.

Through these conversations, we have forged areas of agreement among members on both sides of the aisle. We can all see the value of parental engagement and support the development of more high quality charter schools. We also agree student progress should be a larger factor in teacher evaluations, and we support the continued use of disaggregated data to help protect vulnerable student populations and ensure all students have access to quality education opportunities.

No one said rewriting a law as influential as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would be easy. Just as we found common ground, we also unearthed differences. All members share the desire to see our schools improve and have negotiated in good faith. Education reform is an issue that will shape future generations, and we cannot afford to let the conversation stall. For the sake of our children, we must continue working toward a consensus.

We are here today to discuss the merits of two proposals, the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act, which I believe present a new way forward for K-12 education. These proposals build upon the progress made under No Child Left Behind, while also offering thoughtful solutions to address its shortfalls. However, this is a legislative hearing, and as such, I expect and welcome a robust debate on ways the policies in these bills could be modified to better meet our shared goal of empowering students to achieve their full potential.

The Student Success Act will restore each state’s authority and responsibility to meet the needs of its students and schools. Instead of a one-size-fits-all federal accountability system, our bill directs each state to develop its own system that takes into account the unique needs of students and communities, with the flexibility to use multiple measures of student achievement. Each state will also implement its own methods for identifying low-performing schools and implementing successful strategies for turning failing schools around.

Most notably, the legislation recognizes the need to preserve a high bar for student success. The bill maintains important requirements that states and school districts continue to make and meet high benchmarks for student learning. States must administer annual reading and math assessments and report the results disaggregated by student population, providing parents important information about their child’s school.

The second bill we will discuss today, the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act, consolidates several federal teacher programs into a flexible grant state and local leaders can use to fund programs that work. It also empowers states to develop their own teacher evaluation systems based on student learning and supports creative approaches, such as performance pay and alternative paths to certification, which will help recruit and keep the most effective educators in our schools.

The provisions included in the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act reflect the input we have received from parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, and others in the education community. Additionally, these proposals strike a more appropriate balance between the need for a limited federal role to ensure transparency and the demand for state and local control.

Unlike the administration’s plan to offer temporary waivers that keep schools tied to a failing law, the proposals before us today take a step closer to enacting lasting education reforms that will raise the bar for student achievement and improve the classroom experience for children nationwide.

I have no doubt there will be differences of opinion today. However, I look forward to getting feedback from our excellent panel of witnesses, stakeholders in the education community, and from my colleagues on either side of the aisle.

# # #

"A Culture of Favoritism: The Obama Administration's Labor Agenda"

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:37:30 GMT

"Strengthening the Economy and Improving the Lives of American Workers"

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:40:46 GMT

http://edwork.edgeboss.net/wmedia/edwork/fc/fc020310.wvx

H.R. 4247, "Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act"

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:29:36 GMT

"Reducing the Growing Backlog of Contested Mine Safety Cases"

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:38:23 GMT

http://edwork.edgeboss.net/wmedia/edwork/fc/fc022310.wvx

H.R. 4330, "All Students Achieving through Reform Act of 2009"

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:33:39 GMT

"Improving Children's Health: Strengthening Federal Child Nutrition Programs"

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:28:50 GMT

"Building a Stronger Economy: Spurring Reform and Innovation in American Education"

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:25:52 GMT

http://edwork.edgeboss.net/wmedia/edwork/fc/fc020310.wvx

H.R. 413, "Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009"

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:22:55 GMT

http://edwork.edgeboss.net/wmedia/edwork/help/help031010.wvx

"Meeting the Challenges Faced by Girls in the Juvenile Justice System"

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:20:46 GMT

http://edwork.edgeboss.net/wmedia/edwork/hfc/hfc031110.wvx

"Protecting America's Workers Act: Modernizing OSHA Penalties"

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:13:16 GMT

http://edwork.edgeboss.net/wmedia/edwork/wp/wp031610.wvx