With difficult challenges facing the country, the Education and the Workforce Committee is advancing bold reforms that will help improve the lives of students, vulnerable youth, and working families. With Congress set to adjourn for the August district work period, now is a good time to take a look back at what’s been accomplished this year. Below are some of the things the committee has been working on in 2014.
Strengthening support for victims of youth sex trafficking. Approximately 300,000 children fall victim each year to sex trafficking. While important efforts are underway to serve these vulnerable youth, more must be done to fight these heinous crimes. Under the committee’s leadership, the House passed three bills with overwhelming bipartisan support that improve assistance for these vulnerable youth. The legislative proposals enhance services for runaway and homeless youth and improve the identification and assessment of victims.
Fixing a broken job training system. A new skill can open the door to a new job or career, yet a broken workforce development system is making it harder for job seekers to get back on their feet. After years of delay, Congress passed, and the president signed into law, bipartisan job training reform legislation that streamlines a maze of programs, promotes training for in-demand jobs, and improves accountability. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act protects taxpayers and helps put Americans back to work.
Protecting employee privacy. The Obama National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is advancing a radical proposal that would jeopardize employee privacy by forcing employers to give union organizers a list of employees’ names, home addresses, emails, work shifts, and other personal information. As the H.R. Policy Association notes, this would all be done without employees’ consent. The committee advanced legislation championed by Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) that empowers workers – not union bosses – to take control of their personal information.
Improving America’s higher education system. Many Americans are struggling to realize the dream of a postsecondary education. As Chairman Kline recently said, “The current system is too costly, too bureaucratic, and outdated.” In June, the committee released a white paper outlining key principles that will guide reform of the Higher Education Act, and the House has already taken action to turn these principles into concrete solutions. A series of bipartisan reforms passed by the House will spur innovation, strengthen transparency, and improve financial counseling. These are the first steps in a broader effort to help more students pursue a college degree.
Expanding access to high-quality charter schools. It’s been more than a year since the House passed a bill to reform the nation’s K-12 education system. Unfortunately, the Senate has failed to act, leaving schools trapped under a broken law and the president’s controversial waiver scheme. Following months of Senate inaction, the House passed last May with strong bipartisan support a bill to expand access to high-quality public charter schools. It’s time for the Senate to act and help children receive the excellent education they deserve.
Ensuring fair union elections. As it seeks to undermine employee privacy, the Obama NLRB is also trying to stifle employer free speech and cripple worker free choice. The committee passed commonsense legislation that rolls back the board’s ambush election rule to ensure workers can make an informed decision in a union election. While the bill provides an important opportunity to protect workers and job creators, there is always more work to be done to hold this activist NLRB accountable.
Reforming the multiemployer pension system. The current multiemployer pension system is on an unsustainable path that threatens to destroy jobs and the retirement security of countless families. In recent years, the committee has held half a dozen hearings and engaged key stakeholders to develop a set of reforms. As Chairman Kline noted in May, the committee is actively working “to find common ground and unite behind a responsible legislative solution.”
