Press Releases

U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) issued the following remarks on President Obama’s $3.8 trillion budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2013:

A Budget of Broken Promises

“Time and again, President Obama has failed to keep his promises to the American people. The president promised to cut the deficit in half, but instead presided over three years of trillion dollar deficits. The president promised hundreds of billions of dollars in ‘stimulus’ spending would keep unemployment below 8 percent, yet unemployment has been above that marker for 36 straight months. And he promised to end the era of partisanship, but turned to the politics of division and envy.

“Despite his failed record, the president has the audacity to put forward yet another budget that spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much. He has introduced a political document for his own short-term gain, demanding more bureaucracy and debt instead of presenting a serious plan that will encourage long-term growth and prosperity.”

Job Training

“The president’s determination to double down on the status quo is apparent in his request for more job training programs. During his State of the Union address, the president acknowledged the need to streamline the bureaucracy in our workforce investment system. It now appears he is retreating from the proposal he announced less than a month ago. While I remain skeptical about this latest plan, Republicans support the goal of modernizing federal job training programs to ensure workers have the resources necessary to compete for jobs. The committee will give the president’s proposal the consideration it deserves.” 

Education

“The administration continues to tighten the federal government’s grip on the nation’s education system, prescribing more intrusion in K-12 classrooms, more burdensome mandates on colleges, more unsustainable costs for taxpayers, and more uncertainty for students of all ages. I am troubled by the president’s plan to expand the Race to the Top program significantly, forcing taxpayers to fund an even larger slush fund operated at the sole discretion of the Secretary of Education. Additionally, the slew of proposed changes to higher education policy raises concerns about price controls and unnecessary confusion in student loan programs. We all want to support better education opportunities for students, but we must also be wary of grand schemes that lead to empty promises.”

Conclusion

“I am confident House Republicans will again advance a budget blueprint that tackles rather than ignores the problems facing our country. Over the last year, the Republican-led House has pursued responsible reforms that address today’s challenges with lasting solutions. Whether in education, job training assistance, or cutting through red tape, House Republicans will continue to offer the positive solutions the American people expect from their elected leaders.”