After years of congressional delay and executive overreach, Congress is finally replacing No Child Left Behind. But more importantly, we are replacing the old approach to education with a new approach that will help every child in every school receive an excellent education. For more than a decade, Washington has been micromanaging our classrooms. Federal rules now dictate how states and local com... Read more »
Retirement security is something many Americans work hard to achieve, but doing so can be very challenging. While many individuals understand the need to plan for retirement, they don’t necessarily know the best way to do so. That’s why many workers rely on financial advisors to help them build a foundation for a secure retirement. And why too many others simply retire without the resources they n... Read more »
I want to thank our colleagues for being here today. It’s not every day that the House and Senate come together in a formal conference committee to address an important issue facing our country. The fact that we are here reflects a commitment to follow regular order where members on both sides of the aisle – and on both sides of the Capitol – can participate in an open legislative process and help... Read more »
We all know the current federal financial aid system is broken. National student loan debt is at an all-time high, and a complex patchwork of grant, loan, and repayment programs has become so difficult to navigate that it often discourages individuals from pursuing a higher education. Students, families, and taxpayers deserve better. That’s why simplifying and improving student aid remains a leadi... Read more »
Today, I rise to recognize the inaugural observance of National Apprenticeship Week. Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of apprenticeship programs are helping to prepare workers for today’s high-skilled, in-demand jobs. For far too long, there has been a discrepancy in what students are learning in the classroom and what employers say they need in the workplace. Apprenticeships are ke... Read more »
Today, the committee will consider H.R. 3459, the Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act. The legislation rolls back a partisan decision by the National Labor Relations Board that will upend small businesses across the country. The White House recently hosted a summit on amplifying the voice of workers in our nation’s workplaces. We noted it was an interesting idea for an administration that ha... Read more »
Young adults are entering a job market today that is vastly different from the one that existed a generation ago. Technological advances and the growth of a global economy have significantly changed the kinds of jobs available and the skills required to do them, making quality education and training vital ingredients to success in today’s workplaces. This new reality has been painfully evident in ... Read more »
I rise today in strong support of H.R. 10, the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act, a bill to continue the popular and successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is based on a simple notion: that every child deserves an excellent education – regardless of a family’s background, income, or zip code. The program provides scholar... Read more »
Each day men and women across the country work hard to earn a living and provide for their families. They deserve the security and peace of mind that come from knowing their workplaces are safe and effective policies are in place to protect them. That’s true whether an individual works at a desk, behind a counter, or in a mine. Two weeks ago, we discussed the important role the Occupational Safety... Read more »
Some may be wondering why the Education and the Workforce Committee is holding a hearing on an issue that might otherwise fall under the Judiciary Committee’s purview. After all, the words “crime,” “court,” “judge,” and “jail” are not terms we frequently hear in this committee. So why are we here today? Because keeping our communities safe and supporting at-risk youth requires more than an adjudic... Read more »
