Today’s hearing represents the next step in a long process to strengthen the retirement security of America’s workers by reforming the multiemployer pension system. This effort began more than three years ago for a simple reason: A pension crisis threatened the well-being of countless workers, employers, and retirees, as well as American taxpayers. Without congressional action, this crisis would h... Read more »
Today’s hearing is timely for two important reasons. First, in just a few days, our nation will observe Workers Memorial Day, a time to remember the men and women who have been injured or killed at work. It is also a time to reaffirm our commitment to tough, responsible policies that will help protect the health and safety of America’s workers. And secondly, just a few weeks ago, the people of Mon... Read more »
Nearly a century ago, the federal government made a promise to deliver to Native American children a quality education that preserves their customs and culture. Under the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education, the federal government is expected to support the education of more than 40,000 students through approximately 185 elementary and secondary schools located on or near Indian re... Read more »
Healthy meals are vitally important to a child’s education. It’s just basic commonsense that if a child is hungry then he or she is less likely to succeed in the classroom and later in life. That is why our nation has long invested in services that provide low-income students nutritious meals in schools. Those services are authorized through a number of laws, such as the Richard B. Russell Nationa... Read more »
As a practicing physician for more than 30 years, I experienced first-hand the marvels of the U.S. health care system and how it has helped improve the lives of countless individuals. But I also saw the challenges of our health care system, one that is too bureaucratic, too costly, and leaves too many Americans without the coverage they need to care for themselves and their loved ones. Health care... Read more »
Today, the subcommittee will examine a number of legislative proposals intended to provide greater transparency and accountability to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I’d like to thank our witnesses for joining us. We have a distinguished panel to help us look at a number of complex and important issues. All workers deserve strong protections against employment discrimination. Toward t... Read more »
In just a few short weeks, a regulatory scheme that many Americans never heard of will become a reality in almost every private workplace across the country. Today, workers and employers rely on a fair process for union elections. Under the current process, employers have time to raise concerns, and more importantly, time to speak with their employees about union representation. Under the current ... Read more »
The American people have been through a lot since the recession began more than seven years ago. Millions of jobs destroyed. Household incomes plummeted. Hard-earned savings wiped out. Hopes and dreams shattered. We all welcome the progress seen in recent months, but make no mistake, we still have a long way to go before every American is able to get back on a path to a lifetime of success. Right ... Read more »
Today, too many Americans struggle to realize the dream of higher education. Our current system is unaffordable, inflexible, and outdated, and has resulted in too many students unable to complete college, saddled with loan debt, and ill-equipped to compete in our modern economy. In recent years, more federal regulations, a lack of transparency, and a dizzying maze of student aid programs have only... Read more »
We are here today to discuss House Joint Resolution 29, which provides for Congressional disapproval under the Congressional Review Act of the National Labor Relations Board’s recently released rule that would drastically affect long-standing policies governing union elections. For those members who served on the committee in previous congresses, our discussion today may elicit a dreadful sense of... Read more »