Six months ago, under the leadership of Mr. Andrews, this subcommittee examined an independent audit of the Department of Labor’s financial records. It was our first look at the department’s new financial management system, a system implemented at great cost to taxpayers with the understanding it would improve the department’s ability to track the money it spends. At the time, a number of challeng... Read more »
Today we will review the important role charter schools play in the nation’s education system. As you may know, charter schools are public schools created through a contract with state agencies or local school districts. The contract affords the school more flexibility to meet the unique education needs of students, and in exchange for this freedom, charter schools are held accountable to parents ... Read more »
Today we will examine the role of the National Labor Relations Board in corporate campaigns. I realize this is a general definition of the term, but a corporate campaign is a union effort to disrupt an employer’s routine business. The campaign can take the form of negative advertising, complaints filed against employers with various government agencies, and can even include appeals to political an... Read more »
Statistics illustrate the urgent need to fix what’s broken in our nation’s education system. Roughly two-thirds of eighth graders lack basic reading and math skills. Only 70 percent of students graduate high school. Meanwhile, federal education spending is at an all-time high. Clearly, it’s not how much we spend on education, but how we spend it. And right now, far too many of those federal educat... Read more »
The bill before us today, the Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act, introduced by my colleague Mr. Hunter, is the first in a series of reform bills geared toward streamlining and simplifying the federal role in education. It is an important first step that will help reduce the federal government’s footprint in K-12 classrooms and ensure taxpayer dollars aren’t wasted on unnecessary, in... Read more »
Today, we will examine the costs associated with the recent reauthorization of federal child nutrition programs. We typically think of costs in terms of dollars and cents. However, as is often the case with federal laws and regulations, there is an additional cost that can’t be measured by any agency, bureaucrat, or budget office. When it comes to the nation’s schools, that additional cost comes i... Read more »
Today I will introduce the Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act, the first in a series of proposals to reform education in America. There’s an urgent need to fix what’s broken in our nation’s education system. Roughly two-thirds of eighth graders lack basic reading and math skills. Only 70 percent of students graduate high school. Meanwhile, federal education spending is at an all-time... Read more »
It has been nearly 100 years since the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. The law establishes a program for federal workers to receive compensation for lost wages, medical care, and rehabilitation services resulting from an injury or illness incurred in a work-related activity. In the event of a death from a work-related injury or illness, survivor... Read more »
Good morning, and welcome to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. I’d like to thank our witnesses for joining us today. We look forward to your testimony. Today’s hearing will review ways we can make federal job training programs more efficient and effective. Such programs are critical to fostering a competitive workforce and assisting unemployed citizens. However, serious ... Read more »
Good morning and welcome Madam Secretary. I believe this is your first appearance before the committee, and we certainly appreciate the opportunity to meet with you today. I realize your time is valuable and we only have a small window to discuss a wide range of topics. I will keep my opening remarks brief to help ensure all members have ample opportunity to discuss with you the department’s polic... Read more »
