Committee Statements

Good morning, and welcome to our first field hearing of the 112th Congress. It is good to be here in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania with Representative Barletta. Thank you all for coming, and special thanks to our two panels of witnesses. We appreciate you taking the time to join us today, and we look forward to your testimony. Our nation faces many challenges today. With unemployment still hovering a... Read more »

Thank you, Chairman Kline, for bringing the Committee on Education and the Workforce to Wilkes-Barre and for holding this important hearing today. I always appreciate the opportunity to hear from leading voices in our local community, and I am thrilled that Chairman Kline can share in this experience. The Committee has assembled an extraordinary panel of witnesses from our community’s business and... Read more »

Good morning and welcome to the fourth hearing in our series to examine federal rules and regulations that undermine the strength of our nation’s education system. I’d like to thank our witnesses for joining us today. Your time is valuable and we appreciate the opportunity to hear from you about the impact of the Department of Education’s proposed gainful employment regulation. The Higher Educatio... Read more »

Good morning, welcome to the subcommittee’s first hearing of the 112th Congress. I would like to thank our witnesses for being with us today; we look forward to your testimony. During today’s hearing, we will examine the adverse impact extensive federal regulations and reporting requirements have on teachers, administrators, and students in elementary and secondary schools. Here’s what we know: to... Read more »

We are here this morning to examine burdensome regulations imposed on institutions of higher education and accrediting bodies by the Department of Education. We can all agree today that the United States has the finest higher education system in the world, which draws students from around the globe. But we are also all aware of the strain federal regulations can place on schools. In this era of li... Read more »

Good morning everyone. I want to thank our witnesses for being with us today and for sharing their thoughts and experience on this important subject. The steady rise in cost is a critical challenge facing our nation’s health care system. For many patients, the price of health care is the determining factor when deciding whether to receive the care he or she needs. It also imposes a tremendous burd... Read more »

Good afternoon to our guests and welcome back, Secretary Duncan, to the Education and the Workforce Committee. We realize your time is valuable and we appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today regarding the president’s budget proposal and the current state of education in the nation. Our country is facing a historic fiscal crisis. After years of neglect and mismanagement, our national deb... Read more »

Good morning and welcome to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. During today’s hearing, we will take a close look at some recent regulatory and enforcement actions of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. I wish to thank Secretary Main for the time he has taken to be with us today. Mine safety is a shared goal that continues to develop and improve. In 1969, the Coal Mine Safety and Hea... Read more »

Today’s hearing is the first in a series the committee will convene to examine federal rules and regulations that are undermining the strength of the nation’s education system. Education is critical to fostering a competitive workforce, encouraging a strong economy, and improving the prosperity of future generations. The further a student can advance in his or her education, the more likely he or ... Read more »

In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, President Obama laid out his plan to conduct a comprehensive regulatory review to “remove outdated regulations that stifle job creation and make our economy less competitive.” I have pledged to be a partner in that effort. Job creation and American competitiveness are our top priorities. That is why I am offering an amendment to deny funds from bei... Read more »