Allow me to begin today’s hearing by welcoming Secretary Solis to the committee. The secretary isn’t a stranger to Congress or this Committee. I appreciate the time you have taken to be with us today and look forward to your testimony. The Department of Labor is an agency whose size and mission have expanded dramatically in recent years. Today, it administers more than 180 federal laws affecting 1... Read more »
Allow me to welcome my colleagues and our guests to our first hearing of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. This subcommittee oversees a number of federal policies and programs that reach into America’s workplaces. The decisions we make in this subcommittee touch upon the lives of countless workers, employers, and their families. I look forward to working with my colleague Lynn Woolsey, th... Read more »
Allow me to take a moment to welcome my colleagues to our first subcommittee hearing of the 112th Congress. This subcommittee covers a broad range of programs and policies that have a direct impact on the lives of millions of workers and their families. There are a number of challenges facing the American workforce, including high unemployment and rising health care costs. Both will be at the fore... Read more »
Today’s effort is driven by a simple goal: to ensure every area of the federal government is dedicated to job creation. If we are to get the nation back to work, we all must work together to remove barriers to economic growth and prosperity. Every job matters, and every effort to help create a new job matters. The American people have demonstrated a relentless determination to make the difficult c... Read more »
There are few issues more important to the strength of the nation’s economy than education. In most cases, an individual's success in the workforce depends upon his or her success in the classroom. Each month the national unemployment data reflect this reality. While today 9 percent of the workforce is unemployed, 14.2 percent of adults without a high school diploma are looking for a job. The numb... Read more »
Today’s hearing is the first opportunity for this committee to take a close look at the consequences of the health care reform bill that was signed into law last year. It has been less than a year and already this 2,700 page law has led to more than 4,000 pages in new government regulations. A proposal designed to reduce health care costs will instead increase national health care spending by $311... Read more »
Good afternoon and welcome to our first hearing of the 112th Congress. I appreciate the time our witnesses have spared to be with us today. Whether you are a governor, a small manufacturer, or an economist, your time is valuable and we are grateful for your participation today. It is no secret the American workforce faces significant challenges. For 20 consecutive months unemployment has remained ... Read more »
While adoption of the committee oversight plan is a routine procedure, it is one that is important to the business the committee will conduct over the next two years. Oversight helps to ensure the work we do is well informed and that Congress properly performs its responsibility of providing a check on the power of our co-equal branches of government. Our oversight efforts will reflect the reality... Read more »
Good morning. Let me begin by welcoming the Members of the Committee, staff, and guests to our first meeting of the 112th Congress. There are many new faces in the room, and with those new faces comes a new degree of eagerness and excitement to get to work. I also am pleased to welcome back a number of members who bring invaluable experience from their years of distinguished service. There is an o... Read more »
For 20 consecutive months more than 14 million Americans have been unemployed. As much as we would like to solve this problem, the federal government cannot legislate or regulate our way to job creation. We can, however, foster economic certainty that will encourage families, businesses, and entrepreneurs to spend, hire, and invest. And that is what we will try to do today. Almost one year ago Dem... Read more »
