Thank you Chairman Miller, and let me begin by welcoming our distinguished panel of witnesses. We’re here this morning to talk about proposals to expand access to high-quality charter schools – a cause we’ve long embraced on this side of the aisle, and one that is drawing increasing support on the other side. The nation’s first charter school law was passed almost 20 years ago. Since that time, ch... Read more »
Thank you Chairman Miller, and good morning. As lawmakers, we like to try and solve problems. There’s a tendency to believe that whatever challenges we face, the answer lies with more federal funding or additional rules and regulations. Yet we know it is a mistake to legislate a solution without fully understanding the challenge. And so, before we talk about reducing the backlog of contested mine ... Read more »
Before we begin, I want to recognize Chairman Miller and Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers for their hard work on this issue. Every member of this committee was disturbed by the findings of the Government Accountability Office, and every one of us believes our schools must provide a safe environment for both students and teachers. This morning, our goal is to find the best path toward our shared goal... Read more »
Let me begin by welcoming Secretary Solis to the committee for her first appearance since being sworn in as the U.S. Secretary of Labor a little less than a year ago. With our nation facing ongoing job losses and widespread workplace uncertainty, your presence is certainly timely, Madam Secretary. Last week, President Obama was quite clear in declaring his Administration’s commitment to American w... Read more »
Good morning, and thank you to everyone for joining us for a look at the culture of favoritism in the Obama Administration’s labor agenda. I want to extend a special thank you to our witnesses for their participation today. I look forward to your testimony as well as the opportunity to hear your opinions and assessment of the Obama Administration’s labor agenda and what Congress should be doing to... Read more »
We’re here today to take a closer look at the Common Core State Standards Initiative and how coordinated efforts to strengthen academic standards can enhance American competitiveness. The Common Core Initiative is being developed through the joint leadership of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The goal of the initiative is... Read more »
Good morning and thank you, Chairman Andrews. I would like to begin by thanking our two distinguished panels for appearing today. We appreciate that they have taken time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences and expertise with us. Today’s hearing marks an opportunity to examine the impact of Delphi Corporation’s bankruptcy on its workers and retirees. I look forward to hearing in ... Read more »
Good Morning. I would like to thank Chairman Kildee for holding today's hearing. I am pleased the Committee is examining current federal literacy initiatives and ways to improve the reading comprehension skills of all children from birth through high school. Today, 14 percent of Americans over the age of 16 - about 30 million people - have trouble with basic reading and writing skills and cannot r... Read more »
Our topic today is a timely one, with employers, workers, and their families facing the uncertainty of a widespread influenza outbreak with wide ranging effects. Unfortunately, the uncertainty I mentioned is pervasive. Even the scope of the outbreak is unknown. The Washington Post reported on Friday that “total H1N1 cases in the United States range from 14 million to 34 million, and total deaths r... Read more »
Thank you Madame Speaker – where do I begin? We have before us over 2,000 pages of legislative text that continues to be amended with additional changes none of us have had much of any chance to review. I cannot even begin to convey to you what’s wrong with this bill in the short time available. But let me share just a few of my concerns. A price tag of $1.3 trillion … and counting $730 billion in... Read more »
