This is the latest in a series of hearings examining the multiemployer pension system, and each time we have assembled a distinguished panel of witnesses to offer their unique experience and expertise on this very important topic. I am pleased today is no different. I would also note that throughout our oversight of multiemployer pensions, the committee has maintained a spirit of bipartisan cooper... Read more »
Teachers are one of the most influential factors on a student’s academic success. I’m sure I’m not the only one in this room that can remember the teachers who inspired and motivated me as a child. And now that I’m a father of two boys, I am again seeing firsthand the difference an engaging teacher can make on a child’s desire and ability to learn. Over the next few months, we will renew our effor... Read more »
Two months have passed since the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Families across America continue to grieve with the Newtown community. The sorrow we felt on that day remains fresh in our minds and hearts. No one in this room needs me to recount what happened on December 14. Nor do you need a description of what happened in Paducah, Kentucky; Littleton, Colorado; or Blacksburg, Virginia. We ... Read more »
We begin the new Congress addressing a familiar challenge. Over the last two years, the committee has taken a close look at the realities of a broken workforce development system. Just yesterday, North Carolina’s Greensboro News & Record drew attention to the problem of potentially thousands of well-paying manufacturing, construction, engineering, and nursing jobs sitting vacant in my state becaus... Read more »
As part of the Budget Control Act of 2011, President Obama insisted on a process known as sequestration, a series of across the board spending cuts that will impact most defense and domestic programs. Sequestration is not how Washington should conduct the people’s business. It has created even more uncertainty in an already difficult environment. Twice House Republicans have taken action to replac... Read more »
During the 112th Congress, oversight of the National Labor Relations Board was a leading priority for this committee. Whether through hearings, letters, or legislation, we have tried to ensure the rights of workers and their employers are protected. I realize this revealed some deep differences on the committee. However, as members of Congress we are obligated to act whenever an agency may be harm... Read more »
The subject of today’s hearing has become somewhat of a tradition for the Education and the Workforce Committee. It’s important to start a new Congress with a fresh look at the challenges and opportunities confronting America’s schools and workplaces. We’ve been fortunate over the years to have governors and education and business leaders share their views on the issues facing the country, and I a... Read more »
Good morning. I’m pleased to welcome our new and returning members and staff to the first meeting of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. We’re here this morning to approve the committee’s rules, oversight plan, and subcommittee makeup for the 113th Congress. Additionally, this meeting provides an opportunity to outline our goals and priorities for the months ahead. With 12 million ... Read more »
The adoption of the committee oversight plan may be a routine procedure, but it carries great weight. Oversight is an invaluable tool that informs the work of this committee and helps ensure a proper balance of power within the federal government. Additionally, it holds policymakers accountable to the American people. In the 112th Congress, oversight proved critical to our efforts to hold the admi... Read more »
Today’s hearing is our second opportunity in recent months to examine the multiemployer pension system. In June, we discussed broadly the policies governing the system and its structural challenges. Since that hearing, news reports have reminded us of the problems plaguing many pension plans and the need for reforms that will help promote a stronger system. Hostess Brands, an iconic American compa... Read more »
