Committee Statements

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 »

As the notice announcing our hearing states, we will be reviewing an independent audit of the Labor Department's financial records. This is a department with a roughly $16 billion budget, 30 agencies, and more than 17,000 employees. A great deal of time and resources were invested in this audit and for good reason: addressing the country’s fiscal challenges will not be possible until every dollar ... Read more »

Today nearly every American worker is covered by a system of workers’ compensation. Disability benefits are available in the event of an illness or injury that occurs on the job to help replace lost wages and cover the cost of medical care when an individual is unable to return to work. For many workers and their families, workers’ compensation is a critical lifeline during a very difficult time. ... Read more »

We are here to look at the issue of concussions among high school athletes and the effects of these traumatic brain injuries on a student’s academic achievement. This is the third in a series of hearings examining what policies and practices are in place to protect students from these injuries and help them safely recover when injuries do occur. Across the country children are settling back into c... Read more »

I thank the gentleman for yielding and allowing me to describe what I believe is a far better approach to addressing the tragic explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine and improve the safety of all our nation’s coal miners. Although we all wish it were possible, we cannot go back in time and prevent the Upper Big Branch tragedy. We cannot bring back the 29 miners lost that day, nor the 23 other min... Read more »

The explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch coal mine claimed the lives of 29 workers and forever changed the lives of their families and communities. While progress has been made over the last several decades to improve mine safety, tragedies like the one at the Upper Big Branch mine remind us more work remains. Republicans firmly believe Congress must take responsible action to further mit... Read more »

I would like to begin by thanking our distinguished panel for appearing today. We appreciate that they have taken time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences and expertise with us. This is a critical issue. Some pension plans are experiencing funding shortfalls after the economic downturn, and plan sponsors are trying to find greater returns to meet obligations. However, I am somew... Read more »

I do not believe that as a nation, we should choose between renewing our vital support of child nutrition and our desperate need to get our fiscal house in order. If there is one thing we have learned over the last year, it is that the American people are tired of government growth and spending that leaves a mountain of debt on our children’s doorsteps. The Republican substitute ensures we meet th... Read more »