Thank you Madam Chair. Good morning and welcome to all the witnesses. This morning’s hearing is, in congressional terms, a “legislative hearing” – in other words, it’s a direct examination and review of a particular piece of legislation, in this case the Protecting America’s Workers Act. This bill was introduced in April of last year and, since that time, has undergone some fairly substantial revi... Read more »
Good morning. I would like to welcome you all to our hearing today. As we explore our existing juvenile justice system, it is ever important that we also examine the unique experiences faced by girls who enter the system. Today we will hear from a well-regarded group of witnesses who will be able to provide insight to the challenges and characteristics of female offenders. Although recent studies ... Read more »
Good morning and thank you, Mr. Chairman. 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. Firefighters and public safety officers do a tremendous job protecting our communities. They are on the front lines of emergencies and represent a key component ... Read more »
Thank you Chairman Miller, and thank you Mr. Secretary for joining us. We have an extremely limited amount of time with the Secretary to cover a number of pressing topics, so I will keep my remarks brief. Secretary Duncan came to Washington billed as a reformer, and I believe he has lived up to that reputation. In particular, his willingness to stand up to the unions and the old ways of doing busi... Read more »
Thank you Chairman Miller, and good afternoon. Today we will examine federal child nutrition programs with an eye toward improving children’s health. Childhood obesity rates are a serious concern for parents and families, and they present a challenge to the health of our nation as a whole. What children eat at school certainly plays a role in their overall nutrition, so I welcome this opportunity ... Read more »
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 »
