Despite an increase in hiring last month, our nation is still experiencing a jobs crisis. Twelve million Americans are searching for work. Nearly five million of these unemployed workers have been without a job for six months or longer. For many Americans, the hope of a new job grows more desperate the longer they are unemployed. Jack Walerius has not had full-time work for more than three years a... Read more »
The bill before us will take a small yet important step toward greater efficiency in federal construction contracting. For more than eighty years, federal contractors have been required to pay workers the ‘locally prevailing wage.’ Additionally, since 1961 those same workers have been entitled to one and a half times their basic rate of pay for every hour worked that exceeds 40 hours per week. Whi... Read more »
I rise today in strong support of H.J.Res. 118, a resolution disapproving the Obama administration’s attempt to roll back successful welfare reforms. The resolution we are considering today is quite simple. It preserves bipartisan policies that serve low-income families, and reins in this latest example of executive overreach by the Obama administration. In 1996, a Republican Congress worked with ... Read more »
I want to first thank my colleague from Iowa, Congressman Tom Latham, for introducing this important legislation. Representative Latham is a long-time advocate for farmers and his leadership in Congress is greatly appreciated. According to a report on MLive.com, a news site from my home state of Michigan, parts of the country are experiencing the worst drought in more than twenty years. Jim Spink,... Read more »
On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to the American people. In a sharply divided opinion, the court upheld the president’s decision to tax individuals who don’t purchase government-approved health insurance. If Washington can dictate that private citizens must buy health insurance and impose higher taxes when they fail to do so, it is difficult to conceive of any limit on f... Read more »
Today’s debate on the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act affords us a valuable opportunity to discuss challenges facing our higher education system. There’s no denying the cost of college is skyrocketing. Last year, tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities increased 8.3 percent, even as inflation rose only by approximately three percent. In recent months, stu... Read more »
The legislation we are considering today is straightforward: It reaffirms workforce protections that have been in place for decades. Across the country, the American people are asking: “How can we get this economy moving again? What will it take to finally put people back to work?” And Washington is responding with a number of answers. Some think we should support more spending, more taxes, and mo... Read more »
For more than 90 years, a workers’ compensation program has provided assistance to federal employees who become injured or ill through a work-related activity. The program reflects our commitment to the men and women who serve our country in the federal government. Established by the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, the program is administered by the Department of Labor. In recent years, it ha... Read more »
The Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act is a commonsense proposal that will prevent the National Labor Relations Board from dictating where an employer can and cannot create work. Upon the date of enactment, this limitation will apply to all cases that have not reached final adjudication by the full board. Now more than ever, the American people are looking for leadership out of Washi... Read more »
The Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act is a key component of our efforts to reform the nation’s education system and ensure more students have access to a quality learning experience. I join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, who have been strong proponents of charter schools for the breadth of opportunities they offer students and parents. These innovative institutions ... Read more »
