Whistleblower protections are a longstanding part of our federal safety and health laws. Simply put, they protect workers’ ability to speak freely about dangers in the workplace. They allow working men and women to protect themselves and their coworkers. The ultimate goal of our worker safety laws should be that no worker ever needs to blow the whistle. We need a culture of safety in our workplace... Read more »
I rise today to honor the memory of the 29 miners who lost their lives in the Upper Big Branch mine and to express our gratitude to the rescue teams who bravely pursued a tragic recovery mission. The nation watched in collective apprehension last week as mine rescue teams rushed from the coal fields of Appalachia to the small town of Whitesville to help their own. For a week, we all clung to the h... Read more »
Mr. Speaker, it has been suggested that today’s action will be the final word on the health care debate that has consumed the attention of Washington for more than a year. I would suggest, instead, that much remains to be said – and seen. The ink is hardly dry on the Democrats’ government takeover of health care but already we are seeing its devastating real-life consequences. We discovered a loop... Read more »
I came to Congress seven years ago to do my part to make this country better. Every vote I cast and every policy I help shape must be judged by whether it achieves what my constituents sent me here to accomplish. As each member of this, the people’s House prepares to vote ‘yay’ or ‘nay,’ we should all take a moment to remind ourselves of why we are here. Our job is to ensure American employers hav... Read more »
Let me begin by stating unequivocally that the incidents uncovered by the GAO are unacceptable. No child should be put in physical danger by the use of seclusion or restraints in school. In each of the cases reviewed by the GAO, there was a criminal conviction, a finding of civil or administrative liability, or a large financial settlement – in other words, everyone agrees that what happened is si... 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 »
Government takeover. We’ve seen and heard a lot of those two words lately – in the credit markets, the banking sector, the automotive industry, and even the building of our schools. Then there’s health care, an industry that assumes one-sixth of America’s gross domestic product. We’re not talking about health care today, but perhaps we should be. The vote we’ll take on student lending is the culmi... Read more »
Mr. Chair, there is a trend here that troubles me. Over the past few months, the federal government has stepped in to take control of more and more industries in America. So far, these have included: the banking industry … the auto industry … and the credit industry. And there’s talk of the federal government becoming even more involved in other areas, too. These include the health care industry …... Read more »
This bill is largely the same as the GIVE Act, a bipartisan bill that this chamber passed overwhelmingly two weeks ago. The other chamber took up our version of the bill and made a few minor changes – including some that significantly improve the bill. I would like to address a few of the key Republican provisions that were in the House bill and still remain in this bill. Additionally, I will disc... Read more »
Neighbors helping neighbors. This happens countless times every day across America: A college student teaching English to immigrants. A Boy Scout troop collecting canned food for the hungry. Families taking in neighbors who have lost their homes to a tornado, fire or flood. Mr. Chair, the bill before us today, aptly named the GIVE Act, encourages the selfless actions I just described by updating d... Read more »
