By Rep. Todd Rokita One of the great Indiana success stories of the past decade is what we’ve accomplished in the area of education reform. I am always proud to tell the story of our state’s success in Washington, D.C., and now, as I begin my service as chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, Indiana is poised to play a major role in shapin... Read more »
Gallup: Health costs are No. 1 concern for small businesses Small businesses say healthcare costs are the No. 1 factor hurting their operating environment, according to a new Gallup poll. Fifty-four percent of small businesses said healthcare costs are hurting the business environment "a lot" — making the it the No. 1 impediment identified by business owners. Taxes on small businesses came in jus... Read more »
One hallmark of the Obama Presidency is its habit of running roughshod over Congressional prerogatives. A test of that arrogation of power comes Wednesday when the Administration has to defend its imperial treatment of recess appointments in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. We have long supported such appointments as long as they are made when Congress is genuinely in recess. Yet in January Mr.... Read more »
Each year, the federal government spends more than seven billion dollars on Head Start, a program designed to help low-income children prepare for success in school and in life. In an effort to ensure the program is working for families and taxpayers, congressional leaders in the House and Senate have attempted for months to obtain information on Head Start's effectiveness and implementation. How... Read more »
Reports continue to reveal new school lunch requirements are leaving students hungry, increasing food waste, and running up costs for schools nationwide. According to a school food services director from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, "Participation is down, and the feedback we are getting is that [students are] not getting enough to eat. I like the regulations, but the one-size-fits-all doesn’t real... Read more »
A group of House Republicans are sharply questioning a lengthy delay by the Obama administration this year in producing a mandatory report that details the government’s regulatory agenda and what impact it will have on businesses and the economy. “For some reason, they’re just not telling us — the American people, businesses, Congress — what’s on the agenda, what’s coming up,” said House Educatio... Read more »
The Democrat-led Senate continues to block action on more than 30 House-passed jobs bills. One of the commonsense proposals stuck in the Senate’s stack of unfinished business is the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act (H.R. 3094). This important legislation would rein in the National Labor Relations Board by reinstating a decades-old standard for determining which employees will vote in union el... Read more »
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved with bipartisan support legislation to block the Obama administration’s unlawful attempt to waive the work requirements of the 1996 welfare reform law. During debate on H.J.Res. 118, Education and the Workforce Committee Republicans addressed the urgent need to preserve successful welfare reforms and reject President Obama’s latest executive ... Read more »
CRS report: number of able-bodied adults on food stamps doubled after Obama suspended work requirement Obama administration officials have insisted that their decision to grant states waivers to redefine work requirements for welfare recipients would not “gut” the landmark 1996 welfare reform law. But a new report from the Congressional Research Service obtained by the Washington Examiner suggest... Read more »
President Barack Obama last month signed an executive order promising to "improve outcomes and advance educational opportunities for African Americans." The order instructs federal agencies to "promote, encourage, and undertake efforts" to increase "college access, college persistence and college attainment for African American students." Unfortunately, his administration remains opposed to the O... Read more »
