Dear Mr. Dodaro: On December 3, 2004, President George W. Bush signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-446), which revised and reformed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. The law included several provisions to address the significant administrative and paperwork burden associated with current federal law. Specifically, T... Read more »
At a recent Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on the effects of ObamaCare on the nation’s education system, witnesses highlighted potential new costs and damaging consequences for schools, colleges, teachers, and students. One higher education leader testified the law’s punitive mandates could force his institution to increase tuition by as much as 20 percent. A public school superinte... Read more »
Dear Secretary Sebelius: We respectfully request clarification regarding the Obama administration’s regulatory efforts related to Taft-Hartley health insurance plans (Taft-Hartley plans) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Over the past several months, there have been reports the administration is considering various deals to placate union leaders’ concerns regarding PPACA... Read more »
Each day we learn more about the devastating effects of the presidents health care law. From website glitches and privacy concerns to cancelled health plans and higher premiums, the laws fatal flaws are exceedingly obvious. And the problems in the law arent just hurting families, businesses, and workers theyre also having a detrimental impact on our nations education system. News reports from acro... Read more »
Dear Secretary Sebelius: We understand worker centers have received federal taxpayer grants under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to serve as navigators. Accordingly, we are investigating the funding and activities of worker centers. To further this investigation, we ask you to provide information, documents, and communications relating to PPACA grants awarded to worker cen... Read more »
Dear Secretary Perez: On October 1, the U.S. Department of Labor published a final rule making significant changes to the long-standing minimum wage and overtime exemption for companionship services under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). When this regulation takes effect, on January 1, 2015, it will create a new definition for what constitutes companionship services—limiting the duties and tas... Read more »
THEN: "If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period." President Barack Obama NOW: “Millions of Americans are getting their health insurance cancelled under the Affordable Care Act and the Obama administration has known for about three years that this would happen.” USA Today “More than two million Americans have been told they cannot renew their current i... Read more »
Dear Secretary Duncan: In preparation for the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce has been collecting feedback from the higher education community, students, and their families on ways to strengthen the nation’s postsecondary education system. The responses received have led to several hearings in the Subcommittee on Higher Educ... Read more »
President Obama attempted yesterday to address the “outrageous” rollout of his signature health care law, but his speech missed the mark. Ron Fournier of National Journal told MSNBC viewers the president “diminish[ed] the significance of what’s been happening” and ”doesn’t really take full responsibility.” The Wall Street Journal said of the president’s remarks: “Too bad this infomercial lacked ta... Read more »
Dear Secretary Perez: We respectfully request that you extend the comment period for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica Proposed Rule for 90 days. Eliminating the health risks posed by silica is a goal we all share. To achieve this goal we need we need strong, sensible standards and tough, responsible enforcement. OSHA ... Read more »
