It wasn’t long ago the president supported a permanent solution to the student loan interest rate crisis. Here is how the administration described the president’s plan in April of this year: The Administration’s FY 2014 Budget proposes to change the structure of interest rates on Federal student and parent loans to provide market-based rates tied to the 10-year Treasury note with specified basis p... Read more »
THE PROBLEM: The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind, has been due for reauthorization since 2007. Despite its best intentions, there is widespread agreement that the current law is no longer effectively serving students. No Child Left Behind’s ‘Adequate Yearly Progress’ (AYP) metric proves one-size-fits-all federal accountability mandates hamper innova... Read more »
Dear Secretary Lew, Secretary Sebelius, and Acting-Secretary Harris: We write to seek clarification of the Obama administration’s regulatory and enforcement efforts related to stop loss insurance. Specifically, we are concerned the administration may be considering regulating stop loss insurance. Such regulations could limit an employer’s ability to self-insure, making this important option both ... Read more »
Today the Obama administration released a Statement of Administration Policy endorsing a Senate proposal to kick the can down the road on student loan interest rates. The approach now supported by the president would ensure millions of borrowers will face another interest rate cliff in two short years – exacerbating the confusion and uncertainty facing families and students. This is a sharp detour... Read more »
Dear Assistant Secretary Michaels: We strongly support and share the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) commitment to reducing occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Accordingly, any proposed regulations issued by OSHA ultimately must contribute to the goal of safer and healthier workplaces. To that end, we request information regarding OSHA’s work to create a new f... Read more »
Across the country, the American people are still struggling in the slowest economic recovery since the Great Depression. At a time when nearly 12 million are searching for work, the Republican-led House continues to champion a positive agenda that will help spur economic growth and job creation. Republicans recognize that too often misguided government policies make it more difficult for business... Read more »
Tomorrow President Obama will hold an event at the White House to “call on Congress to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1st.” But wait a minute – the House has already taken action, approving legislation that mirrors the president’s own proposal to shift interest rates to a long-term, market-based solution. That’s right – the Smarter Solutions for Students Act is based on ... Read more »
Dear Acting Secretary Harris: In 2011, the committee submitted a comment opposing the Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards' (OLMS) proposed changes to the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) "advice" exception. The committee continues to be concerned about the proposed definition of "advice" under the LMRDA, and its resulting regulatory burdens and negative... Read more »
Dear Secretary Vilsack: As the school year comes to an end, states, school districts, parents, students, the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Congress have now had a fully year to examine the effects of the updated meal pattern standards on the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. After closely monitoring the implementation of the new requirements, we remain concerned about the over... Read more »
Unless a long-term solution is enacted, millions of student loan borrowers will see their interest rates double on July 1, 2013. To prevent this interest rate cliff, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) introduced the Smarter Solutions for Students Act (H.R. 1911). But w... Read more »
