In 2009, President Obama promised that once his health care bill became law “all of the overheated rhetoric over reform [would] finally confront the reality of reform.” Of all the president’s promises about the health care law, this one has come true. A new report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) highlights the grim reality of ObamaCare. According to the nonpartisan analysis, the president... Read more »
It’s no secret Big Labor strongly supported the president’s government takeover of health care. Back in 2010, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said unions would do "everything we can" to gin up congressional support for the president’s health care law. Nearly three years after ObamaCare became law, union leaders seem to be second-guessing their fervent support for the government takeover of health... Read more »
State and local school choice initiatives continue to boost academic achievement and strengthen the nation’s education system. In honor of National School Choice Week (January 27 – February 2), the House Education and the Workforce Committee compiled the following facts on a variety of innovative programs and policies that are expanding choice and options in education: FACT #1: Demand and support ... Read more »
Dear Secretary Geithner, Secretary Solis, and Secretary Sebelius: We write to request information concerning the administration’s implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Specifically, we request clarification concerning how an employer determines the average number of hours worked per week under PPACA. Sections 1513 and 10106 of PPACA create new tax penalties, be... Read more »
Dear Secretary Solis: Thank you for taking the time on October 17, 2012 to discuss the committee’s ongoing oversight of the Department of Labor. As we discussed, I am concerned by the department’s pattern of untimely and inadequate response to the committee’s oversight requests. In many cases, the department’s lack of response has obstructed the committee’s constitutional authority to oversee the... Read more »
We have to get past this whole situation where we manufacture crises because of politics. That actually leads to less certainty, more conflict, and we can't all focus on coming together to grow. – President Barack Obama, 12/10/12 If the president followed his own advice, there would be less confusion over Michigan’s effort to strengthen workers rights. Leaders in the Wolverine State have approved... Read more »
Late last week, the Obama administration’s Department on Health and Human Services (HHS) quietly informed a Wisconsin newspaper that it would not announce the results of the Head Start re-competition process this year. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Grants were expected to be awarded in November or December, but Kenneth Wolfe, a spokesman for the Administration for Children and Famil... Read more »
Dear Chairman Pearce and Acting General Counsel Solomon: On November 19, in response to my inquiry, the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) Office of Inspector General (IG) issued a memorandum, attached, stating that “certain statements in e-mail messages from personnel in the Division of Advice and Region 19 infringed upon the statutory prohibitions regarding ex parte communications to Board... Read more »
Dear Mr. Dodaro: On March 27, 2012, we requested the Government Accountability Office examine the U.S. Department of Education’s oversight into the Direct Loan rehabilitation process for defaulted borrowers. Since that time, we have received numerous troubling complaints from borrowers whose financial information and payments were lost by the department, who were put into forbearance without bein... Read more »
Dear Mr. Dodaro: In December 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was signed into law, enacting the most comprehensive changes to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in more than 15 years. Among the most significant change was a requirement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) update nutrition standards for school meal programs. These new requirements, which recently went into e... Read more »
