The Department of Labor today reported nearly 13 million Americans are still unemployed, indicating our nation’s outdated workforce development system is failing to provide the training and assistance job seekers need. The problems in the system haven’t gone unnoticed. A Wall Street Journal editorial recently noted "a federal job training program that puts people back to work is hard to find." Eve... Read more »
Dear Secretary Solis: As Chairman of the committee of primary jurisdicition over the U.S. Department of Labor, I respectfully request information concerning the modification of policies concerning the dissemination of economic data to the news media and the public. On April 10, 2012, DOL issued a statement outlining new policies and procedures concerning "press lock-ups" and the transmission of e... Read more »
The nation’s debt is fast approaching $16 trillion and experts warn the country is on the brink of a crisis. While the White House tries in vain to deny its own fiscal recklessness, House Republicans are moving forward with responsible solutions to root out government waste and better protect taxpayers. As part of that effort, Republican leaders on the House Education and the Workforce Committee h... Read more »
This week, the Obama National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) suffered yet another defeat in federal court. On Monday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg – appointed to the federal bench last year by President Obama – rejected the board’s recent ambush election rule. During the final days of 2011, the Obama labor board jammed through the regulatory process sweeping changes to long-standing rules gove... Read more »
Dear Assistant Secretary Main: I respectfully request information and documents relating to the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) injury and illness rates for MSHA personnel. The safety and health of MSHA personnel, as well as all workers, is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, MSHA’s injury and illness rate is alarmingly high, raising serious concerns about... Read more »
The Department of Labor this week announced nearly 4 million jobs remained vacant in March - roughly 172,000 more than were reported in February. The latest numbers confirm employers are ready to hire but struggle to find skilled workers. Echoing news reports from across the country, the Wall Street Journal states: Economists and academics say the rise in job openings at a time when unemployment r... Read more »
According to the most recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 12.6 million Americans are searching for work, yet 3.5 million jobs remain unfilled. The math doesn’t add up. A closer look at the nation’s workforce reveals an underlying problem: Employers have job openings, but they cannot find enough skilled workers. News reports confirm this phenomenon. In Pennsylvania, the skills g... Read more »
The House is scheduled to vote today on the Interest Rate Reduction Act (H.R. 4682), legislation sponsored by Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) that will roll back wasteful ObamaCare spending to pay for a one year extension of the current interest rate on subsidized Stafford Loans made to undergraduate students. The president has visited various battleground states urging Congress to prevent an interest ra... Read more »
I respectfully request information and documents relating to the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) efforts to stop advanced notice of a mine inspection. Under the Mine Act, “any person who gives advance notice of any inspection to be conducted under [the Mine Safety Act] shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for ... Read more »
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will testify before the House Education and the Workforce Committee today on President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal. While the committee will examine a number of social services programs administered by HHS, members will also have an opportunity to address their continuing concerns about the 2010 government takeover of health ... Read more »
