For decades, there has been a uniform set of federal policies governing employer-provided retirement plans to ensure clear rules of the road for employers to follow and strong protections for America’s workers and retirees. Read more »
THE PROBLEM For years, one-size-fits-all federal policies made it difficult for state and local leaders to provide their students with a high-quality education. Under the Obama administration, the federal government’s control over K-12 education only got worse. Through waivers and pet projects, the Obama Department of Education increased the federal role in America’s classrooms, micromanaging dec... Read more »
We recently shared real-world stories of how ObamaCare is hurting people across the country. These stories aren't anything new. For six years, men and women have spoken out about the harmful consequences of the failed health care law. ObamaCare has been particularly challenging for small business owners, who are forced to provide government-approved health insurance whether they can afford to or n... Read more »
Retirement security is a difficult challenge facing millions of Americans. Unfortunately, misguided regulatory policies often make matters worse. The latest example is the Department of Labor’s flawed "fiduciary" rule. For years, many warned this rule would hurt the very people it’s intended to help. In fact, Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) cautioned over a year ago: Make no mistake, if this rule goes into e... Read more »
Well, this is very interesting. A federal judge recently blocked enforcement of the Obama administration’s fatally flawed blacklisting rule. At the time, Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, said: The administration has spent significant time and taxpayer resources concocting this regulatory scheme, when they should have been focused on enforcing existing ... Read more »
It’s only been a month since the Obama administration finalized a flawed and redundant blacklisting rule. Republicans have repeatedly raised concerns that this executive overreach would strip employers of due process rights and make the current system—which is designed to protect workers—unworkable. At a hearing on the rule last year, Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL) stated: This executive order represen... Read more »
We already knew the partisan bureaucrats at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have an alarming appetite for pushing a culture of union favoritism and sticking workers and small businesses with the bill. But who knew taxpayers were picking up the tab for the agency’s expensive taste in snacks? An audit released by the NLRB Inspector General reveals the agency has spent thousands of dollars ... Read more »
BACKGROUND The Fair Labor Standards Act establishes important protections for America’s workers. For example, certain workers are entitled to overtime pay, which is defined as time-and-one-half the employees’ regular rate of pay for hours worked in excess of 40 hours a week. Workers who are exempt from overtime must be paid above a minimum salary threshold and perform certain duties. However, des... Read more »
The Obama administration has always had a “we-know-best” mentality when it comes to K-12 education. The Department of Education has spent years unilaterally dictating education policy through pet projects and conditional waivers. Last year, former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan boasted that the department’s lawyers are “much smarter than many of the folks” working in the United States Congress... Read more »
BACKGROUND To promote safe and healthy communities, the federal government has long supported state efforts to set at-risk youth and juvenile offenders on the pathway to success. Helping children reject a life of crime requires more than an adjudication system and a detention facility. It requires a collaborative effort among parents, teachers, and community members to prevent criminal behavior a... Read more »