Good morning, Secretary Solis. Thank you for being with us today to discuss the policies and priorities of the Department of Labor. On February 13, President Obama released his fourth budget proposal since taking office. The Associated Press reported the fiscal year 2013 budget blueprint “[takes] a pass on reining in government growth” and “reprises a long roster of prior proposals,” such as more ... Read more »
The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, chaired by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), today held a hearing entitled, “Ensuring Regulations Protect Access to Affordable and Quality Companion Care.” The hearing examined a Labor Department regulatory proposal that would make it more costly for individuals to receive in-home care. In 1974, Congress created an exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLS... Read more »
U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) has requested additional funding for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. IDEA Part B provides federal support to help states and school districts to improve support services and ... Read more »
Today, we will examine the Department of Labor’s effort to narrow the long-standing companionship services exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act. As we all know, the FLSA continues to serve as the foundation of federal wage and hour standards. Today’s discussion is not about whether we stand by this important law more than 70 years after its enactment. The question before the subcommittee i... Read more »
On Wednesday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m., the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), will hold a hearing entitled “Reviewing the President’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Proposal for the U.S. Department of Labor.” The hearing will take place in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building. In his Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal, President Obama requests $... Read more »
On Tuesday, March 20 at 10:00 a.m., the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, chaired by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), will hold a hearing entitled “Ensuring Regulations Protect Access to Affordable and Quality Companion Care.” The hearing will take place in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building. In 1974, the Fair Labor Standards Act was amended to cover workers who perform domestic services.... Read more »
Dear Chairman Rehberg and Ranking Member DeLauro: I write to encourage you to increase funding for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. To read the full letter, click here. # # # Read more »
Without a great deal of fanfare, National Labor Relations Board Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon recently released a report that amounts to his annual performance review. Solomon is responsible for investigating and prosecuting violations of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), as well as overseeing NLRB field offices that apply the law and supervise union elections. In a letter sent to his... Read more »
A new article in CQ Weekly profiles the administration’s brazen reinterpretation of federal education law, affording an opportunity to examine the real effect of this agenda on our country’s K-12 education system. Although Education Secretary Arne Duncan defends his decision to “move ahead on his own” to reinvent the nation’s classrooms, his actions are leaving states with more headaches and uncer... Read more »
U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor released employment data for February: “In the aftermath of the worst recession in a generation, to learn that more Americans are back to work is welcome news. However, we have a long way to go to fully repair the damage of the recent economic downturn. The sl... Read more »
