Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee’s Senior Republican member, issued the following statement today after opposing H.R. 5157, the DISCLOSE Act, legislation to restrict and federally regulate free speech in national elections: “Once again backroom deals and special interest carve-outs are the price Democrats willingly pay to pass legislation that is both unpopular ... Read more »
This week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) finally admitted what was obvious to most Americans: for the first time since modern budget rules were enacted in 1974 Democrats in Congress will not pass a budget for the next fiscal year. This failure of leadership could not come at a worse possible time: without clarity on how Democrats plan to get our fiscal house in order, families and small... Read more »
With yesterday’s release of the final report on the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, government researchers have once again concluded the groundbreaking program is providing benefits to low-income children and families in the nation’s capital. As confirmed by the report, students offered a scholarship – whether they use that scholarship during some or all of their elementary and secondary yea... Read more »
The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee today held a hearing on “Worker Health and Safety from the Oil Rig to the Shoreline.” Members heard from the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Minerals Management Service – four federal agencies that share responsibility for worker safety on offshore ri... Read more »
Three months ago, President Obama signed into law the Democrats’ government takeover of health care. The president has described it as “historic” reform, yet in the early months of its implementation, the most notable feature of the law is the long line of broken promises left in its wake. Broken Promise: Will Reduce Costs Reality: Health Care Costs Continue to Rise Americans understand the curren... Read more »
Thank you Mr. Chairman. Welcome to our witnesses and thank you all for your service to the country and the people of the Gulf Coast during this difficult time. It has been two months since an explosion onboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig claimed the lives of 11 workers and injured 17 more. Sadly, this catastrophic event 50 miles from the shoreline continues to devastate the businesses, communiti... Read more »
Democrats’ internal feud about whether to add a $50 billion state bailout to the nation’s credit card continues to delay vital troop funding. Meanwhile, The Washington Times reports this morning on the president’s proposal to prop up over-inflated state budgets – including a $23 billion fund sought by teachers’ unions – suggesting yet another federal bailout will only delay state efforts to balanc... Read more »
Thank you Mr. Chairman, and good morning. The topic of today’s hearing, broadly speaking, is accreditation. It is a system of peer review and program approval that has a long history in American higher education. Accreditation is widely viewed as a seal of approval – a sign of program quality. In our higher education system, accrediting agencies are entrusted with a great deal of authority, determ... Read more »
Last year, an economic analysis estimated passage of the Democrats’ card check unionization scheme would destroy between 2.3 and 5.4 million American jobs, increasing the unemployment rate by between 1.5 and 3.5 percentage points. At a time when 15 million Americans are looking for work and the unemployment rate is stuck near 10 percent, it’s hard to imagine anyone would consider passing this kind... Read more »
The top Republicans on the House Armed Services, Appropriations, and Education and Labor committees today urged President Obama and Speaker Pelosi to publicly reject efforts to stall a vote on troop funding. Although the Senate approved such a measure in May, action has been delayed in the House because of efforts to include an extraneous state bailout package sought by special interest groups. Th... Read more »
