The following op-ed was published online in The Washington Examiner. At first glance, it may be difficult to understand the pairing of education and workplace issues in a single congressional committee. What does a third grade classroom have in common with a construction site? How do school lunches relate to small businesses? As unlikely a duo as these issues may seem, they are actually quite clos... Read more »
Rep. John Kline: Education is a jobs issue According to the so-called experts, the Great Recession that began during the winter of 2007 ended in June of 2009. This should be welcome news, but many Americans find it hard to believe. More than 14.8 million workers are still unemployed, and 27 states recently reported an increase in unemployment. Earlier this month, the Department of Labor issued an... Read more »
The following op-ed was published in The Hill on September 29, 2010. According to the so-called experts, the Great Recession that began during the winter of 2007 ended in June of 2009. This should be welcome news, but many Americans find it hard to believe. More than 14.8 million workers are still unemployed, and 27 states recently reported an increase in unemployment. Earlier this month, the Depa... Read more »
Last Friday, President Obama pledged to “keep on trying to stimulate growth and jobs” as long as he is in office. Unfortunately, his actions don’t square with his promise. Just yesterday the president reaffirmed his support for a job-killing card check scheme erroneously named the Employee Free Choice Act. Although the bill has languished under bipartisan opposition in Congress, the administration... Read more »
Congress may not have been in session these last several weeks, but plenty has been happening in Washington and around the nation. Below is a brief recap of notable education and labor news – what you might have missed and what is worth watching in the waning days of the congressional session. Common Standards Pave Way for National Tests For months, advocates for local control of education have wa... Read more »
Here is something college students probably didn’t want to learn on their way back to school: thanks to ObamaCare, many may soon lose their school-sponsored health care plan. An editorial from the Wall Street Journal provides the details on why some college students risk losing their current health care plan: Big Foot on Campus Why colleges want a waiver from ObamaCare. In the movie "Animal House,... Read more »
Today is a very good day for powerful union leaders. Congress was summoned back into session – with great complexity and expense – to vote on a multi-billion dollar bailout for unionized state workers. At the same time, the Obama administration is preparing to rollback reporting requirements for union bosses because of the “burden” of “unnecessary government regulation.” The State Bailout: A Boon ... Read more »
The following op-ed was published online at Red State on August 5, 2010 In June of 2009, the unemployment rate surged to 9.5 percent for the first time in almost 26 years. Despite some ups and downs, today the unemployment rate continues to hover near 10 percent and 14.6 million Americans are unemployed and searching for work. I see the evidence of this every time I travel back home to Minnesota:... Read more »
Never one to give up on unpopular ideas, President Obama promised a gathering of the AFL-CIO he will stay in the fight to pass the so-called Employee Free Choice Act. Better known as card check, this undemocratic idea would strip workers of their right to a secret ballot when deciding whether to organize a union. “President Obama told the AFL-CIO on Wednesday that he would ‘keep on fighting’ to pa... Read more »
President Obama traveled to New Jersey today to raise support for his economic policies among small business leaders. It makes sense to hear from small business owners about their ideas to promote a strong and stable economic recovery. After all, they are the nation’s primary source for job creation. Let’s hope this time the president did less talking and more listening because a look at just a fe... Read more »
