E&W Blog

The Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, chaired by Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN), held a hearing today to discuss the power of school choice and explore opportunities to extend more educational opportunities to students across the country. Read more »

This week, we are celebrating the promise of school choice. You all are here today because that promise is making a difference in your lives, as well as in the lives of students across the country. It’s the promise of school choice that provides real hope to moms and dads. And it’s the promise of school choice that has provided each and every one of you – and countless others – the hope that a hig... Read more »

Across the country, Americans are busy making holiday travel plans and shopping for the perfect gifts. But there’s something else on the minds of working families and small business owners: health care. Families are reviewing their health insurance options for 2017 and finding they will soon be paying more for less. And small business owners—gripped by limited resources and tight budgets—are takin... Read more »

The Gut-Wrenching Truth About Pensions By Thomas C. Nyhan, executive director and general counsel of the Central States Pension Fund The Star Tribune’s recent article about the Central States Pension Fund’s need to reduce pension benefits to save the fund (“New law threatens to slash pensions,” Dec. 14) curiously leaves out one very important detail about the causes for our severe underfunding. T... Read more »

Conservative reformers have had major successes, notably on welfare in 1996. But when a reform doesn’t turn out as hoped, they need to adapt. A case in point is No Child Left Behind, which the GOP Congress is now preparing to leave behind. This week the House plans to debate the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which lapsed in 2007 and needs revision. A bipartisan compromise has eme... Read more »

The Department of Labor is pushing a regulatory proposal that will make it harder for working families to save for retirement. In an op-ed featured in The Hill, Education and the Workforce Committee member Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) draws from his experience as a community pharmacist to explain how the proposal will negatively impact small business owners and the hardworking men and women... Read more »

By Representatives Todd Rokita (R-IN) and Jared Polis (D-CO) As strong advocates for parental school choice, we were pleased that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was open to learning about the tremendous opportunities that charter schools can offer students and families. His decision to allow continued access to high-quality charter school options will ensure that the best curriculum, programs... Read more »

Obama Appointments Unconstitutional On January 4, 2012, President Obama made three so-called recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) while the Senate was not in recess. These appointments were unprecedented—no other president has made recess appointments while the Senate was in session. A year later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia unanimously held ... Read more »

The nation will tune in tonight to hear President Obama discuss the State of the Union. As is always the case with this solemn occasion, Americans from every walk of life will listen closely as the president outlines the challenges we face and offers his ideas for leading the country toward a brighter future. With millions searching for work, the national debt rising, and a broken education system... Read more »

Leave it to a kid to succinctly get to the heart of a complicated issue. When asked for his thoughts on his city’s ongoing teacher strike, Chicago charter school student Andy Anderson told CBS News the strike forces his friends at traditional public schools to spend the day "sitting at home, frying their brains" when they should have the chance to "come to school and get to learn more, and get a g... Read more »