Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee’s senior Republican member, issued the following statement today in honor of the nation’s charter schools and in support of H. Res. 1149, designating the week of May 2, 2010, as National Charter Schools Week: “I am proud to join teachers, parents, and students from around the country to honor our nation’s charter schools. Nearly ... Read more »
The U.S. House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions heard testimony today raising serious questions about a proposed overhaul of anti-discrimination laws, including potential unintended consequences of the proposed legislation on a broad range of existing federal and state laws. The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (H.R. 3721) seeks to address the recent U.S. ... Read more »
Good morning and thank you, Chairman Andrews. I would like to begin by thanking our distinguished panel for appearing today. We appreciate that they have taken time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences and expertise with us. The issue before us is an important one, and, to put it mildly, more than a little complicated – especially for those of us who are not lawyers. But especial... Read more »
As part of continued efforts to safeguard Americans’ retirement savings, members of the House GOP Savings Recovery Solutions Group wrote to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to oppose proposals that would jeopardize workers’ hard-earned retirement savings by undermining or nationalizing individual 401(k) retirement savings plans. “At a time when Democrats’ thirst ... Read more »
In September of 2009, President Obama promised Congress and the American people his health care reform plan would “immediately offer low-cost coverage” to individuals “who can’t get insurance today because they have preexisting medical conditions…” But at a time when states face $375 billion in combined budget deficits through 2011, the president’s promise is proving too difficult to keep. “Eighte... Read more »
Teacher quality was the subject of a hearing before the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee this afternoon, with experts underscoring the critical role of effective teachers in improving student academic achievement. Republicans have identified “letting teachers teach” as a core principle for education reform. “No one denies the success of our education system depends largely upon the quality... Read more »
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I wish to welcome our witnesses and offer my thanks for your participation in this hearing. We are here today to look at the importance of quality teachers and explore ways to support the best educators for our kids. No one denies the success of our education system depends largely upon the quality of classroom instruction. Students deserve the most effective teachers becau... Read more »
In January, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a “landmark” decision that overturned a ban on certain “electioneering communications” by corporations and unions within 30 days of a primary election and 60 days before a general election. The prohibition, included in the 2002 campaign finance reform bill, undermined the basic principle that associations of private citizens have the right to voice support... Read more »
Despite An Unemployment Rate That Continues to Hover Near 10 Percent… "…a year after Obama claimed that the stimulus had started creating jobs, it is not just the general public that believes that the stimulus was a waste of money, so do the experts. This week a new survey from the National Association for Business Economics found that 73 percent of business economists believe that the stimulus ‘... Read more »
Republican members of the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee today called for a public hearing seeking the testimony of Richard S. Foster, chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In a letter to the committee’s chairman, the Republican members pointed to a recent analysis from Mr. Foster that found total health care spending will increase by $311 billion as a result ... Read more »
