As is often the case when an agency secretary appears before the committee, we have a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time. That is especially true for an agency as big, powerful, and costly as the Department of Health and Human Services. By the end of the current fiscal year, HHS is expected to spend approximately $1 trillion administering numerous programs affecting millions of Ameri... Read more »
As summer comes to a close and college-goers begin preparing for the fall semester, students and families face tough challenges fulfilling the dream of a higher education that will prepare them to succeed in the workforce: College costs continue to rise. Over the past decade, the average costs at four-year public and private nonprofit institutions increased by 42 percent and 24 percent, respective... Read more »
THE PROBLEM: Despite repeated attempts to enhance transparency in the higher education system, students and families still struggle to access important information that will assist in their search for the right college or university. The federal government provides financial assistance for millions of students to use at the institution of their choice. Yet students and families face a deluge of d... Read more »
THE PROBLEM: Across the country, tuition costs continue to go up and the job prospects many graduates face remain bleak. It has never been more critical for individuals to make responsible choices regarding how to pay for their postsecondary education. Unfortunately, many students are simply not equipped to make sound financial choices about their college careers. It’s not surprising considering ... Read more »
THE PROBLEM: Student demographics have changed dramatically in recent decades. Whereas the majority of students used to enroll in a four-year, full-time program fresh out of high school, an increasing number of students – “contemporary students” – are older, have a family, and work full- or part-time jobs. These students are looking to quickly and affordably earn a degree that will help them comp... Read more »
The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, chaired by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), today held a hearing on the Department of Labor’s proposed changes to federal overtime rules. The hearing explored the impact the proposal would have on employee choice and opportunity, as well as the significant costs it would create for the nation's job creators. “Of all the concerns we’ve heard about this proposal, ... Read more »
To ensure workers, employers, and retirees can continue to access trusted financial advisors, Republican members on the House Education and the Workforce Committee have called on the Department of Labor to withdraw its flawed fiduciary rule. Concerned with the impact the proposal will have on low- and middle-income families and small businesses, the members stated in a letter to Secretary Thomas P... Read more »
Just over a month ago, this subcommittee convened to discuss the need to modernize the confusing and outdated regulations implementing federal wage and hour standards. At the time, the administration had not yet released its overtime proposal, but several of our witnesses were already worried about what the proposal would look like and the consequences for workers and job creators. Recognizing thi... Read more »
Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chairman Todd Rokita (R-IN) and Ranking Member Marcia Fudge (D-OH) today introduced the Student Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 3157), bipartisan legislation to update student privacy protections under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA. The bill will modernize privacy protections, improve communication between par... Read more »
One year ago today, President Obama signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). This bipartisan, bicameral legislation is designed to help put Americans back to work by updating and reforming the nation’s broken job training system. As Chairman John Kline (R-MN) said when the law was enacted: We rejected petty politics and put the best interests of working families first. ... Read more »
