Now that card check legislation has been formally introduced in Congress, the arguments on both sides are coming into focus. One of the most puzzling claims that card check supporters repeat over and over is that workers are somehow being victimized today by secret ballot elections, because employers pressure them to vote no on joining a union. This claim has never made much sense. If workers are ... Read more »
The following op-ed by Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) appears in The Hill newspaper as part of a special report on Children’s Initiatives. All parents want to give their children the best that life has to offer, and they know that a high-quality education is the key that can open many of life’s doors. No one cares more about a child’s education than his or her parents. And that means no one i... Read more »
We’re here today to examine the importance of early childhood development, a topic that is getting a lot of attention these days, and rightly so. A child’s first years are among the most critical in laying the foundation for future learning. Cognitive development, social interaction, and so many other areas of early learning play an important role as a child prepares to enter school. While governm... Read more »
Recognizing that small businesses are critical to the American economy, the White House today hosted a conference on small businesses in which the Obama administration outlined new plans purportedly aimed at helping small businesses weather the economic storm. What the administration failed to mention, however, is that one of the greatest threats to small businesses today is the one-two punch of h... Read more »
A press release issued this week by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters took many people by surprise with its overt attack on the principle of the secret ballot. After all, supporters of the undemocratic card check plan – which replaces secret ballot voting with a public sign-up process that opens workers to intimidation and coercion – have been working overtime trying to convince the Ameri... Read more »
The following op-ed by Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), the top Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, appears in today’s edition of The Washington Examiner. Canada has Card Check lessons for U.S. By Rep. Howard McKeon, OpEd Contributor 3/13/09 5:17 AM This may come as a surprise, but when it comes to American labor law, we have a lot to learn from our neighbors to the nor... Read more »
I’d like to welcome each one of you to this joint hearing entitled “Lost Educational Opportunities in Alternative Settings.” I am pleased that the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security is able to join us today to hear about the educational opportunities available for youth outside of the traditional public school system. The goal of most alternative settings is to... Read more »
The misnamed Employee Free Choice Act may have been formally introduced in Congress yesterday, but introduction should not be confused with momentum. In fact, the bill’s formal unveiling has been somewhat of a dud, drawing fewer congressional supporters than it did two years ago, when it was last considered. In 2007, EFCA boasted 233 cosponsors in the House and 46 in the Senate. This year, the fig... Read more »
The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee today approved the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act (H.R. 1388), bipartisan legislation to improve accountability in national service programs including AmeriCorps. “The GIVE Act includes important reforms to national service programs that allow neighbors to come together in service of individuals, communities, and our nati... Read more »
Chairman Spratt, Ranking Member Ryan, and Members of the Budget Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to submit testimony regarding the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2010. I want to raise an issue that has surfaced in the President’s budget which I find deeply troubling. Specifically, I am very concerned by the proposal included in the President’s FY 2010 budget to eliminate the Federal Fa... Read more »
