Let me begin by stating unequivocally that the incidents uncovered by the GAO are unacceptable. No child should be put in physical danger by the use of seclusion or restraints in school. In each of the cases reviewed by the GAO, there was a criminal conviction, a finding of civil or administrative liability, or a large financial settlement – in other words, everyone agrees that what happened is si... Read more »
Thank you Chairman Miller, and thank you Mr. Secretary for joining us. We have an extremely limited amount of time with the Secretary to cover a number of pressing topics, so I will keep my remarks brief. Secretary Duncan came to Washington billed as a reformer, and I believe he has lived up to that reputation. In particular, his willingness to stand up to the unions and the old ways of doing busi... Read more »
Thank you Chairman Miller, and good afternoon. Today we will examine federal child nutrition programs with an eye toward improving children’s health. Childhood obesity rates are a serious concern for parents and families, and they present a challenge to the health of our nation as a whole. What children eat at school certainly plays a role in their overall nutrition, so I welcome this opportunity ... Read more »
Numerous media outlets have recently reported the White House is looking for ways to isolate and deny government contracts for businesses that do not abide by a yet-to-be-defined new regime of wage and benefit requirements. At a time when millions of Americans are out of work and the nation’s debt continues to explode, this would seem an inopportune time to start adding costly new regulations to o... Read more »
As if there were any doubt about how prominent a role Democrats’ favorite special interest group plays these days in Washington, D.C., a pair of news items out today reaffirms the oversized clout of union bosses. The White House blogs today that the first annual report of the Middle Class Task Force is out. Not surprisingly, union expansion is a major theme, with special attention paid to the so-c... Read more »
Republicans on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee today released four principles to guide the eventual reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Restoring Local Control; Empowering Parents; Letting Teachers Teach; and Protecting Taxpayers. The principles, which were developed by a Republican working group in anticipation of the upcoming overhaul of the nation’s prima... Read more »
In stark contrast to the trillion-dollar, massive government takeover of health care that would increase premiums for families and small businesses, Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the top Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, this morning outlined a commonsense plan to reduce health care costs for small businesses. Kline’s remarks came during the White House’s health care summit, cu... Read more »
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), senior Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, came out of today’s White House health care summit calling on Democrats to set aside their controversial government takeover of health care and allow a vote on step-by-step reforms that will bring down the cost of health care. Kline outlined a plan to make health care less expensive for small businesses – one of ... Read more »
Objectives Help each child achieve his or her full and unique potential Give students the tools and knowledge to succeed in the 21st century Ensure America’s educational system is the best in the world We will do this by Restoring Local Control. Academic standards, testing systems, and curriculum should be set by states and local educators—without coercion from the federal government—to ensure th... Read more »
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the top Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, appeared on Fox News this morning to discuss Republican priorities for health care reform going into tomorrow’s White House summit. Watch the video here. # # # Read more »
