Press Releases

Today, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) delivered the following statement, as prepared for delivery, at a markup of five bills to expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, strengthen civics and history education, increase health care transparency, lower prescription drug costs, and strengthen retirement security:

"Good morning, and welcome to the Committee on Education and Workforce. Today the Committee will mark up H.R. 8736, Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities Act; H.R. 8705, Civics and History Advancement to Restore Learning, Integrity, and Education Act; H.R. 7362, Form 5500 Filing Simplification Act; H.R. 7895, PBM Kickback Prohibition Act; and H.R. 8684, Transparency in Billing Act.
 
"H.R. 8736, Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities Act, introduced by Rep. Glenn Grothman, will increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In 2025, nearly 80 percent of people with disabilities were unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was more than double that of those without disabilities. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, some estimates place unemployment rates near20 percent. At a time when we should be removing the barriers to work and promoting greater independence, outdated federal policy too often stands in the way. H.R. 8736 helps reverse that trend by increasing access to employment opportunities and empowering more people with disabilities to participate in the workforce.    
 
"H.R. 8705, Civics and History Advancement to Restore Learning, Integrity, and Education Act, introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens, ensures that the American History and Civics program stays true to its purpose—educating students about America’s rich civic inheritance, the importance of our Founding, and the value of respectful civil dialogue through the free exchange of ideas. The Biden-Harris administration attempted to radicalize this bipartisan program. Today’s bill sends a clear message that it was wrong—children should be educated in civics, not indoctrinated. 
 
"H.R. 7362, Form 5500 Filing Simplification Act, introduced by Rep. Grothman, streamlines the annual reporting requirements for employee benefit plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA. This bill reduces unnecessary red tape while maintaining strong reporting standards and transparency for employee benefit plans. The bill also eliminates outdated and duplicative requirements, including the need to file certain extensions and, in some cases, manually sign or initial schedules that are part of the Form 5500.
 
"H.R. 7895, PBM Kickback Prohibition Act, introduced by Rep. Rick Allen, cracks down on kickbacks and helps ensure health care decisions are made in the best interest of patients and employers, not pharmacy benefit manager middlemen. This Committee is focused on lowering health care costs and bringing accountability and transparency to a system that has become too powerful and too secretive.
 
"H.R. 8684, Transparency in Billing Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx and Ranking Member Bobby Scott, protects workers and families from predatory pricing practices and reaffirms the simple premise: you should pay for the care you receive, not inflated charges. Increasingly, hospitals buy up outpatient clinics, then turn around and charge hospital facility fees and higher rates as though the care was provided at the hospital. Patients are left without clear information about where services were delivered or why they are being billed at significantly higher rates. This legislation promotes greater transparency, encourages honest billing practices, and helps lower health care costs for workers and families.
        
"Taken together, these bills are focused on real concerns facing American families—from finding meaningful work to accessing affordable health care and high-quality education. They reflect practical, common-sense reforms that will expand opportunity and improve everyday life for the people we serve. I thank the Members who have worked diligently on these reforms, in some cases for multiple Congresses, and I look forward to the Committee’s consideration of these measures today."

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