[House Report 113-313]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress
1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Report
113-313
_______________________________________________________________________
Union Calendar No. 231
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES
of the
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND
THE WORKFORCE
for the
FIRST SESSION OF THE 113TH CONGRESS
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
January 2, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
JOHN KLINE, Minnesota, Chairman
Republicans Democrats
John Kline, Minnesota George Miller, California
Chairman Senior Democratic Member
Thomas E. Petri, Wisconsin Robert E. Andrews, New Jersey
Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,
California Virginia
Joe Wilson, South Carolina Ruben Hinojosa, Texas
Virginia Foxx, North Carolina Carolyn McCarthy, New York
Tom Price, Georgia John F. Tierney, Massachusetts
Kenny Marchant, Texas Rush Holt, New Jersey
Duncan Hunter, California Susan A. Davis, California
David P. Roe, Tennessee Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona
Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Timothy H. Bishop, New York
Tim Walberg, Michigan David Loebsack, Iowa
Matt Salmon, Arizona Joe Courtney, Connecticut
Brett Guthrie, Kentucky Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee Jared Polis, Colorado
Todd Rokita, Indiana Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana
Larry Bucshon, Indiana Islands
Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Frederica S. Wilson, Florida
Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon
Joseph J. Heck, Nevada Mark Pocan, Wisconsin
Susan W. Brooks, Indiana
Richard Hudson, North Carolina
Luke Messer, Indiana
----------
On October 15, 2013, Representative John A. Yarmuth of Kentucky
resigned from the Committee on Education and the Workforce. On October
29, 2013, Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin was assigned to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce. On December 11, 2013,
Representative Martha Roby of Alabama resigned from the Committee on
Education and the Workforce.
Under Rule X, clause (e) of the Rules of House, the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Education and the Workforce is as follows: education and
labor generally, food programs for children in schools, labor standards
and statistics, mediation and arbitration of labor disputes, child
labor, regulation or prevention of importation of foreign laborers
under contract, workers' compensation, wages and hours of labor,
welfare of miners, work incentive programs, convict labor and the entry
of goods made by convicts into interstate commerce, vocational
rehabilitation, and Gallaudet University and Howard University and
Hospital.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD, ELEMENTARY, AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Todd Rokita, Indiana, Chairman
John Kline, Minnesota Carolyn McCarthy, New York
Thomas E. Petri, Wisconsin Ranking Member
Virginia Foxx, North Carolina Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,
Kenny Marchant, Texas Virginia
Duncan Hunter, California Susan A. Davis, California
David P. Roe, Tennessee Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona
Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio
Susan W. Brooks, Indiana Jared Polis, Colorado
Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana
Islands
Mark Pocan, Wisconsin
----------
The Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary
Education has jurisdiction over all matters from early learning through
the high school level including, but not limited to, elementary and
secondary education, special education, homeless education, and migrant
education; overseas dependent schools; career and technical education;
school safety and alcohol and drug abuse prevention; school lunch and
child nutrition programs; educational research and improvement
including the Institute of Education Sciences; environmental education;
pre-service and in-service teacher professional development including
Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Title II of
the Higher Education Act; early care and education programs including
the Head Start Act and the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act;
adolescent development and training programs including, but not limited
to, those providing for the care and treatment of certain at-risk youth
including the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and the
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act; and all matters dealing with child
abuse and domestic violence including the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act and child adoption.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT, LABOR, AND PENSIONS
David P. Roe, Tennessee, Chairman
Joe Wilson, South Carolina Robert E. Andrews, New Jersey
Tom Price, Georgia Ranking Member
Kenny Marchant, Texas Rush Holt, New Jersey
Matt Salmon, Arizona David Loebsack, Iowa
Brett Guthrie, Kentucky Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee Virginia
Larry Bucshon, Indiana Ruben Hinojosa, Texas
Trey Gowdy, South Carolina John F. Tierney, Massachusetts
Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona
Joseph J. Heck, Nevada Joe Courtney, Connecticut
Susan W. Brooks, Indiana Jared Polis, Colorado
Luke Messer, Indiana Frederica S. Wilson, Florida
Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon
----------
The Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions has
jurisdiction over all matters dealing with relationships between
employers and employees including, but not limited to, the National
Labor Relations Act, the Labor-Management Relations Act, and the Labor-
Management Reporting and Disclosure Act; the Bureau of Labor
Statistics; and employment-related health and retirement security
including pension, health, and other employee benefits and the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING
Virginia Foxx, North Carolina, Chairwoman
Thomas E. Petri, Wisconsin Ruben Hinojosa, Texas
Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, Ranking Member
California John F. Tierney, Massachusetts
Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Timothy H. Bishop, New York
Tim Walberg, Michigan Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon
Matt Salmon, Arizona Carolyn McCarthy, New York
Brett Guthrie, Kentucky Rush Holt, New Jersey
Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Susan A. Davis, California
Joseph J. Heck, Nevada David Loebsack, Iowa
Susan W. Brooks, Indiana Frederica S. Wilson, Florida
Richard Hudson, North Carolina
Luke Messer, Indiana
----------
The Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training has
jurisdiction over education and training beyond the high school level
including, but not limited to, higher education generally,
postsecondary student assistance and employment services, and the
Higher Education Act; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; all
domestic volunteer programs; all programs related to the arts and
humanities, museum and library services, and arts and artifacts
indemnity; postsecondary career and technical education, apprenticeship
programs, and job training including the Workforce Investment Act,
vocational rehabilitation, and training programs from immigration
funding; science and technology programs; adult basic education (family
literacy); all welfare reform programs including work incentive
programs and welfare-to-work requirements; poverty programs including
the Community Services Block Grant Act and the Low Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP); the Native American Programs Act; the
Institute of Peace; and all matters dealing with programs and services
for the elderly including nutrition programs and the Older Americans
Act.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON WORKFORCE PROTECTIONS
Tim Walberg, Michigan, Chairman
John Kline, Minnesota Joe Courtney, Connecticut
Tom Price, Georgia Ranking Member
Duncan Hunter, California Robert E. Andrews, New Jersey
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee Timothy H. Bishop, New York
Todd Rokita, Indiana Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio
Larry Bucshon, Indiana Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana
Richard Hudson, North Carolina Islands
Mark Pocan, Wisconsin
----------
The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections has jurisdiction over wages
and hours of workers including, but not limited to, the Davis-Bacon
Act, the Walsh-Healey Act, the Service Contract Act, and the Fair Labor
Standards Act; workers' compensation including the Federal Employees'
Compensation Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act,
and the Black Lung Benefits Act; the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural
Worker Protection Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; the Worker
Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; the Employee Polygraph
Protection Act of 1988; trade and immigration issues as they impact
employers and workers; workers' safety and health including, but not
limited to, occupational safety and health, mine safety and health, and
migrant and agricultural worker safety and health; and all matters
related to equal employment opportunity and civil rights in employment.
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
----------
Committee on Education and the Workforce,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, January 2, 2014.
Hon. Karen L. Haas,
Clerk of the House,
The Capitol, Washington, DC.
Dear Ms. Haas: Pursuant to Rule XI, clause 1, paragraph (d)
of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, I am hereby
transmitting the Report on the Activities of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce for the First Session of the 113th
Congress. I circulated this report to all members on December
18, 2013, and received minority views, which are included in
this report. This report summarizes the activities of the
committee during the First Session of the 113th Session with
respect to its legislative and oversight responsibilities.
Sincerely,
John Kline,
Chairman.
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Letter of Transmittal............................................ V
Introduction..................................................... 1
Full Committee................................................... 3
Hearings..................................................... 3
Markups...................................................... 6
Legislation Referred to Committee with House Passage......... 8
Legislation Referred to Committee Enacted into Law........... 8
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary
Education-- Hearings......................................... 9
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions--
Hearings....................................................... 10
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training--
Hearings....................................................... 13
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections--Hearings................ 16
Oversight Plan Summary and Correspondence........................ 18
Minority Views................................................... 32
Union Calendar No. 231
113th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 113-313
======================================================================
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE
WORKFORCE FOR THE FIRST SESSION OF THE 113TH CONGRESS
_______
January 2, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Kline, from the Committee on Education and the Workforce, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
INTRODUCTION
Under the leadership of Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the House
Committee on Education and the Workforce worked diligently to
advance legislative initiatives that support workers and
employers, remove barriers to job growth, and help more
students access a quality education.
Throughout the first session of the 113th Congress, the
committee explored the challenges facing our nation's education
system and discussed commonsense solutions that will help
prepare children and young adults for success. In 2013, the
committee successfully advanced legislation through the House
of Representatives that would revamp the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act. The Student Success Act (H.R. 5) would
raise the bar on student achievement by reducing the federal
footprint in K-12 classrooms, restoring local control,
encouraging more effective teachers, and empowering parents.
Additionally, the committee led the charge to strengthen
federal programs to prevent the abduction and exploitation of
children through the E. Clay Shaw Jr. Missing Children's
Assistance Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3092) and the Protecting
Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act (H.R. 2083).
Both pieces of legislation were approved by the House with
bipartisan support, and H.R. 3092 was signed into law in
September.
The committee has also dedicated significant attention to
examining solutions to issues affecting the nation's higher
education system. Throughout the year the committee convened a
series of hearings in preparation for the upcoming
reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. These hearings
have covered a broad range of topics from strengthening Pell
Grants and streamlining the federal financial aid system to
improving postsecondary education innovation and enhancing
transparency for students. The committee will continue these
hearings in the second session of the 113th Congress.
The committee advanced three key legislative initiatives in
2013 to strengthen higher education in America. The Improving
Postsecondary Education Data for Students Act (H.R. 1949),
which passed the House of Representatives in May, would help
ensure students and their families have the information they
need to choose the best higher education institution to fit
their needs. The Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory
Relief Act (H.R. 2637), approved by the committee in July,
would reduce federal regulations that can stifle the
development of more creative methods of learning and lead to
higher costs. And the Smarter Solutions for Students Act (H.R.
1911; also known as the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act,
as amended by the Senate), signed into law by President Obama
in August, helps address the issue of rising college costs by
getting politicians out of the business of setting student loan
interest rates.
With more than 11 million Americans out of work, improving
the nation's job training system remains another top committee
priority. After holding hearings in both Washington, D.C. and
member districts throughout the 112th Congress, the committee
developed legislation to build a robust and responsive job
training system that would more efficiently serve workers and
taxpayers. The Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong
Skills (SKILLS) Act (H.R. 803) would empower employers, rein in
bureaucracy, and provide America's workers with a more dynamic,
flexible, and effective network of job training services. The
House approved the SKILLS Act in March.
In the coming year, the committee will continue its efforts
to provide students and workers with the skills necessary to
succeed in the 21st century workforce through a reauthorization
of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. The
committee has held two hearings in 2013 to discuss
opportunities to improve the Perkins Act by streamlining
federal regulations, encouraging more hands-on training for
students, and supporting enhanced coordination between schools
and business leaders.
Improving workplace flexibility has been an important goal
for the committee during the first session of the 113th
Congress. For many Americans, balancing the demands of family
and the workplace can be difficult, and the committee
discovered an obstacle in federal law that impedes employers
who wish to help employees better manage work and family
responsibilities. To address this problem, the committee
introduced the Working Families Flexibility Act (H.R. 1406),
legislation that would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938 to allow employers to offer private-sector employees the
choice of paid time off in lieu of cash wages for overtime
hours worked. It is pro-family, pro-worker legislation that
would give workers the flexibility to spend time with family,
attend teacher conferences, care for aging parents, stay home
with a newborn, or attend to other family needs that may arise.
H.R. 1406 was approved by the House of Representatives in May.
Ensuring employers have the certainty they need to create
jobs and invest in their businesses is another key component in
the fight to reduce unemployment and rebuild our economy.
Unfortunately, actions by the National Labor Relations Board
continue to wreak havoc on workplaces and threaten employer
free speech and worker free choice. To prevent further labor-
management instability, the House passed H.R. 1120, the
Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations
Act. The committee remains determined to advance initiatives
that protect the rights of workers and employers and hold the
labor board accountable for its radical policies that are
having a chilling effect on the economy.
Congressional leaders have a responsibility to conduct
oversight of the federal government, and the House Committee on
Education and the Workforce takes that responsibility
seriously. Oversight of policies governing workplace safety,
union transparency, and retirement security has been a leading
priority in the 113th Congress, along with oversight of the
administration's actions affecting students and low-income
families. The committee's efforts have helped shine light on a
number of concerns, including damaging consequences of the
president's health care law and poorly conceived federal
regulatory actions that harm schools and workplaces. Such
aggressive oversight will continue in 2014.
As we continue working to rebuild our economy, it is
unacceptable to ignore rules or regulations that stand in the
way of job creation. With the national debt passing historic
levels, we must demand wise use of taxpayer resources. In the
second session of the 113th Congress, the House Education and
the Workforce Committee will not deviate from the pursuit of
policies that promote economic growth, support a stronger
workforce, and improve education in America.
FULL COMMITTEE
HEARINGS
(LINKS ARE TO THE COMMITTEE WEBSITE)
In the first session of the 113th Congress, 11 full
committee hearings were held.
February 5, 2013--``Challenges and Opportunities Facing America's
Schools and Workplaces'' (Printed Hearing 113-1)
The purpose of the hearing was to provide a broad
examination of issues affecting workers, employers, educators
and students. Witnesses provided various perspectives on the
stagnant economy's effect on employers' efforts to create jobs,
regulatory barriers to job creation, policies and strategies
necessary to boost private sector job creation, and how to
create an educated and trained workforce that is prepared for a
21st century economy.
Witnesses: The Honorable Gary Herbert, Governor of Utah,
Salt Lake City, Utah; The Honorable Laura W. Fornash, Secretary
of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond,
Virginia; Dr. Jared Bernstein, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Jay Timmons,
President and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers,
Washington, D.C.
February 27, 2013--``Protecting Students and Teachers: A Discussion on
School Safety'' (Printed Hearing 113-6)
The purpose of the hearing was to examine how elementary
and secondary schools prepare for, react to, and recover from
threats of violence in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Witnesses: Mr. Bill Bond, School Safety Specialist,
National Association of Secondary School Principals, Paducah,
Kentucky; Mr. Mo Canady, Executive Director, National
Association of School Resource Officers, Hoover, Alabama; Mr.
Vincent Pompei, School Counselor, Val Verde Unified School
District, San Diego, California; Mr. Brett Bontrager, Senior
Vice President and Group Executive, Stanley Black & Decker,
Indianapolis, Indiana; Mr. David Osher, Vice President,
American Institutes for Research, Washington, D.C.; and Mr.
Frederick Ellis, Director, Office of Safety and Security,
Fairfax County Public Schools, Falls Church, Virginia.
March 13, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: Examining Opportunities
to Strengthen Federal Student Loan Programs'' (Printed Hearing
113-9)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine ways to
strengthen federal student loan programs, as well as how moving
to a market-based or variable interest rate on all loans could
benefit both students and taxpayers.
Witnesses: Dr. Deborah J. Lucas, Sloan Distinguished
Professor of Finance, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, Massachusetts; Mr. Jason Delisle, Director of the
Federal Education Budget Project, The New America Foundation,
Washington, D.C.; Mr. Justin Draeger, President and CEO,
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators,
Washington, D.C.; and Dr. Charmaine Mercer, Vice President of
Policy, Alliance for Excellent Education, Washington, D.C.
May 7, 2013--``Raising the Bar: Exploring State and Local Efforts to
Improve Accountability'' (Printed Hearing 113-17)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the role of the
federal government in holding public schools accountable for
student achievement, in preparation for the consideration of
legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA).
Witnesses: Mr. John White, State Superintendent of
Education, Louisiana Department of Education, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana; Dr. Chris Richardson, Superintendent of Schools,
Northfield Public Schools, Northfield, Minnesota; Mr. Eric S.
Gordon, Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Metropolitan School
District, Cleveland, Ohio and Mr. Matthew Given, Chief
Development Officer, EdisonLearning, Atlanta, Georgia.
May 21, 2013--``Reviewing the President's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget
Proposal for the U.S. Department of Education'' (Printed
Hearing 113-18)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the policies and
priorities of the Department of Education.
Witness: The Honorable Arne Duncan, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
June 4, 2013--``Reviewing the President's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget
Proposal for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services''
(Printed Hearing 113-20)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the policies and
priorities of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Witness: The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.
July 9, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: Improving Higher
Education through Innovation'' (Printed Hearing 113-26)
The purpose of this hearing was to highlight innovation in
higher education at the state and institutional level as well
as in the private sector.
Witnesses: Mr. Scott Jenkins, Director of External
Relations, Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, Utah;
Dr. Pamela Tate, President and CEO, Council for Adult and
Experiential Learning, Chicago, Illinois; Dr. Joann A.
Broughman, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs,
University System of Maryland, Adelphi, Maryland; and Mr. Burck
Smith, CEO and Founder, StraighterLine, Baltimore, Maryland.
September 10, 2013--``Education Research: Exploring Opportunities to
Strengthen the Institute of Education Sciences'' (Printed
Hearing 113-30)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the unique role
of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) in supporting
education research and evaluation; the research needs of states
and school districts and how IES can be improved to help them
meet these needs; and what issues need to be addressed through
reauthorization of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002
(ESRA), which authorizes IES.
Witnesses: Mr. George A. Scott, Director of Education,
Workforce, and Income Security Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Bridget Terry
Long, Xander Professor of Education and Economics, Academic
Dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Chair, National
Board for Education Sciences, Institute of Education Sciences,
Cambridge, Massachusetts; Dr. James Kemple, Executive Director,
Research Alliance for New York City Schools, New York
University, New York, New York; and Ms. Kathy Christie, Vice
President, Knowledge/Information Management & Dissemination,
Education Commission of the States, Denver, Colorado.
November 13, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: Simplifying Federal
Student Aid'' (Printed Hearing 113-42)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine ways to simplify
federal student aid programs for students and families.
Witnesses: Ms. Kristin D. Conklin, Founding Partner, HCM
Strategists, LLC, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Sandy Baum, Research
Professor of Education Policy, George Washington University,
Senior Fellow, Urban Institute, Washington D.C.; Ms. Jennifer
Mishory, J.D., Deputy Director, Young Invincibles, Washington,
D.C.; and Mr. Jason Delisle, Director, Federal Education Budget
Project, New America Foundation, Washington, D.C.
November 14, 2013--``The Effects of the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act on Schools, Colleges, and Universities''
(Printed Hearing 113-38)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the effects of
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on elementary,
secondary, and postsecondary schools, staff, educators, and
students.
Witnesses: Mr. Gregory L. Needles, Partner, Morgan, Lewis &
Bockius, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Mark D. Benigni, Superintendent,
Meriden Public Schools, Meriden, Connecticut; Ms. Maria Maisto,
President, New Faculty Majority, Akron, Ohio; and Dr. Thomas
Jandris, Dean, College of Graduate and Innovative Programs and
Vice President for Educational Innovation, Concordia University
of Chicago, River Forest, Illinois.
November 19, 2013--``Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs:
Improving the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education
Act'' (Printed Hearing 113-39)
The purpose of this hearing was to explore key priorities
for reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act, including strengthening career and technical
education programs to ensure these programs meet the needs of
in-demand industries and coursework is better aligned with
secondary and postsecondary education.
Witnesses: The Honorable Brenda Dann-Messier, Assistant
Secretary for Adult and Vocational Education, U.S. Department
of Education, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Stanley S. Litow, Vice
President, Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs, IBM
Corporation, President, IBM International Foundation, Armonk,
New York; Dr. Blake Flanders, Vice President of Workforce
Development, Kansas Board of Regents, Topeka, Kansas; and Dr.
Bryan Albrecht, President, Gateway Technical College, Kenosha,
Wisconsin.
MARKUPS
(LINKS ARE TO THE COMMITTEE WEBSITE)
In the first session of the 113th Congress, the full
committee held eight markups and filed eight legislative
reports. No subcommittee markups were held.
January 22, 2013--Committee Organizational Meeting to adopt the
Committee Rules, Oversight Plan and announce subcommittee
assignments.
The Committee Rules and Oversight Plan were adopted by
voice vote.
March 6, 2013--H.R. 803, ``Supporting Knowledge and Investing in
Lifelong Skills Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. Virginia Foxx)
H.R. 803 was ordered favorably reported, as amended, to the
House by a vote of 23-0 on March 6, 2013. The committee report
was filed on March 12, 2013 (House Report 113-14, Part I).
March 20, 2013--H.R. 1120, ``The Preventing Greater Uncertainty in
Labor-Management Relations Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. Phil Roe)
H.R. 1120 was ordered favorably reported, as amended, to
the House by a vote of 23-15 on March 20, 2013. The committee
report was filed on April 9, 2013 (House Report 113-30).
April 17, 2013--H.R. 1406, ``Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013''
(Sponsor: Rep. Martha Roby)
H.R. 1406 was ordered favorably reported, as amended, to
the House by a vote of 23-14 on April 17, 2013. The committee
report was filed on April 30, 2013 (House Report 113-49).
May 16, 2013--H.R. 1911, ``Smarter Solutions for Students Act''
(Sponsor: Rep. John Kline)
H.R. 1911 was ordered favorably reported, as amended, to
the House by a vote of 23-13 on May 16, 2013. The committee
report was filed on May 20, 2013 (House Report 113-82, Part I).
May 16, 2013--H.R. 1949, ``Improving Postsecondary Education Data for
Students Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. Luke Messer)
H.R. 1949 was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote on May 16, 2013. The committee report was filed on
May 20, 2013 (House Report 113-83).
June 19, 2013--H.R. 5, ``Student Success Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. John
Kline)
H.R. 5 was ordered favorably reported to the House, as
amended, by a vote of 23-16 on June 19, 2013. The committee
report was filed on July 11, 2013 (House Report 113-150, Part
I).
July 24, 2013--H.R. 2637, ``Supporting Academic Freedom through
Regulatory Relief Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. Virginia Foxx)
H.R. 2637 was ordered favorably reported to the House, as
amended, by a vote of 22-13 on July 24, 2013. The committee
report was filed on September 10, 2013 (House Report 113-205).
LEGISLATION REFERRED TO COMMITTEE WITH HOUSE PASSAGE
H.R. 5, ``Student Success Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. John Kline), July 19,
2013.
H.R. 45, ``To repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and
health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education
Reconciliation Act of 2010'' (Sponsor: Rep. Michelle Bachmann),
May 16, 2013.
H.R. 803, ``Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act''
(Sponsor: Rep. Virginia Foxx), March 15, 2013.
H.R. 890, ``Preserving the Welfare Work Requirement and TANF Extension
Act of 2013'' (Sponsor: Rep. Dave Camp), March 13, 2013.
H.R. 1120, ``The Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management
Relations Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. Phil Roe), April 12, 2013.
H.R. 1406, ``Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013'' (Sponsor: Rep.
Martha Roby), May 8, 2013.
H.R. 1911, ``Smarter Solutions for Students Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. John
Kline), May 23, 2013.
H.R. 1949, ``Improving Postsecondary Education Data for Students Act''
(Sponsor: Rep. Luke Messer), May 22, 2013.
H.R. 2083, ``Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators
Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. George Miller), October 22, 2013.
H.R. 2374, ``Retail Investor Protection Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. Ann
Wagner), Oct 29, 2013.
H.R. 2747, ``Streamlining Claims Processing for Federal Contractor
Employees Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. Tim Walberg), September 10,
2013.
H.R. 3092, ``E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing Children's Assistance
Reauthorization Act of 2013'' (Sponsor: Rep. Brett Guthrie),
September 17, 2013.
H.R. 3102, ``Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013''
(Sponsor: Rep. Frank Lucas), September 19, 2013.
S. 256, ``A bill to amend Public Law 93-435 with respect to Northern
Mariana Islands, providing parity with Guam, the Virgin
Islands, and American Samoa'' (Sponsor: Sen. Ron Wyden),
September 10, 2013.
S. 1348, ``Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act of 2013''
(Sponsor: Sen. Thomas Carper), September 30, 2013.
LEGISLATION REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ENACTED INTO LAW
P.L. 113-28, H.R. 1911, ``Smarter Solutions for Students Act''
(Sponsor: Rep. John Kline), August 9, 2013.
P.L. 113-34, S. 256, A bill to amend Public Law 93-435 with
respect to the Northern Mariana Islands, providing
parity with Guam, Virgin Islands and American Samoa
(Sponsor: Sen. Ron Wyden), September 18, 2013.
P.L. 113-38, H.R. 3092, ``E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing Children's
Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013'' (Sponsor: Rep.
Brett Guthrie), September 30, 2013.
P.L. 113-43, S. 1348, ``Congressional Award Program
Reauthorization Act of 2013'' (Sponsor: Sen. Thomas R.
Carper), October 4, 2013.
P.L. 113-50, H.R. 2747, ``Streamlining Claims Processing for
Federal Contractor Employees Act'' (Sponsor: Rep. Tim
Walberg), November 21, 2013.
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
HEARINGS
(LINKS ARE TO THE COMMITTEE WEBSITE)
February 14, 2013--``Raising the Bar: How Education Innovation Can
Improve Student Achievement'' (Printed Hearing 113-4)
The purpose of this hearing was to highlight the growth of
digital technology and related innovations in elementary and
secondary education that are boosting student learning, driving
education reform, and supporting parent choice.
Witnesses: Mr. John Bailey, Executive Director, Digital
Learning Now, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Preston Smith, CEO and
President, Rocketship Education, Redwood City, California; Ms.
Holly Sagues, Chief Policy Officer, Florida Virtual School,
Orlando, Florida; and Mr. Jim Shelton, Assistant Deputy
Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of
Education, Washington, D.C.
February 28, 2013--``Raising the Bar: How Are Schools Measuring Teacher
Performance?'' (Printed Hearing 113-7)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine teacher quality
policies and discuss the best way to promote teacher
effectiveness in the classroom.
Witnesses: Dr. Steve Cantrell, Chief Research Officer, Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Dr. James P.
McIntyre, Jr., Superintendent, Knox County Schools, Knoxville,
Tennessee; Dr. Rodney Watson, Chief of Human Resources, Houston
Independent School District, Houston, Texas; and Mr. Emanuel
Harper, French Teacher, Herron High School, Indianapolis,
Indiana.
April 10, 2013--``Raising the Bar: Reviewing STEM Education in
America'' (Printed Hearing 113-12)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the state of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in
America.
Witnesses: Mr. George A. Scott, Director for Education,
Workforce and Income Security Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Ioannis Miaoulis,
President and Director, Museum of Science, Boston,
Massachusetts; Dr. Steve Schneider, Senior Program Director,
WestEd, San Francisco, California; and Mr. Bill Kurtz, Chief
Executive Officer, Denver School of Science and Technology,
Denver, Colorado.
June 27, 2013--``School Meal Regulations: Discussing the Costs and
Consequences for Schools and Students'' (Printed Hearing 113-
25)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine regulations
issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to carry out the
requirements of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act, the last
reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which passed the
House of Representatives in December 2010.
Witnesses: Ms. Kay E. Brown, Director for Education,
Workforce, and Income Security Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Megan Schaper,
Director of Food and Nutrition Services, State College Area
School District, State College, Pennsylvania; Dr. Margo Wootan,
Director of Nutrition Policy, Center for Science in the Public
Interest, Washington, D.C. and Ms. Sandra Ford, Director of
Food and Nutrition Services, Manatee County School District,
Bradenton, Florida.
September 20, 2013--``Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs: A
Discussion on Career and Technical Education and Training
Programs'' (Printed Hearing 113-34)
The purpose of this hearing was to explore how the federal
government can support innovative state and local career and
technical education programs that are preparing students for
the 21st century workforce.
Witnesses: Mr. Alvin Bargas, President, Pelican Chapter
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc., Baton Rouge,
Louisiana; Dr. Sheila Harrity, Principal, Worcester Technical
High School, Worcester, Massachusetts; Mr. John Fischer, Deputy
Commissioner, Transformation and Innovation, Vermont Agency of
Education, Montpelier, Vermont; and Mr. Frank Britt, Chief
Executive Officer, Penn Foster Inc., Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
HEARINGS
(LINKS ARE TO THE COMMITTEE WEBSITE)
February 13, 2013--``The Future of the NLRB: What Noel Canning vs. NLRB
Means for Workers, Employers and Unions'' (Printed Hearing 113-
2)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine decisions issued
by the National Labor Relations Board and discuss the
implications of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia's Noel Canning v. NLRB decision.
Witnesses: Mr. Lawrence Z. Lorber, Member of the Firm,
Proskauer, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Raymond J. LaJeunesse, Jr.,
Vice President & Legal Director, National Right to Work Legal
Defense Foundation, Inc., Springfield, Virginia; Ms. N.
Elizabeth Reynolds, Member of the Firm, Allison, Slutsky &
Kennedy, P.C., Chicago, Illinois; and Mr. G. Roger King, Of
Counsel, Jones Day, Columbus, Ohio (Testifying on behalf of the
Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America and the
Coalition for a Democratic Workplace).
March 5, 2013--``Challenges Facing Multiemployer Pension Plans:
Reviewing the Latest Findings by PBGC and GAO'' (Printed
Hearing 113-8)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine reports by the
Government Accountability Office and Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation regarding the challenges facing multiemployer
pension plans.
Witnesses: The Honorable Joshua Gotbaum, Director, Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Charles
Jeszeck, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security,
U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.; Mr.
Harold Force, President, Force Construction Co., Inc.,
Columbus, Indiana; and Mr. Anthony M. Perrone, International
Secretary-Treasurer, United Food and Commercial Workers
International Union, Washington, D.C.
April 30, 2013--``Healthcare Challenges Facing North Carolina's Workers
and Job Creators'' (Printed Hearing 113-16) (Field Hearing)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the consequences
of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on North
Carolina employees and employers.
Witnesses: Mr. Chuck Horne, President, Hornwood Inc.,
Lilesville, North Carolina; Ms. Tina Haynes, Chief Human
Resource Officer, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Salisbury,
North Carolina; Mr. Adam Searing, Director, Health Access
Coalition, Raleigh, North Carolina; Mr. Marshall ``Ken''
Conrad, Chairman, Libby Hill Seafood Restaurants, Greensboro,
North Carolina; Mr. Dave Bass, Vice President, Compensation and
Associate Wellness, Delhaize America, Concord, North Carolina;
Mr. Ed Tubel, Founder and CEO, Tricor Inc., Charlotte, North
Carolina; Dr. Olson Huff, Pediatrician, Asheville, North
Carolina; and Mr. Bruce Silver, President and CEO, Racing
Electronics, Concord, North Carolina.
June 12, 2013--``Strengthening the Multiemployer Pension System: What
Reforms Should Policymakers Consider?'' (Printed Hearing 113-
21)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine potential
solutions to the challenges facing the multiemployer pension
system, including the potential insolvency of the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation's multiemployer insurance program.
Witnesses: Mr. Randy DeFrehn, Executive Director, National
Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans, Washington,
D.C.; Mr. Eric Dean, General Secretary, International
Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing
Iron Workers, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Teresa Ghilarducci,
Professor, The New School for Social Research, New York, New
York; and Ms. Michele Murphy, Executive VP of HR and Corporate
Communications, SUPERVALU Inc.; Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
June 26, 2013--H.R. 2346, ``Secret Ballot Protection Act,'' and H.R.
2347, ``Representation Fairness Restoration Act'' (Printed
Hearing 113-24)
The purpose of this hearing was to discuss H.R. 2346, the
Secret Ballot Protection Act, and H.R. 2347, the Representation
Fairness Restoration Act. H.R. 2346, introduced by Rep. Roe (R-
TN), requires a secret ballot election before a union can be
certified or decertified under the National Labor Relations
Act, eliminating union recognition through card check. H.R.
2347, introduced by Rep. Price (R-GA), would reverse the
National Labor Relations Board's Specialty Healthcare decision
and allow for the creation of micro unions. Thus, the bill
would reinstate the traditional standard for determining the
appropriate unit of employees who will vote in a union
election.
Witnesses: Mr. Jerry M. Hunter, Partner, Bryan Cave, LLP,
St. Louis, Missouri; Mr. Eric Oppenheim, Chief Operating
Officer, Republic Foods Inc., Rockville, Maryland; Mr. Fred
Feinstein, Senior Fellow, University of Maryland, Takoma Park,
Maryland; Ms. Marlene Felter, Medical Records Coder, Costa
Mesa, California; and Mr. Glenn M. Taubman, Staff Attorney,
National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation,
Inc., Springfield, Virginia.
July 23, 2013--``The Employer Mandate: Examining the Delay and Its
Effect on Workplaces'' (Printed Hearing 113-28) (Joint Hearing
with the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act's employer mandate,
specifically with regard to the administration's decision to
delay enforcement of the employer mandate until 2015, and its
impact on job growth.
Witnesses: Ms. Grace-Marie Turner, President, Galen
Institute, Alexandria, Virginia; Mr. Jamie T. Richardson, Vice
President, White Castle System, Inc., Columbus, Ohio; Mr. Ron
Pollack, Executive Director, Families USA, Washington, D.C.;
and Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President, American Action Forum,
Washington, D.C.
August 27, 2013--``Health Care Challenges Facing Kentucky's Workers and
Job Creators'' (Printed Hearing 113-29) (Field Hearing)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the effects of
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Kentucky's
employers and workers. Specifically, witnesses discussed the
employer mandate, including the administration's decision to
delay enforcement until 2015, and the law's impact on job
growth and employment in Kentucky.
Witnesses: Mr. Tim Kanaly, Owner and President, Gary Force
Honda, Bowling Green, Kentucky; Mr. Joe Bologna, Owner, Joe
Bologna's Italian Pizzeria & Restaurant, Lexington, Kentucky;
Ms. Carrie Banahan, Executive Director, Office of the Kentucky
Health Benefits Exchange, Frankfort, Kentucky; Mr. John Humkey,
President and Founder, Employee Benefit Associates, Inc.,
Lexington, Kentucky; Ms. Janey Moores, President and CEO, BJM &
Associates, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky; Mr. Donnie Meadows, Vice
President of Human Resources, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc.,
Abingdon, Virginia; Ms. Debbie Basham, Southwest Breast Cancer
Awareness Group, Louisville, Kentucky; and Mr. John McPhearson,
CEO, Lectrodryer, Richmond, Kentucky.
September 19, 2013--``The Future of Union Organizing'' (Printed Hearing
113-33)
The purpose of this hearing was to review current trends in
union organizing, including a recent decline in union
participation and the increased role of worker centers in
organizing efforts. The hearing also provided members the
opportunity to examine how federal agencies are pursuing
policies to make it easier for unions to organize.
Witnesses: Mr. David R. Burton, General Counsel, National
Small Business Association, Washington, D.C., Mr. Ronald
Meisburg, Member of the Firm, Proskauer, Washington, D.C.; Mr.
Clarence Adams, Field Technician, Cablevision, Brooklyn, New
York; and Mr. Stefan J. Marculewicz, Shareholder, Littler
Mendelson, Washington, D.C.
October 29, 2013--``Strengthening the Multiemployer Pension System: How
Will Proposed Reforms Affect Employers, Workers, and Retirees''
(Printed Hearing 113-35)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the consequences
of proposed reforms for contributing employers and
multiemployer pension plan participants.
Witnesses: Ms. Carol Duncan, President, General Sheet Metal
Works, Clackamas, Oregon; Mr. David Certner, Legislative
Counsel and Legislative Policy Director, AARP Government
Affairs, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Sean Garvey, President, Building
and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Washington, D.C.;
and Mr. Thomas C. Nyhan, Executive Director, Central States
Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund, Rosemont, Illinois.
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
HEARINGS
(LINKS ARE TO THE COMMITTEE WEBSITE)
February 26, 2013--``Putting America Back to Work: Reforming the
Nation's Workforce Investment System'' (Printed Hearing 113-5)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Supporting
Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act,
introduced by Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), which would
reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
Witnesses: Mr. Chris Hart, President and CEO, Workforce
Florida, Inc., Tallahassee, Florida; Dr. Scott Ralls,
President, North Carolina Community College System, Raleigh,
North Carolina; Dr. Harry Holzer, Professor of Public Policy,
Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Mr.
Todd Gustafson, Executive Director, Michigan Works! Berrien-
Cass-Van Buren, Benton Harbor, Michigan.
April 9, 2013--``Reviving Our Economy: The Role of Higher Education in
Job Growth and Development'' (Printed Hearing 113-11)
The purpose of this hearing was to explore the role of
higher education institutions in fostering job creation and
economic growth.
Witnesses: Mr. Henry Lievens, Commissioner, Monroe County,
Monroe, Michigan; Ms. Lynette Dowler, Plant Director, Fossil
Generation, DTE Energy, Detroit, Michigan; Ms. Susan Smith,
Executive Director, Economic Development Partnership of
Hillsdale County, Jonesville, Michigan; Mr. Dan Fairbanks, UAW
International Representative UAW-GM Skill Development and
Training Department, Detroit, Michigan; Mr. David E. Nixon,
President, Monroe County Community College, Monroe, Michigan;
Sister Peg Albert, OP, Ph.D., President, Siena Heights
University, Adrian, Michigan; Dr. Michelle Shields, Career
Coach/Workforce Development, Director, Jackson Community
College, Jackson, Michigan; and Mr. Douglas A. Levy, Director
of Financial Aid, Macomb Community College, Warren, Michigan.
April 16, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: The Role of Federal
Student Aid Programs'' (Printed Hearing 113-14)
The purpose of this hearing was discuss opportunities to
simplify and strengthen federal aid programs to help more
students earn a college degree.
Witnesses: Mr. Terry W. Hartle, Senior Vice President,
Division of Government and Public Affairs, American Council on
Education, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Moriah Miles, State Chair,
Minnesota State University Student Association, Mankato,
Minnesota; Ms. Patricia McGuire, President, Trinity Washington
University, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Dan Madzelan, Former
Employee (Retired), U.S. Department of Education, University
Park, Maryland.
April 24, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: Enhancing Transparency
for Students, Families and Taxpayers'' (Printed Hearing 113-15)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine ways to improve
the information provided by the federal government to inform
students and families about their postsecondary education
options.
Witnesses: Dr. Donald E. Heller, Dean, College of
Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan;
Mr. Alex Garrido, Student, Keiser University, Miami, Florida;
Dr. Nicole Farmer Hurd, Founder and Executive Director,
National College Advising Corps, Carrboro, North Carolina; and
Mr. Travis Reindl, Program Director, Postsecondary Education,
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices,
Washington, D.C.
June 13, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: Discussing Program
Quality through Accreditation'' (Printed Hearing 113-22)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the historical
role of accreditation and discuss the role of regional and
national accreditors in measuring institutional quality.
Witnesses: Dr. Elizabeth H. Sibolski, President, Middle
States Commission on Higher Education, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Dr. Michale McComis, Executive Director,
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges,
Arlington, Virginia; Ms. Anne D. Neal, President, American
Council of Trustees and Alumni, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Kevin
Carey, Director of the Education Policy Program, The New
America Foundation, Washington, D.C.
September 11, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: Supporting Higher
Education Opportunities for America's Servicemembers and
Veterans'' (Printed Hearing 113-31)
The purpose of this hearing was to explore the steps
colleges and universities are taking to support American
servicemembers and veterans, while also discussing best
practices that might be utilized by institutions more broadly.
Witnesses: Mrs. Kimrey W. Rhinehardt, Vice President for
Federal and Military Affairs, The University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Dr. Arthur F. Kirk, Jr.,
President, Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida; Dr.
Russell S. Kitchner, Vice President for Regulatory and
Governmental Relations, American Public University System,
Charles Town, West Virginia; and Dr. Ken Sauer, Senior
Associate Commissioner for Research and Academic Affairs,
Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Indianapolis, Indiana.
September 18, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: Improving Access
and Affordability through Innovative Partnerships'' (Printed
Hearing 113-32)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine steps higher
education institutions are taking to expand access and reduce
costs by partnering with local employers, other colleges, or
online course providers.
Witnesses: Dr. Jeffrey Docking, President, Adrian College,
Adrian, Michigan; Ms. Paula R. Singer, President and CEO,
Laureate Global Products and Services, Baltimore, Maryland; Dr.
Rich Baraniuk, Professor, Rice University, Founder, Connexions,
Houston, Texas; and Dr. Charles Lee Isbell, Jr., Professor and
Senior Associate Dean, College of Computing, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
December 3, 2013--``Keeping College Within Reach: Strengthening Pell
Grants for Future Generations'' (Printed Hearing 113-41)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine proposals for
reforming the Pell Grant program in an effort to better target
funds to the neediest students and put the program on a
fiscally responsible and sustainable path.
Witnesses: Mr. Justin Draeger, President and CEO, National
Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators,
Washington, D.C.; Dr. Jenna Ashley Robinson, Director of
Outreach, John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy,
Raleigh, North Carolina; Mr. Michael Dannenberg, Director of
Higher Education and Education Finance Policy, The Education
Trust, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Richard C. Heath, Director,
Student Financial Services, Anne Arundel Community College,
Arnold Maryland.
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
HEARINGS
(LINKS ARE TO THE COMMITTEE WEBSITE)
February 14, 2013--``Sequestration: Examining Employers' WARN Act
Responsibilities'' (Printed Hearing 113-3)
The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the application
of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act
to potential sequestration-caused layoffs in light of the
Office of Management and Budget's guidance stating it would
indemnify contractors that incurred WARN Act-related costs.
Witnesses: The Honorable Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary,
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Kerry Notestine, Shareholder,
Littler Mendelson, Houston, Texas; Mr. Thomas Gies, Partner,
Crowell & Moring LLP, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Ross Eisenbrey,
Vice President, Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.;
and Ms. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Senior Fellow, Manhattan
Institute for Policy Research, Washington, D.C.
March 14, 2013--``Examining the Role of Lower-Skilled Guest Worker
Programs in Today's Economy'' (Printed Hearing 113-10)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine whether lower-
skilled, non-agricultural guest worker programs are meeting the
needs of today's workers and employers.
Witnesses: Ms. Laura Foote Reiff, Co-Managing Shareholder,
Greenberg Traurig LLP, Tysons Corner, Virginia, (testifying on
behalf of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition); Mr. Fred
Benjamin, Chief Operating Officer, Medicalodges, Inc.,
Coffeyville, Kansas, (testifying on behalf of the American
Health Care Association); Ms. Mary Bauer, Legal Director,
Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, Alabama; and Mr. Dan
Musser, President, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan.
April 11, 2013--H.R. 1406, ``Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013''
(Printed Hearing 113-13)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine H.R. 1406, the
Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013, introduced by Rep.
Martha Roby (R-AL), which amends the Fair Labor Standards Act
of 1938 to allow private-sector employers to offer their
employees the choice of paid compensatory time in lieu of cash
wages for working overtime.
Witnesses: Ms. Juanita Phillips, Director of Human
Resources, Intuitive Research and Technology Corp., Huntsville,
Alabama; Ms. Karen DeLoach, Montgomery, Alabama; Ms. Judith
Lichtman, Senior Advisor, National Partnership for Women and
Families, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Andy Brantley, President
and CEO, CUPA-HR, Knoxville, Tennessee.
May 22, 2013--``Examining the Regulatory and Enforcement Actions of the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission'' (Printed Hearing 113-
19)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the regulatory
and enforcement actions of the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, the independent federal agency tasked with
enforcing laws that protect individuals from employment
discrimination.
Witness: The Honorable Jacqueline A. Berrien, Chair, Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington, D.C.
June 18, 2013--``Promoting the Accuracy and Accountability of the
Davis-Bacon Act'' (Printed Hearing 113-23)
This purpose of this hearing was to examine the impact of
the Davis-Bacon Act on construction contractors and to review a
regulatory proposal expanding Davis-Bacon Act coverage to
survey crews.
Witnesses: The Honorable Erica Groshen, Commissioner,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Curtis
Sumner, Executive Director, National Society of Professional
Surveyors, Frederick, Maryland; Mr. Ross Eisenbrey, Vice
President, Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Mr.
Maurice Baskin, Shareholder, Littler Mendelson P.C.,
Washington, D.C.
July 10, 2013--``Examining the Labor Department's Proposed Reforms to
the FECA Program'' (Printed Hearing 113-27)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Department
of Labor's proposed reforms to the Federal Employees'
Compensation Act, the workers' compensation program for federal
employees.
Witnesses: Dr. Scott Szymendera, Congressional Research
Service, U.S. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Gary
Steinberg, Acting Director, Office of Workers' Compensation
Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.; Mr.
Andrew Sherrill, Director of Education, Workforce and Income
Security, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington,
D.C.; and Dr. Seth Seabury, Associate Professor, Department of
Emergency Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of
Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
July 23, 2013--``The Employer Mandate: Examining the Delay and Its
Effect on Workplaces'' (Printed Hearing 113-28) (Joint Hearing
with the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and
Pensions)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act's employer mandate,
specifically with regard to the administration's decision to
delay enforcement of the employer mandate until 2015, and its
impact on job growth.
Witnesses: Ms. Grace-Marie Turner, President, Galen
Institute, Alexandria, Virginia; Mr. Jamie T. Richardson, Vice
President, White Castle System, Inc., Columbus, Ohio; Mr. Ron
Pollack, Executive Director, Families USA, Washington, D.C.;
and Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President, American Action Forum,
Washington, D.C.
November 20, 2013--``Redefining Companion Care: Jeopardizing Access to
Affordable Care for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities''
(Printed Hearing 113-40)
This hearing focused on the consequences of the Department
of Labor's (DOL) final rule pertaining to the minimum wage and
overtime requirements for companion care services under the
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.
Witnesses: Ms. Lucy Andrews, Vice Chair, National
Association for Home Care & Hospice, Washington, D.C.; Mr.
Joseph Bensmihen, President and Chief Executive Officer, United
Elder Care Services, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida; Ms. Karen Kulp,
President, Home Care Associates, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
and Mr. Alexander J. Passantino, Senior Counsel, Seyfarth Shaw
LLP, Washington, D.C.
December 4, 2013--``Examining Recent Actions by the Office of Federal
Contract Compliance Programs'' (Printed Hearing 113-43)
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the regulatory
activities of the Department of Labor's Office of Federal
Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the federal agency that
enforces nondiscrimination and affirmative action requirements
applicable to federal contractors and subcontractors.
Specifically, this hearing focused on two finalized rules from
OFCCP regarding contractors' nondiscrimination and affirmative
action requirements with respect to hiring veterans and
individuals with disabilities.
Witnesses: Ms. Patricia Shiu, Director, Office of Federal
Contract Compliance Programs, U.S. Department of Labor,
Washington, D.C.; Mr. David Fortney, Co-Founder, Fortney &
Scott, LLC, Washington, D.C., testifying on behalf of H.R.
Policy Association; Mr. Thomas Shanahan, Vice President and
General Counsel, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,
North Carolina; Mr. Brian Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer,
Easter Seals New Jersey, East Brunswick, New Jersey; and Mr.
Curt Kirschner, Partner, Jones Day, San Francisco, California,
testifying on behalf of the American Hospital Association.
OVERSIGHT PLAN SUMMARY AND CORRESPONDENCE
(LINKS ARE TO THE COMMITTEE WEBSITE)
On January 22, 2013, the committee adopted an oversight
plan for the 113th Congress. Oversight is a core function of
committee operations. As such, the committee works to
thoroughly monitor and investigate the various agencies,
departments, and programs within its jurisdiction. The
committee's oversight plan ensures this work is well-informed
and Congress meets its responsibility for evaluating the
effectiveness and administration of federal laws. Diligent
oversight of federal programs will help promote policies that
promote economic growth, support a stronger workforce, and
improve education in America.
Conducting oversight is an established responsibility of
the Congress. The power to gather information and investigate
is essential and inherent to the legislative process. It is
Congress's obligation to monitor proposed federal rules to
ensure laws are implemented as Congress intends. Likewise,
Congress has the power to obtain information and conduct
investigations to improve agency implementation of existing
laws and inform the development of any needed legislation.
Congress also exercises this power when examining situations
involving waste, fraud, and abuse. In the end, taxpayers
benefit from a robust examination of current practices.
The committee's oversight plan for the 113th Congress
identified several particular issues of interest:
Implementation of Elementary and Secondary
Education Programs and Projects
Access for Students to Postsecondary Education
Programs
Implementation of Early Childhood Care and
Education Programs
Access to Safe and Secure Learning Environments
for Children
Access to Effective Workforce Training Programs
and Activities
Administration of Retirement Security Programs
Administration of Union Democracy
Implementation of Health Care and Employer-
sponsored Health Benefits Plans
Administration of Workplace Safety Requirements
To evaluate the effectiveness and administration of federal
laws, the committee initiated the following correspondence:
January 22, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, regarding the
request for three overdue reports from the department
required by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
January 25, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, regarding the
Administration for Children and Families' plans to propose
a rule to update regulations related to the Child Care and
Development Fund.
January 31, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, regarding the
administration's plans to address gun violence, including
school safety and mental health proposals.
January 31, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, regarding the administration's
plans to address gun violence, including school safety and
mental health proposals.
January 31, 2013--Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S.
Department of Justice, regarding the administration's plans
to address gun violence, including school safety and mental
health proposals.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, asking the department to ensure
the implementation of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship
Program (OSP) is made available to eligible students.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Acting Secretary Seth Harris, U.S.
Department of Labor, regarding the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting program
funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Dr. LaVera L. Leonard, Ed. D.,
President, National Job Corps Association, regarding the
review of the Job Corps program and review of its financial
accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Deputy Inspector General, Mr.
Daniel R. Petrole, Office of Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Labor, regarding the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting of program
funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Roy Adams, President, Adams and
Associates, Inc., discussing the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting program
funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Robert Sabochik, Chief Operating
Officer, Alutiiq Professional Services, LLC, discussing the
review of the Job Corps program and review of its financial
accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Richard Hobbs, II, CEO/President,
Alutiiq, LLC, discussing the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting program
funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Thony Martino, Project Manager,
Applied Technology Systems, discussing the review of the
Job Corps program and review of its financial accounting
program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Pam Hess, President, Career
Opportunities Inc., discussing the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting program
funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Gregory Burden, President & CEO,
Career Systems Development Corporation, discussing the
review of the Job Corps program and review of its financial
accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Diane Kelley, Executive Director,
Career Services, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, discussing
the review of the Job Corps program and review of its
financial accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Mary Cohorst, President, Chugach
Education Services Inc., discussing the review of the Job
Corps program and review of its financial accounting
program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Robert Viramontes, President,
Chugach Government Services, discussing the review of the
Job Corps program and review of its financial accounting
program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Scott Davis, President, Chugach
World Services, discussing the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting program
funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Dave Stout, President, Del-Jen,
Inc., discussing the review of the Job Corps program and
review of its financial accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Mark Douglass, President, Dynamic
Educational Systems, Inc., discussing the review of the Job
Corps program and review of its financial accounting
program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Brian Fox, President, Education and
Training Resources, discussing the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting program
funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to William Hall, President, Horizons
Youth Services, discussing the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting program
funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Scott Marquardt, President,
Management and Training Corporation, discussing the review
of the Job Corps program and review of its financial
accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Booker Jones, President & CEO,
MINACT, Inc, discussing the review of the Job Corps program
and review of its financial accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Lisa Odle, President, Odle
Management, discussing the review of the Job Corps program
and review of its financial accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Rick Myers, Senior Vice President,
Job Corps Operations, ResCare, Inc., discussing the review
of the Job Corps program and review of its financial
accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Steve Davis, Executive Director,
Texas Educational Foundation, discussing the review of the
Job Corps program and review of its financial accounting
program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Joe Dupuis, Executive Secretary,
Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes of the Flathead Indian Nation, discussing the review
of the Job Corps program and review of its financial
accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Antoine Dixon, Director of US
Forest Service Job Corps, US Forest Service, discussing the
review of the Job Corps program and review of its financial
accounting program funds.
February 1, 2013--Letter to Faye Washington, CEO, YWCA of
Greater Los Angeles, discussing the review of the Job Corps
program and review of its financial accounting program
funds.
February 13, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, regarding spending
decisions by the Administration for Children and Families
detailed in the response to a question for the record
submitted following the April 16, 2012 hearing entitled,
``Reviewing the President's Fiscal Year 2013 Budget
Proposal for the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.''
March 15, 2013--Letter to Acting Secretary Seth Harris, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting a copy of the study
required under Section 1513(c) of the Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act, which directed the Department of
Labor to undertake a study concerning whether employees'
wages are reduced due to tax penalties imposed under the
Act.
March 15, 2013--Letter to Chairman Mark G. Pearce, National
Labor Relations Board and to Lafe E. Solomon, Acting
General Counsel, National Labor Relations Board regarding
the effect of sequestration under the Budget Control Act of
2011 on the National Labor Relations Board.
March 19, 2013--Letter to Acting Secretary Seth Harris, U.S.
Department of Labor, regarding employer comments summarized
by the Federal Reserve regarding the potential impact of
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on hiring
practices.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Chairman Jim Leach, National
Endowment for the Humanities, regarding the effects of the
sequestration under Budget Control Act of 2011 on the
National Endowment for the Humanities.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, regarding the
effect of sequestration under the Budget Control Act of
2011 on the Department of Health and Human Services.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Acting Chairwoman Joan Shigekawa,
National Endowment for the Arts, regarding the effect of
sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 on the
National Endowment for the Arts.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Acting Administrator, Bob Perciasepe,
Environmental Protection Agency, regarding the Budget
Control Act of 2011.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Director Susan Hildreth, Institute of
Museum and Library Services, regarding the effect of
sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 on the
Institute of Museum and Library Services.
March 21, 2013--Letter to The Honorable Wendy Spencer, Office
of the Chief Executive Officer, Corporation for National
and Community Service, regarding the effect of
sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 on the
Corporation for National and Community Service.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Secretary Ken Salazar, U.S.
Department of the Interior, regarding the effect of
sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 on the
Department of the Interior.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S.
Department of Justice, regarding the effect of
sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 on the
Department of Justice.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, regarding the effect of
sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 on the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
March 21, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, regarding the effect of
sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 on the
Department of Education.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, regarding issuing of temporary,
conditional waivers of requirements under the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. John Huppenthal, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Arizona Department of Education,
regarding issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of
requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Tom Kimbrell, Commissioner of
Education, Arkansas Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Robert Hammond, Commissioner of
Education, Colorado Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Stefan Pryor, Commissioner of
Education, Connecticut Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Mark Murphy, Secretary of
Education, Delaware Department of Education, issuing of
temporary, conditional waivers of requirements under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Ms. Hosanna Mahaley Jones, State
Superintendent of Education, Office of the State
Superintendent of Education, regarding issuing of
temporary, conditional waivers of requirements under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Tony Bennett, Commissioner of
Education, Florida Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. John Barge, State Superintendent
of Schools, Georgia Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Thomas Luna, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Idaho Department of Education,
regarding issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of
requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Ms. Glenda Ritz, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Indiana Department of Education,
regarding issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of
requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Diane DeBacker, Commissioner of
Education, Kansas State Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Terry Holliday, Commissioner of
Education, Kentucky Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. John White, State Superintendent,
Louisiana Department of Education, regarding issuing of
temporary, conditional waivers of requirements under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Lillian Lowery, Superintendent of
Schools, Maryland Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Mitchell Chester, Commissioner of
Education, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education, regarding issuing of temporary,
conditional waivers of requirements under the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Mike Flanagan, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Michigan Department of Education,
regarding issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of
requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Commissioner,
Minnesota Department of Education, regarding issuing of
temporary, conditional waivers of requirements under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Lynn House, Interim State
Superintendent, Mississippi Department of Education,
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Chris L. Nicastro, Commissioner
of Education, Missouri Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education, regarding issuing of temporary,
conditional waivers of requirements under the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Ms. Rorie Fitzpatrick, Interim State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Nevada Department of
Education, regarding issuing of temporary, conditional
waivers of requirements under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Christopher Serf, Commissioner of
Education, New Jersey Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Ms. Hanna Skandera, Secretary of
Education, New Mexico Public Education Department,
regarding issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of
requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. John B. King, Jr., Commissioner
of Education, New York Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. June Atkinson, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction, regarding issuing of temporary, conditional
waivers of requirements under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Richard Ross, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Ohio Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Janet Barresi, State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Oklahoma State
Department of Education, regarding issuing of temporary,
conditional waivers of requirements under the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Rudy Crew, Chief Education
Officer, Oregon Education Investment Board, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Deborah Gist, Commissioner of
Education, Rhode Island Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Mitchell M. ``Mick'' Zais, State
Superintendent of Education, South Carolina Department of
Education, regarding issuing of temporary, conditional
waivers of requirements under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Melody Schopp, Secretary of
Education, South Dakota Department of Education & Cultural
Affairs, regarding issuing of temporary, conditional
waivers of requirements under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Kevin Huffman, Commissioner of
Education, Tennessee Department of Education, regarding
issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of requirements
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Patricia Wright, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Virginia Department of Education,
regarding issuing of temporary, conditional waivers of
requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Mr. Randy Dorn, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Washington State Department Office of
Superintendent Public Instruction, regarding issuing of
temporary, conditional waivers of requirements under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Dr. Tony Evers, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction, regarding issuing of temporary, conditional
waivers of requirements under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Acting Secretary Seth Harris, U.S.
Department of Labor, regarding concerns with temporary,
conditional waivers of requirements under the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act.
April 19, 2013--Letter to Acting Secretary Seth Harris, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting a copy of the study
required under Section 1513(c) of the Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act, which directed the Department of
Labor to undertake a study concerning whether employees'
wages are reduced due to tax penalties imposed under the
Act
May 14, 2013--Letter to Acting Secretary Seth D. Harris, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting documents and
communications related to agency actions involving
allegations of embezzlement from the International Union of
Operating Engineers Local 501.
May 14, 2013--Letter to Deputy Inspector General Daniel R.
Petrole, U.S. Department of Labor, documentation and
communications related to agency action involving
allegations of embezzlement from the International Union of
Operating Engineers Local 501.
May 14, 2013--Letter to Ms. Kathryn Ruemmler, Counsel to the
President, The White House, requesting information related
to the nomination of Richard Griffin to the National Labor
Relations Board.
May 24, 2013--Letter to Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Office
of Management and Budget, requesting information related to
the Spring 2013 Unified Regulatory Agenda.
May 29, 2013- Letter to Acting Secretary Seth Harris, U.S.
Department of Labor, regarding the Department of Labor's
Office of Labor-Management Standards' proposed changes to
the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
``advice'' exception.
May 30, 2013--Letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, expressing concern regarding the Department
of Agriculture's proposed new regulations regarding
competitive foods.
June 5, 2013- Letter to Assistant Secretary David Michaels,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting information regarding the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's work to
create a new federal regulatory program, entitled the
``Injury and Illness Prevention Program.''
June 6, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services; Secretary Jacob J.
Lew, U.S. Department of the Treasury; and Acting Secretary
Seth D. Harris, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting
clarification of the administration's regulatory and
enforcement efforts related to stop loss insurance.
June 13, 2013--Letter to Assistant Secretary David Michaels,
PhD, MPH, Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
U.S. Department of Labor, requesting information regarding
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's letter
of interpretation allowing Compliance Safety and Health
Officers to be accompanied by third parties.
June 18, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Department
of Education, requesting information on the department's
submission to the Office of Management and Budget for
publication in the Spring 2013 Unified Regulatory Agenda.
June 18, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, requesting
information on the department's submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for publication in the Spring 2013
Unified Regulatory Agenda.
June 18, 2013--Letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, requesting information on the department's
submission to the Office of Management and Budget for
publication in the Spring 2013 Unified Regulatory Agenda.
June 18, 2013--Letter to Acting Secretary Seth D. Harris, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting information on the
department's submission to the Office of Management and
Budget for publication in the Spring 2013 Unified
Regulatory Agenda.
July 11, 2013--Letter to Acting Deputy Administrator Mary Beth
Maxwell, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor,
concerning the Wage and Hour Division's March 22, 2013
guidance letter related to the applicability of the Davis-
Bacon Act to survey technicians.
July 23, 2013--Letter to Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S.
Department of Labor, regarding an official determination as
to the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act filing
requirements of worker centers and all related documents
and communications.
August 1, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, regarding a proposal to expand the
scope of the National Student Loan Data System.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Thomas Bice, Superintendent of
Education, Alabama Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Mike Hanley, Commissioner of
Education, Alaska Department of Education and Early
Development, requesting information on the state's
statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. John Huppenthal, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Arizona Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Tom W. Kimbrell, Commissioner of
Education, Arkansas Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Tom Torlakson, State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department
of Education, requesting information on the state's
statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Robert Hammond, Commissioner of
Education, Colorado Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Stefan Pryor, Commissioner of
Education, Connecticut Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Ms. Emily Durso, Interim State
Superintendent, District of Columbia Office of the State
Superintendent of Education, requesting information on the
state's statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Mark Murphy, Secretary of
Education, Delaware Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Ms. Pam Stewart, Interim Commissioner
of Education, Florida Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. John D. Barge, State
Superintendent of Schools, Georgia Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Ms. Kathryn Matayoshi, Superintendent
of Education, Hawaii State Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Thomas Luna, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Idaho Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Christopher A. Koch,
Superintendent of Education, Illinois State Department of
Education, requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Ms. Glenda Ritz, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Indiana Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Duane Magee, Interim Director,
Iowa Department of Education, requesting information on the
state's statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Diane M. DeBacker, Commissioner
of Education, Kansas State Department of Education,
requesting information on the State's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Terry Holiday, Commissioner of
Education, Kentucky Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. John White, State Superintendent,
Louisiana Department of Education, requesting information
on the state's statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Stephen Bowen, Commissioner,
Maine Department of Education, requesting information on
the state's statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Lillian M. Lowery, State
Superintendent of Schools, Maryland Department of
Education, requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Mitchell D. Chester, Commissioner
of Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Michael P. Flanagan, State
Superintendent, Michigan Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Commissioner,
Minnesota Department of Education, requesting information
on the state's statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Lynn J. House, Interim State
Superintendent, Mississippi Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Chris L. Nicastro, Commissioner
of Education, Missouri Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education, requesting information on the state's
statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Ms. Denise Juneau, Superintendent,
Montana Office of Public Instruction, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Scott Swisher, Deputy
Commissioner, Nebraska Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Ms. Rorie Fitzpatrick, Interim State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Nevada Department of
Education, requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Virginia M. Barry, Commissioner
of Education, New Hampshire Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Christopher D. Cerf, Commissioner
of Education, New Jersey Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Ms. Hanna Skandera, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, New Mexico Public Education Department,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. John B. King Jr., Commissioner of
Education, New York Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. June Atkinson, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction, requesting information on the state's
statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Ms. Kirsten Baesler, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, North Dakota Department of Public
Instruction, requesting information on the state's
statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Richard A. Ross, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Ohio Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Janet C. Barresi, State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Oklahoma State
Department of Education, requesting information on the
state's statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Rob Saxton, Deputy Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Oregon Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. William Harner, Acting Secretary
of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Deborah A. Gist, Commissioner of
Education, Rhode Island Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Mick Zais, State Superintendent
of Education, South Carolina Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Melody Schopp, Secretary of
Education, South Dakota Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Kevin Huffman, Commissioner of
Education, Tennessee Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Michael L. Williams, Commissioner
of Education, Texas Education Agency, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Martell Menlove, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Utah State Office of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Armando Vilaseca, Secretary of
Education, Vermont Agency of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Patricia Wright, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Virginia Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Randy Dorn, State School
Superintendent, Washington Office of Superintendent of
Public Instruction, requesting information on the state's
statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. James B. Phares, Superintendent
of Schools, West Virginia Department of Education,
requesting information on the state's statewide
longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Dr. Tony Evers, State Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction, requesting information on the state's
statewide longitudinal data system.
August 9, 2013--Letter to Mr. Richard Crandall, Education
Director, Wyoming Department of Education, requesting
information on the state's statewide longitudinal data
system.
September 12, 2013--Letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, seeking more information
regarding the department's processes for providing notice
and communicating with stakeholders about its regulatory
proposals.
September 12, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, seeking more
information regarding the department's processes for
providing notice and communicating with stakeholders about
its regulatory proposals.
September 12, 2013--Letter to Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S.
Department of Labor, seeking more information regarding the
department's processes for providing notice and
communicating with stakeholders about its regulatory
proposals.
September 12, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, seeking more information regarding
the department's processes for providing notice and
communicating with stakeholders about its regulatory
proposals.
September 17, 2013--Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder,
U.S. Department of Justice, regarding the motion the U.S.
Department of Justice filed in the U.S. District Court for
the Eastern District of Louisiana to prevent the state from
offering private school choice opportunities to children in
school districts with existing desegregation orders.
September 18, 2013--Letter to Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S.
Department of Labor, and Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell,
Office of Management and Budget, requesting clarification
regarding the Obama administration's regulatory efforts
related to the Taft Hartley health insurance plans and the
Patient Protection and Affordable care Act.
September 19, 2013--Letter to Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting information on the
department's rulemaking concerning hiring and employment
policies of federal contractors affecting veterans and
individuals with disabilities.
September 19, 2013--Letter to Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting information concerning the
department's consideration of filing requirements for
worker centers under the Labor-Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act.
October 22, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, seeking more information regarding
the administration's development implementation of the ``8
Keys to Success: Supporting Veterans, Military, and
Military Families on Campus.''
October 22, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, requesting documents regarding the
department's program oversight and monitoring activities
relating to the Higher Education Act of 1965.
October 23, 2013--Letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S.
Department of Education, seeking recommendations on how
Congress might streamline processing of interest rate
benefits for active duty servicemembers relating to the
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
October 31, 2013--Letter to Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting information on the
department's final rule making changes to the minimum wage
and overtime exemption for companionship services under the
Fair Labor Standards Act.
November 1, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, requesting
information regarding worker centers that were awarded
grants under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act.
November 21, 2013--Letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro,
U.S. Government Accountability Office, requesting
information regarding a study of agency regulatory
processes.
December 3, 2013--Letter to Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S.
Department of Labor, regarding allegations that the Census
Bureau provided inaccurate data for use in employment
situation reports and requesting the Bureau of Labor
Statistic's protocols for receiving, reviewing, and
processing survey data provided by the Census Bureau.
December 3, 2013--Letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, requesting
information on the department's regulatory efforts related
to Taft Hartley health insurance plans and the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act.
December 3, 2013--Letter to Secretary Thomas E. Perez, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting information on the
department's regulatory efforts related to Taft-Hartley
health insurance plans and the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act.
December 4, 2013--Letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro,
U.S. Government Accountability Office, requesting an
updated report regarding fraud and abuse within the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children.
December 6, 2013--Letter to Director Patricia Shui, U.S.
Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Programs, requesting information on the department's
rulemaking concerning hiring and employment policies of
federal contractors affecting veterans and individuals with
disabilities.
December 17, 2013--Letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro,
U.S. Government Accountability Office, regarding paperwork
burdens under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act and the utilization of paperwork reduction provisions
in the 2004 reauthorization.
MINORITY VIEWS
Early Childhood. Research is clear on both the short- and
long-term positive outcomes of quality preschool programs,
including reduction of achievement gaps in elementary and
secondary education and significant returns on investment.
Committee Democrats have shown their commitment to improving
access to high-quality early learning opportunities and hope
Committee Republicans take meaningful action on this issue
during the second session of the 113th Congress. Business,
school, law enforcement, military, and economic leaders have
expressed broad consensus that additional strategic investments
in early childhood education are essential to our country's
economic growth and military readiness. Despite this widespread
consensus, the Committee has taken no action on this important
policy issue so far this Congress.
Child Nutrition. The Committee plays a critical role in the
fight against hunger and the childhood obesity epidemic. In the
111th Congress, Committee Democrats led efforts to address
these issues through the enactment of the Healthy, Hunger-Free
Kids Act (HHFKA). Democrats continue to believe that food
standards are based on nutrition science, not politics.
Additionally, Committee Democrats have raised grave
concerns regarding provisions in the Federal Agriculture Reform
and Risk Management (FARRM) Act that change Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility requirements.
As a result of these changes, benefits for millions of people,
close to half low-income children, would be eliminated. The
changes would also impact participants of the Free and Reduced
Lunch Program, which provides needed food and nutrients to
children so they can academically compete with their peers.
These FARRM bill provisions could cause 280,000 low-income
children to lose access to free school lunches. The Committee
should act to examine the effects of these policies on
children's health, development, and education but has not done
so. The Committee should also exercise leadership and oppose
efforts to infuse politics into what should be science-based
nutrition decisions in the Special Supplemental Program for
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) package.
Child Safety. The safety of our children should be of the
highest priority for this Committee. Committee Republicans and
Committee Democrats worked in a bipartisan manner to pass two
child welfare bills in the House in 2013. One of these bills
reauthorized the Missing Children's Assistance Act, which was
signed into law by President Obama in September, and the other
was the Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators
Act, which the House passed in October.
Despite the June 2013 completion of several HHS reports
jointly requested by Committee Republicans and Committee
Democrats on child abuse prevention and treatment, Committee
Republicans have held no hearings on abusive seclusion and
restraint practices in schools, child abuse in residential
programs for teens, further prevention of sexual predators in
schools and youth athletic programs, and the health risks for
student athletes posed by concussions. Additionally, Committee
Democrats reintroduced legislation this session to protect
student athletes from concussions. Sports-related youth
concussions are a growing concern, with recent research
estimating 1.6-3.8 million injuries occurring each year. The
Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act would, for the
first time, set minimum safety standards for concussion
management in public schools across the country with plans that
educate students, parents and school personnel about how to
recognize and respond to concussions.
Committee Democrats remain committed to ensuring a safe
learning environment for every student. Increased access to
school-base mental health services and enactment of common-
sense gun violence prevention measures continue to be
Democratic priorities to increase student and community safety.
K-12 Education. This Congress Republicans passed a flawed,
partisan bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) that would do damage to students and
schools. Despite our history of bipartisanship on K-12
education policy, Committee Republicans chose a highly partisan
and ideologically-driven ESEA reauthorization approach that, if
it became law, would lock in funding cuts and take the country
back decades in education. When the Majority opted for
partisanship over consensus-driven solutions, they ensured the
bill would not be signed by the President who has called for a
bipartisan approach. This leaves the country with an outdated
law instead of an updated education system we know our schools,
communities, families and nation desperately need. The Obama
Administration's waiver process has given states some needed
flexibility and driven some reforms among the states. But that
patchwork of policies is no substitute for a full ESEA
reauthorization. Committee Democrats hope that in the second
session of the 113th Congress, Committee Republicans change
course and seek out a bipartisan reauthorization of ESEA to
modernize the elementary and secondary education system in our
nation.
Students with Disabilities. Committee Democrats are
committed to meeting the developmental and educational needs of
all children with disabilities to empower each individual to
pursue opportunities for post-secondary education, competitive
employment, independent living and full integration into
society. To meet these needs, Committee Democrats have
continued to fight for repeal of sequestration and reinvestment
in supports to ensure students with disabilities have access to
general education curriculum and challenging academic standards
and assessments through the Individuals with Disabilities Act
(IDEA). Committee Democrats firmly believe that high
expectations for all students, regardless of disability, are
imperative to improved outcomes for students with disabilities.
Democratic Members voiced unanimous opposition to the
Majority's efforts, through reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act, to lower standards and assessment
quality for students with disabilities. Committee Democrats
continue to monitor progress of the Federal Partners in
Transition comprised of the U.S. Departments of Education,
Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Social Security
Administration, to minimize obstacles to accessing federal
supports for successful transitions to competitive employment
and independent living for persons with disabilities.
Higher Education. College continues to be an important
pathway to the middle-class, but state budget cuts and stagnant
family finances have made college even more expensive.
Throughout this Congress, Committee Democrats fought to protect
and expand hard working students' ability to access a high
quality and affordable higher education. Meanwhile, the
Republican-passed budget threatened low and middle-income
students' access to college financial aid. Fortunately, those
cuts to vital programs such as Pell grants have been
successfully avoided.
Committee Democrats were pleased to join our Republican
colleagues in advancing the Improving Postsecondary Education
Data for Students Act (H.R. 1949) which will help students with
better information when enrolling in college. However, against
the Department of Education Inspector General's advice,
Committee Republicans marked-up the Supporting Academic Freedom
through Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 2637) which would limit the
Department's ability to regulate against waste, fraud and abuse
in the student aid program. In fighting student loan debt,
Committee Democrats were successful in stopping several
misguided and predatory provisions of the Republican-passed
student loan bill that would have increased interest rates and
student loan debt for millions of students in the final
compromise of the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act.
With respect to oversight of higher education and student
aid programs, Committee Democrats have sought to both protect
students and safeguard taxpayer funds, continuing investigative
work on the quality of servicing provided by federal student
loan servicers, the problems of predatory marketing practices
and hidden fees in on-campus debit cards contracted by some
institutions to disburse federal student aid, and issues
confronting private student borrowers attempting to repay their
debt. We hope that, with the Higher Education Act expiring next
year, reauthorization efforts will be aided by this oversight
work and that the Committee will work together to address the
issues of college affordability, costs and quality.
Jobs. Even as the country sees promising signs of a strong
economic recovery, the unemployment rate remains at 7 percent
with more than 11 million still unemployed and those who do
have jobs facing stagnate wages. While Committee Democrats
focused on job creation opportunities and strategies to
strengthen the middle class with legislation such as the
Community College to Career Fund, the Pathways Back to Work
Act, the Workforce Investment Act of 2013, and the Fair Minimum
Wage Act; Committee Republicans failed to take up any
meaningful job creation initiative either through hearings or
legislative markups.
Workers' Rights. During the first session of Congress, the
Republican Majority launched another attack on the rights of
hard working Americans with the introduction of H.R. 2346, the
Secret Ballot Protection Act, and H.R. 2347, the Representation
Fairness Restoration Act. H.R. 2346 seeks to completely
eliminate the ability of employers and unions to work out
voluntary, majority sign-up agreements designed to allow
workers to freely choose whether to organize without
interference and mandate easily-manipulated NLRB elections. The
bill has no public support, punishes business/labor
partnerships and has zero chance of ever becoming law.
H.R 2347 allows employers to gerrymander bargaining units
in order to prevent or sway the outcome of union elections,
frustrating workers' efforts to associate freely and exercise
their rights under the NLRA. This unprecedented, undemocratic
shift gives employers, instead of employees, the dominant voice
in determining the composition of bargaining units. Republicans
contend that this change is necessary because without it, the
recent NLRB decision in Specialty Healthcare will lead to the
proliferation of ``micro-unions.'' However, Democrats released
NLRB data during a hearing on the bill that reveals that since
the Specialty decision, the median size of election units has
actually increased, completely discrediting any rational
argument or justification for the legislation.
Wages and Hours. Committee Republicans have refused to take
action to provide hard-working low wage workers across the
nation an increase in the minimum wage. Not only have they
blocked action, but all Republicans voted in the House against
a motion by Democrats earlier this year to increase the minimum
wage. H.R. 1010 increases the minimum wage in three steps, from
$7.25 to $10.10 per hour. The rate will then be indexed to
inflation each year thereafter. In addition, the legislation
will increase the required cash wage for tipped workers in
annual 85 cent increases, from today's $2.13 per hour until the
tip credit reaches 70 percent of the regular minimum wage. A
minimum wage of $10.10 has broad public support. The demand for
fair pay is evident in the cities and towns across America
where we have seen courageous efforts by thousands of employees
at Walmart and other low-wage retail and fast food
establishments to speak out, putting their jobs on the line to
advocate for a decent wage that can support their families.
Just in the past couple of months, more than a half-dozen
national polls have shown strong, sustained public support for
increasing the minimum wage. This support cuts across all
political affiliations and regions of the country. Increasing
the minimum wage is about fairness, about boosting the economy,
and about ending a practice that allows companies to exploit
workers through low wages. A $10.10 minimum wage would give a
raise to some 28 million workers nationwide, two-thirds of whom
are women. The vast majority of these workers are adults (88
percent), and the additional household income would benefit
some 14 million children. An increase in the minimum wage would
be good for the economy. A $10.10 increase will generate a
total of $51 billion in increased compensation for working
families, some $32 billion in increased economic activity for
business, and create 140,000 additional jobs--providing an
important boost for our economy.
Instead of taking critical action on issues ranging from
wage theft to worker misclassification to the need for a
minimum wage increase, providing for paid sick days, or
meaningful workplace flexibility, Committee Republicans revived
a sixteen year old proposal to eliminate overtime pay for
millions of the nation's hard working families, and allow comp
time in lieu of pay only when it is convenient for the
employer. The bill was strongly opposed by a broad coalition of
women and family and worker advocacy organizations.
Mine Safety and Health. Committee Democrats have repeatedly
pressed for bipartisan efforts to reform mine safety laws, but
those efforts have been consistently rebuffed by Committee
Republicans. Despite repeated testimony before this Committee
by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety asking for
reform legislation that would give MSHA additional tools to
protect miners in light of the 2010 Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine
disaster, Committee Republicans maintained they would wait for
all of the UBB accident investigation reports to be completed
before considering legislative reforms. Key reports have been
in hand for more than two years, and yet there has been no
legislative action. Family members of deceased UBB miners met
with Republican and Democratic leaders of the Committee, asking
them to take legislative action. Still, no action has been
taken. Democrats introduced the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety
Protection Act of 2013, which includes legislative
recommendations made by the West Virginia Governor's
Independent Panel, MSHA and the DOL Inspector General. It is
available for markup.
Occupational Safety and Health. In 2012, 4,383 workers were
killed on the job from traumatic injuries, according to
preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and there
were at least 3.7 million occupational injuries/illnesses.
Disabling injuries cost the economy between $159 and $318
billion in both direct and indirect costs. The April 17, 2013
ammonium nitrate explosion at the West Chemical fertilizer
plant in West, Texas, which took the lives of 14 first
responders and residents, injured over 200 and leveled much of
the community, has raised questions about the shortage of OSHA
inspectors, questionable regulatory exemptions and inadequate
standards. Committee Democrats are concerned that such an
explosion may be possible at similar facilities across the
nation, and requested that the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) evaluate the regulatory gaps that need to be filled.
For many years, health care and social service workers have
faced a significant risk of job-related violence. Workplace
violence ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical
assaults, rape, and even homicide. Almost 60 percent of all
reported workplace assaults happen in hospitals, clinics, and
other health care settings, according to the Veterans
Administration. Committee Democrats have asked the GAO to
assess whether enforceable OSHA standards are needed so that
health care facilities take necessary steps to better protect
health care workers.
Rather than enacting pro-worker safety laws that would
require employers to promptly abate safety violations, expand
coverage for state and local government workers, provide for
modern whistleblower protections or speed the adoption of
standards to prevent combustible dust explosions, Committee
Republicans have urged delays on long overdue OSHA standards to
prevent silicosis, and have opposed efforts to require
employers to find and fix hazards as part of an injury and
illness prevention program. In the 113th Congress, the Majority
has taken no legislative action to improve workplace safety and
health.
Democrats believe our nation's job safety laws must be
strengthened. The Protecting America's Workers Act would bring
the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 into the 21st
century. The Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower
Protection Act would implement a key recommendation from the
National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and
Offshore Drilling. The Worker Protections Against Combustible
Dust Explosions and Fires Act of 2013 would speed the adoption
of regulations needed to prevent combustible dust explosions
and fires. Unfortunately, the Committee has held not a single
hearing on workplace safety and health so far in the 113th
Congress.
Workers' Compensation Programs. The Committee has worked on
a bipartisan basis to assess proposals that would cut workers'
compensation benefits under the Federal Employees Compensation
Act following the release of GAO reports which evaluated the
impact of such proposals to federal and postal workers injured
or killed in the line of duty. Committee Democrats have worked
to ensure that federal and postal workers are not made
economically worse off from injuries incurred in the line of
duty than if they had not been injured in the first place,
while ensuring taxpayers' interests are fairly protected
through necessary program integrity measures.
Health Care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is resulting in
real savings and greater health care security for millions of
families and has helped strengthen the economy. Beginning next
month, millions of Americans will have access to quality
affordable health care for the first time. However, since the
ACA was signed into law it has been under an unprecedented
assault by the Majority, who have held dozens of hearings to
criticize the law and brought nearly 50 votes to repeal it to
the House floor. Instead of trying to work with Democrats to
make improvements to the law where necessary, the Majority has
been singularly focused on destroying it and taking away the
opportunity of millions of Americans to have access to health
care for the first time. The need for the ACA was highlighted
at the Committee's field hearing in Kentucky where Debbie
Basham testified that while she had beaten breast cancer 17
years ago, she still could not find a health insurance company
to sell her a policy. She testified ``[b]ut because of the
Affordable Care Act, that will never again prevent me or the
millions of women like me across our country from getting the
coverage and care we need . . . [f]amilies will no longer lose
out on all the opportunities our nation offers simply because
they get sick.'' Committee Democrats remain committed to
working with the Administration and consumers as the law is
fully implemented and will continue to fight any attempt to
repeal the law and the protections it affords millions of
Americans.
Retirement Security. Retirement security remains a critical
concern for millions of Americans. The Committee held several
hearings during this period related to retirement issues,
primarily related to multiemployer pension plan issues.
Democrats urge the Committee to work collaboratively to put
forth legislation to strengthen and expand employer based
retirement plans, ensure adequate funding for such plans, and
improve the effectiveness of federal programs that guarantee
delivery of promised retirement benefits. Committee Democrats
support strong protections for workers' retirement funds and
urge the Committee to take additional steps to expand workers'
access to adequate retirement income.
Civil Rights. Despite the real opportunities this Committee
has to bring this nation's civil rights laws into the 21st
century, the Majority has failed to act. The Committee could
immediately act on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
to ensure that no worker can be discriminated against based on
his/her sexual orientation or gender identity. In November, the
Senate overwhelmingly passed ENDA by a vote of 64-32. More than
five months ago Representatives Miller and Polis sent a letter
to Chairman Kline requesting the Committee simply hold a
hearing on ENDA but have received no response. Committee
Democrats will continue to fight for consideration of this bill
until it receives a vote on the floor and becomes law.
Committee Democrats also remain committed to strengthening
other areas of the nation's civil rights laws and pressing for
consideration of legislation to protect against age
discrimination, pay discrimination and workplace harassment and
retaliation. Committee Democrats will also continue to work
with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the
Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Programs (OFCCP) in their efforts to protect the rights of
workers and strengthen their opportunities in the workforce.
George Miller,
Senior Democratic Member.
Robert E. Andrews.
Susan A. Davis.
Robert C. Scott.
Marcia L. Fudge.
Timothy H. Bishop.
Rush Holt.
Frederica S. Wilson.
John F. Tierney.
Ruben Hinojosa.
Raul M. Grijalva.
Mark Pocan.
Carolyn McCarthy.
Jared Polis.
Joe Courtney.
David Loebsack.
Suzanne Bonamici.
Gregoria Kilili Sablan.