[House Report 118-970]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 817
118th Congress } { Report
2d Session } { 118-970
======================================================================
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
FOR THE
118TH CONGRESS
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
January 2, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
57-864 WASHINGTON : 2025
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
----------
Committee on Education and the Workforce,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, January 2, 2025.
Hon. Kevin McCumber,
Acting Clerk of the House,
The Capitol, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. McCumber: Pursuant to rule XI, clause 1(d) of the
Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, I am hereby
transmitting the Activities Report of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce for the 118th Congress. This report
summarizes the activities of the Committee and its
Subcommittees with respect to its legislative and oversight
responsibilities.
I circulated this report to all Members of the Committee on
December 26, 2024, and I received the Minority views included
in this report.
Sincerely,
Virginia Foxx,
Chairwoman.
Union Calendar No. 817
118th Congress } { Report
2d Session } { 118-970
======================================================================
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE
WORKFORCE 118TH CONGRESS
_______
January 2, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Ms. Foxx, from the Committee on Education and the Workforce,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
INTRODUCTION
The Committee on Education and the Workforce began the
118th Congress with the goal of protecting the rights of
workers, job creators, students, and parents. The Committee
worked toward this goal through addressing the broken student
loan system for borrowers while protecting taxpayers,
strengthening workforce development programs, expanding access
to employer-sponsored health insurance, and protecting parents'
rights in schools.
The Committee also remained committed to its oversight
duties, considering seven Congressional Review Act resolutions
in Full Committee markups, sending letters to administration
officials, launching investigations into universities with
pervasive antisemitism on their campuses, issuing 29 subpoenas,
conducting four transcribed interviews and one deposition, and
holding multiple oversight hearings to review agencies'
policies and priorities.
Hearings Held by the Full Committee
February 8, 2023--Hearing titled ``American Education in Crisis.''
Purpose: To provide an overview of the main challenges
facing K-12 education, postsecondary education, and the
workforce development system.
Witnesses: Mrs. Virginia Gentles, Director, Education
Freedom Center, Independent Women's Forum, Arlington, VA; Dr.
Monty Sullivan, President, Louisiana Community and Technical
College System, Baton Rouge, LA; The Honorable Jared Polis,
Governor, State of Colorado, Denver, CO; and Mr. Scott
Pulsipher, President, Western Governors University, Salt Lake
City, UT.
March 28, 2023--Hearing titled ``Unleashing America's Opportunities for
Hiring and Employment.''
Purpose: To examine how the economic conditions created by
the COVID-19 pandemic, including high inflation, supply chain
disruptions, and labor shortages, have negatively impacted
workers and job creators.
Witnesses: Mr. Stephen Moore, Distinguished Fellow in
Economics, The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Chris
Spear, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Trucking
Associations, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Heidi Shierholz, President,
Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Jerry
Akers, small business owner and franchisee, Palo, IA
(testifying on behalf of the International Franchise
Association).
May 16, 2023--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and Priorities of
the Department of Education.''
Purpose: To review the policies and priorities of the U.S.
Department of Education as conveyed in President Biden's Budget
for Fiscal Year 2024.
Witness: The Honorable Miguel Cardona, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
June 7, 2023--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and Priorities of
the Department of Labor.''
Purpose: To review the policies and priorities of the U.S.
Department of Labor as conveyed in President Biden's Budget for
Fiscal Year 2024.
Witness: The Honorable Julie Su, Acting Secretary, U.S.
Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.
June 13, 2023--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and Priorities
of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.''
Purpose: To review the policies and priorities of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services as conveyed in
President Biden's Budget for Fiscal Year 2024.
Witness: The Honorable Xavier Becerra, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
June 22, 2023--Hearing titled ``Competencies Over Degrees:
Transitioning to a Skills-Based Economy.''
Purpose: To examine the rise of skills-based hiring and the
policies that can help broaden the talent pipeline for a more
competitive workforce in the 21st century economy.
Witnesses: Dr. Karin Kimbrough, Chief Economist, LinkedIn,
Sunnyvale, CA; Dr. Mark Smith, Director of HR Thought
Leadership, SHRM, Alexandria, VA; Dr. Papia Debroy, Senior Vice
President of Insights, Opportunity@Work, Washington, D.C.; and
Mr. Dan Healey, Head of People for Customer Success, SAP,
Newton Square, PA.
December 1, 2023--Hearing titled ``Member Day: Committee on Education
and the Workforce.''
Purpose: To provide an opportunity for non-Committee
Members to inform the Committee of their policy priorities
within the Committee's jurisdiction.
Witnesses: The Honorable Derek Kilmer, Member of Congress,
U.S. House of Representatives, Port Angeles, Washington; the
Honorable Joaquin Castro, Member of Congress, U.S. House of
Representatives, San Antonio, TX; the Honorable Brad Finstad,
Member of Congress, U.S. House of Representatives, Rochester,
MN; the Honorable Brian K. Fitzpatrick, Member of Congress,
U.S. House of Representatives, Doylestown, PA; the Honorable
Rudy Yakym, Member of Congress, U.S. House of Representatives,
South Bend, IN; and the Honorable Brad R. Wenstrup, Member of
Congress, U.S. House of Representatives, Cincinnati, OH.
December 5, 2023--Hearing titled ``Holding Campus Leaders Accountable
and Confronting Antisemitism.''
Purpose: To discuss the proliferation of antisemitism on
college campuses across the nation with university presidents,
and to examine how universities are addressing antisemitism.
Witnesses: Dr. Sally Kornbluth, President, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA; Ms. Elizabeth Magill,
President, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Dr.
Pamela Nadell, Professor of History and Jewish Studies,
American University, Washington, D.C.; and Dr. Claudine Gay,
President, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
April 17, 2024--Hearing titled ``Columbia in Crisis: Columbia
University's Response to Antisemitism.''
Purpose: To learn about antisemitism on Columbia's campus
that manifested through rule breaking, riots, and disruption
and about the University's response since October 7.
Witnesses: Dr. Nemat ``Minouche'' Shafik, President,
Columbia University, New York, New York; Professor David
Schizer, Harvey R. Miller Professor of Law and Economics and
Dean Emeritus, Columbia Law School, New York, NY; Ms. Claire
Shipman, Board of Trustees Co-Chair, Columbia University, New
York, NY; Mr. David Greenwald, Board of Trustees Co-Chair,
Columbia University, New York, NY.
May 1, 2024--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and Priorities of
the Department of Labor.''
Purpose: To review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget
priorities of the Department of Labor.
Witness: The Honorable Julie A. Su, Acting Secretary, U.S.
Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.
May 7, 2024--Hearing titled ``Examining the Education Department's
Policies, Priorities, and FY 2023 Financial Audit Failure.''
Purpose: To exercise oversight of the U.S. Department of
Education's (Department) operations, review the Department's
Fiscal Year 2025 budget priorities, review the Department's FY
2023 financial audit process, and examine related matters.
Witness: The Honorable Miguel Cardona, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
May 15, 2024--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and Priorities of
the Department of Health and Human Services.''
Purpose: To review the Fiscal Year 2025 budget priorities
of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Witness: The Honorable Xavier Becerra, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.
May 23, 2024--Hearing titled ``Calling for Accountability: Stopping
Antisemitic College Chaos.''
Purpose: To examine antisemitism at Northwestern
University, Rutgers University, and the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA), including the establishment of
encampments and University leaders' responses.
Witnesses: Mr. Michael Schill, President, Northwestern
University, Evanston, IL; Dr. Jonathan Holloway, President,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ; Mr. Frederick M.
Lawrence, Secretary and CEO, The Phi Beta Kappa Society,
Washington, D.C.; Dr. Gene Block, Chancellor, UCLA, Los
Angeles, CA.
Markups and Other Business Meetings Held by the Full Committee
January 31, 2023--Full Committee Organizational Meeting to introduce
new Members of the Committee; adopt the rules of the Committee
on Education and the Workforce for the 118th Congress; approve
the Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members as well as approve
the assignment of Members to Subcommittees; and share the
Committee Oversight Plan for the 118th Congress.
March 8, 2023--Markup of H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in
Sports Act of 2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Gregory W. Steube (FL)
Disposition: H.R. 734 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 25 Yeas and 17 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-35 was filed on April
10, 2023.
March 8, 2023--Markup of H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Julia Letlow (LA)
Disposition: H.R. 5 was ordered to be favorably reported to
the House, as amended, by a vote of 25 Yeas and 17 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-9 was filed on March 14,
2023.
May 10, 2023--Markup of H.J. Res. 45, Providing for congressional
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of
the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to
``Waivers and Modifications of Federal Student Loans''.
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Good (VA)
Disposition: H.J. Res. 45 was ordered to be favorably
reported to the House, by a vote of 24 Yeas and 18 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-71 was filed on May 18,
2023.
June 6, 2023--Markup of H. Res. 461, Condemning the use of elementary
and secondary school facilities to provide shelter for aliens
who are not admitted to the United States.
Sponsor: Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA)
Disposition: H. Res. 461 was ordered to be favorably
reported to the House, as amended, by a vote of 22 Yeas and 16
Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-113 was filed on June
14, 2023.
June 6, 2023--Markup of H.R. 1147, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act
of 2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA)
Disposition: H.R. 1147 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 26 Yeas and 13 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-131 was filed on June
30, 2023.
June 6, 2023--Markup of H.R. 2813, the Self-Insurance Protection Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Good (VA)
Disposition: H.R. 2813 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 24 Yeas and 18 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-114 was filed on June
20, 2023.
June 6, 2023--Markup of H.R. 2868, the Association Health Plans Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Walberg (MI)
Disposition: H.R. 2868 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 18 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-112 was filed on June
14, 2023.
June 13, 2023--Markup of H.R. 824, the Telehealth Benefit Expansion for
Workers Act of 2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Walberg (MI)
Disposition: H.R. 824 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 21 Yeas and 14 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-132 (Part I) was filed
on June 30, 2023.
June 13, 2023--Markup of H.R. 3941, the Schools Not Shelters Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Marcus Molinaro (NY)
Disposition: H.R. 3941 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 20 Yeas and 16 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-130 was filed on June
30, 2023.
July 12, 2023--Markup of H.R. 4509, the Transparency in Billing Act of
2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC)
Disposition: H.R. 4509 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 39 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-258 was filed on
November 1, 2023.
July 12, 2023--Markup of H.R. 4507, the Transparency in Coverage Act of
2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Good (VA)
Disposition: H.R. 4507 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 38 Yeas and 1 Nay.
Committee Report: House Report 118-742 (Part I) was filed
on November 18, 2024.
July 12, 2023--Markup of H.R. 4527, the Health DATA Act of 2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR)
Disposition: H.R. 4527 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 38 Yeas and 1 Nay.
Committee Report: House Report 118-260 was filed on
November 1, 2023.
July 12, 2023--Markup of H.R. 4508, the Hidden Fee Disclosure Act of
2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Courtney (CT)
Disposition: H.R. 4508 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 39 Yeas and 1 Nay.
Committee Report: House Report 118-259 was filed on
November 1, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.R. 4259, the Think Differently about
Education Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Marcus Molinaro (NY)
Disposition: H.R. 4259 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 39 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-252 was filed on October
25, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.R. 5349, the Crucial Communism Teaching
Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (FL)
Disposition: H.R. 5349 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 33 Yeas and 9 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-255 was filed on October
25, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting
Heritage and Education Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Mark Green (TN)
Disposition: H.R. 5110 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 42 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-207 was filed on
September 20, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.J. Res. 88, Providing for congressional
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of
the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to
``Improving Income Driven Repayment for the William D. Ford
Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education
Loan (FFEL) Program''.
Sponsor: Rep. Lisa McClain (MI)
Disposition: H.J. Res. 88 was ordered to be favorably
reported to the House, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 19 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-253 was filed on October
25, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.R. 4957, the Department of Labor
Succession Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA)
Disposition: H.R. 4957 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 19 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-254 was filed on October
25, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.R. 5339, the Roll back ESG To Increase
Retirement Earnings Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Rick Allen (GA)
Disposition: H.R. 5339 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 19 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-225 was filed on
September 26, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.R. 5337, the Retirement Proxy
Protection Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Erin Houchin (IN)
Disposition: H.R. 5337 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 19 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-227 was filed on
September 26, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.R. 5338, the No Discrimination in My
Benefits Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Good (VA)
Disposition: H.R. 5338 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 19 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-226 was filed on
September 26, 2023.
September 14, 2023--Markup of H.R. 5340, the Providing Complete
Information to Retirement Investors Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Jim Banks (IN)
Disposition: H.R. 5340 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 19 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-224 was filed on
September 26, 2023.
November 8, 2023--Markup of H.R. 5933, the Defending Education
Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious
Transactions Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Michelle Steel (CA)
Disposition: H.R. 5933 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 27 Yeas and 11 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-278 was filed on
November 24, 2023.
December 12, 2023--Markup of H.R. 6585, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell
Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY)
Disposition: H.R. 6585 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 37 Yeas and 8 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-337 was filed on
December 22, 2023.
December 12, 2023--Markup of H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for
America Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC)
Disposition: H.R. 6655 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 44 Yeas and 1 Nay.
Committee Report: House Report 118-444 was filed on April
5, 2024.
December 12, 2023--Markup of H.J. Res. 98, Providing for congressional
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of
the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board
relating to ``Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status''.
Sponsor: Rep. John James (MI)
Disposition: H.J. Res. 98 was ordered to be favorably
reported to the House, by a vote of 25 Yeas and 20 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-338 was filed on January
3, 2024.
December 12, 2023--Markup of H.R. 3400, the Small Businesses before
Bureaucrats Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Good (VA)
Disposition: H.R. 3400 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 20 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-343 was filed on January
11, 2024.
January 10, 2024--Markup of H.R. 6914, the Pregnant Students' Rights
Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Ashley Hinson (IA)
Disposition: H.R. 6914 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 24 Yeas and 17 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-344 was filed on January
12, 2024.
January 10, 2024--Markup of H.R. 443, the Enhancing Detection of Human
Trafficking Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Walberg (MI)
Disposition: H.R. 443 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 42 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-355 was filed on January
25, 2024.
January 31, 2024--Markup of H.R. 6951, the College Cost Reduction Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC)
Disposition: H.R. 6951 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 22 Yeas and 19 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-739 was filed on
November 18, 2024.
March 21, 2024--Markup of H.J. Res. 116, Providing for congressional
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of
the rule submitted by the Department of the Labor relating to
``Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the
Fair Labor Standards Act''.
Sponsor: Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA)
Disposition: H.J. Res. 116 was ordered to be favorably
reported to the House, by a vote of 21 Yeas and 13 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-445 was filed on April
5, 2024.
March 21, 2024--Markup of H.R. 6418, the Empower Charter School
Educators to Lead Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Julia Letlow (LA)
Disposition: H.R. 6418 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 22 Yeas and 13 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-540 was filed on June 4,
2024.
March 21, 2024--Markup of H.R. 3724, the Accreditation for College
Excellence Act of 2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Burgess Owens (UT)
Disposition: H.R. 3724 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 24 Yeas and 14 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-467 was filed on April
23, 2024.
March 21, 2024--Markup of H.R. 7683, the Respecting the First Amendment
on Campus Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Brandon Williams (NY)
Disposition: H.R. 7683 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 24 Yeas and 14 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-468 was filed on April
26, 2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.R. 618, the Improving Access to Workers'
Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Walberg (MI)
Disposition: H.R. 618 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 36 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-571 was filed on July 5,
2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.R. 8606, the Never Again Education
Reauthorization and Study Act of 2024.
Sponsor: Rep. Earl L. ``Buddy'' Carter (GA)
Disposition: H.R. 8606 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 44 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-598 was filed on July
18, 2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.R. 8648, the Civil Rights Protection Act of
2024.
Sponsor: Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR)
Disposition: H.R. 8648 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 25 Yeas and 15 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-593 was filed on July
18, 2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.J. Res. 165, Providing for congressional
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of
the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to
``Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs
or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance''.
Sponsor: Rep. Mary Miller (IL)
Disposition: H.J. Res. 165 was ordered to be favorably
reported to the House, by a vote of 24 Yeas and 16 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-558 was filed on June
25, 2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.R. 6816, the Promoting Responsible Oversight
to Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Kevin Hern (OK)
Disposition: H.R. 6816 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 25 Yeas and 15 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-574 was filed on July 5,
2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.R. 5567, the Combating the Lies of
Authoritarians in School Systems Act.
Sponsor: Rep. David Joyce (OH)
Disposition: H.R. 5567 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 16 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-572 was filed on July 5,
2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.R. 8649, the Transparency in Reporting
Adversarial Contributions to Education Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Aaron Bean (FL)
Disposition: H.R. 8649 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 16 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-575 was filed on July 5,
2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.R. 7227, the Truth and Healing Commission on
Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2024.
Sponsor: Rep. Sharice Davids (KS)
Disposition: H.R. 7227 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 34 Yeas and 4 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-760 (Part I) was filed
on November 22, 2024.
June 13, 2024--Markup of H.R. 8534, the Protecting Student Athletes'
Economic Freedom Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Good (VA)
Disposition: H.R. 8534 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 16 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-573 was filed on July 5,
2024.
July 10, 2024--Markup of H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Erin Houchin (IN)
Disposition: H.R. 8932 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 34 Yeas and 6 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-695 was filed on
September 20, 2024.
July 10, 2024--Markup of H.R. 2574, the EMS Counts Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Susan Wild (PA)
Disposition: H.R. 2574 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 42 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-694 was filed on
September 19, 2024.
July 10, 2024--Markup of H.R. 2941, the Recognizing the Role of Direct
Support Professionals Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA)
Disposition: H.R. 2941 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 42 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-693 was filed on
September 19, 2024.
July 10, 2024--Markup of H.R. 6319, Supporting Accurate Views of
Emergency Services Act of 2023.
Sponsor: Rep. Norma Torres (CA)
Disposition: H.R. 6319 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 42 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-692 was filed on
September 19, 2024.
July 10, 2024--Markup of H.J. Res. 142, Providing for congressional
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of
the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to
``Retirement Security Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice
Fiduciary''.
Sponsor: Rep. Rick Allen (GA)
Disposition: H.J. Res. 142 was ordered to be favorably
reported to the House, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 18 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-878 was filed on
December 16, 2024.
September 11, 2024--Markup of H.R. 5646, the Stop Campus Hazing Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Lucy McBath (GA)
Disposition: H.R. 5646 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 28 Yeas and 2 Nays.
September 11, 2024--Markup of H.R. 7233, the Jenna Quinn Law of 2024.
Sponsor: Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX)
Disposition: H.R. 7233 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 33 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-767 was filed on
November 26, 2024.
September 11, 2024--Markup of H.R. 736, the Parental Rights Over The
Education and Care of Their Kids Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Walberg (MI)
Disposition: H.R. 736 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 22 Yeas and 12 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-706 was filed on October
1. 2024.
September 11, 2024--Markup of H.J. Res. 181, Providing for
congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United
States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor
relating to ``Definition of `Employer'-Association Health
Plans''.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Walberg (MI)
Disposition: H.J. Res. 181 was ordered to be favorably
reported to the House, by a vote of 23 Yeas and 12 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-877 was filed on
December 16, 2024.
September 11, 2024--Markup of H.R. 3120, the Healthy Competition for
Better Care Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Michelle Steel (CA)
Disposition: H.R. 3120 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a voice vote.
Committee Report: House Report 118-875 was filed on
December 16, 2024.
September 11, 2024--Markup of H.R. 9457, the Transparent Telehealth
Bills Act of 2024.
Sponsor: Rep. Aaron Bean (FL)
Disposition: H.R. 9457 was ordered to be favorably reported
to the House, as amended, by a vote of 34 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Committee Report: House Report 118-876 was filed on
December 16, 2024.
Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and
Secondary Education
April 18, 2023--Hearing titled ``School Choice: Expanding Educational
Freedom for All.''
Purpose: To examine the need to expand educational freedom
through school choice policies.
Witnesses: Panel I--The Honorable Warren Davidson, Member
of Congress, U.S. House of Representatives, Troy, OH; the
Honorable Mark Pocan, Member of Congress, U.S. House of
Representatives, Town of Vermont, WI; the Honorable Adrian
Smith, Member of Congress, House of Representatives, Gering,
NE. Panel II--The Honorable Luke Messer, former Member of
Congress and President, Invest in Education, Washington, D.C.;
Mrs. Denisha Allen, Senior Fellow, American Federation for
Children, Jacksonville, FL; Mr. Derek Black, Professor of Law
and Ernest F. Hollings Chair in Constitutional Law, University
of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; and Dr. Lindsey Burke,
Director of the Center for Education Policy, Heritage
Foundation, Washington, D.C.
July 26, 2023--Hearing titled ``Generational Learning Loss: How
Pandemic School Closures Hurt Students.''
Purpose: To discuss the impact of pandemic school closures
on K-12 students.
Witnesses: Dr. Nat Malkus, Senior Fellow and Deputy
Director, Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise
Institute, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Mary-Patricia Wray, Parent,
Baton Rouge, LA; Mr. Derrell Bradford, President, 50CAN: The
50-State Campaign for Achievement Now, New York, NY; and Ms.
Catherine Truitt, Superintendent, North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction, Raleigh, NC.
September 19, 2023--Hearing titled ``Academic Freedom Under Attack:
Loosening the CCP's Grip on America's Classrooms.''
Purpose: To examine the influence of foreign governments
and organizations, particularly the Chinese Communist Party, on
U.S. K-12 schools.
Witnesses: Mr. Michael Gonzalez, Senior Fellow, Heritage
Foundation, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Gisela Perez Kusakawa,
Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum, New York, NY;
Mrs. Nicole Neily, President, Parents Defending Education,
Arlington, VA; and Mr. Ryan Walters, State Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Oklahoma State Department of Education,
Oklahoma City, OK.
October 19, 2023--Hearing titled ``Protecting Kids: Combating Graphic,
Explicit Content in School Libraries.''
Purpose: To examine the prevalence of inappropriate content
in libraries, the Biden administration's response, and state-
and local-level solutions.
Witnesses: Mrs. Lindsey Smith, Parent, Montgomery County,
MD; Dr. Jonathan Friedman, Director of Free Expression and
Education Programs, PEN America, New York, NY; Ms. Megan
Degenfelder, Superintendent, Wyoming Department of Education,
Cheyenne, WY; and Mr. Max Eden, Research Fellow, American
Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.
January 18, 2024--Hearing titled ``Preparing Students for Success in
the Skills-Based Economy.''
Purpose: To examine the role of career and technical
education (CTE) in K-12 education, how to integrate CTE into
the broader curriculum, and implementation of the Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act.
Witnesses: Mr. Danny Corwin, Executive Director, Harbor
Freight Tools for Schools, Calabasas, CA; Ms. Kelly Mosley,
Career and Technical Education Supervisor, Clay County District
Schools, Green Cove Springs, FL; Mr. Richard Kincaid, Senior
Executive Director of College and Career Pathways, Maryland
State Department of Education, Baltimore, MD; Mr. Brandon
Mabile, Strategic Development Manager, Performance Contractors,
Inc., Sugarland, TX.
February 6, 2024--Hearing titled ``Protecting Missing and Exploited
Children.''
Purpose: To learn more about the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children and discuss reauthorization of
the Missing Children's Assistance Act.
Witness: Ms. Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO, The
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Alexandria,
VA.
March 6, 2024--Hearing titled ``Proven Results: Highlighting the
Benefits of Charter Schools for Students and Families.''
Purpose: To examine the benefits of charter schools, by
considering student academic achievement, particularly in the
wake of pandemic-era learning loss, and to highlight how
charter schools can be part of a vibrant school choice
ecosystem.
Witnesses: Dr. Macke Raymond, Founder and Director, Center
for Research on Education Outcomes, Stanford University,
Stanford, CA; Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig, Founding Board Member,
Network for Public Education, Augusta, MI; Mr. Robert
Pondiscio, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute,
Greenville, NY; Mr. Kenneth Campbell, CEO, New Schools for
Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA.
May 8, 2024--Hearing titled ``Confronting Pervasive Antisemitism in K-
12 Schools.''
Purpose: To discuss antisemitism in K-12 schools in the
wake of the October 7 attacks on Israel.
Witnesses: Mr. David Banks, Chancellor, New York City
Public Schools, New York City Department of Education, New
York, NY; Ms. Karla Silvestre, President, Montgomery County
Board of Education, Montgomery County Public Schools,
Rockville, MD; Mr. Emerson Sykes, Senior Staff Attorney,
American Civil Liberties Union, New York, NY; Ms. Enikia Ford
Morthel, Superintendent, Berkeley Unified School District,
Berkeley, CA.
June 4, 2024--Hearing titled ``The Consequences of Biden's Border Chaos
for K-12 Schools.''
Purpose: To discuss the impact of illegal immigration on K-
12 schools.
Witnesses: Mrs. Danyela Souza Egorov, Vice President, New
York City's Community Education Council 2, New York, NY; Ms.
Amalia Chamorro, Director, Education Policy Project, UnidosUS,
Washington, D.C.; Ms. Sheena Rodriguez, President, Alliance for
a Safe Texas, Euless, TX; Ms. Mari Barke, Trustee, Orange
County Board of Education, Los Alamitos, CA.
September 25, 2024--Hearing titled ``Innovative Teacher Preparation:
Properly Equipping America's Educators.''
Purpose: To discuss the current state of teacher
preparation in the country, and ways to improve the teaching
profession.
Witnesses: Dr. Carole Basile, Dean, Mary Lou Fulton
Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ; Dr.
Melba Spooner, Dean, Reich College of Education, Appalachian
State University, Boone, NC; Mr. Sharif El-Mekki, Chief
Executive Officer, Center for Black Education Development,
Elkins Park, PA; and Dr. Greg Mendez, Principal, Skyline High
School, Mesa Public Schools, Mesa, AZ.
December 4, 2024--Hearing titled ``Back to Basics: America's Founding,
Civics, and Self-Government in K-12 Curricula.''
Purpose: To highlight the importance of curriculum that
teaches America's founding and promotes civic virtue in a self-
governing society.
Witnesses: Mr. Ian Rowe, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise
Institute, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Jed Atkins, Director and Dean,
School of Civic Life and Leadership, University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Mr. Brian V. Kennedy, International
Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, Washington, D.C.;
and Mr. Michael Weiser, Chair of the Board of Directors, Jack
Miller Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce
Development
March 23, 2023--Hearing titled ``Breaking the System: Examining the
Implications of Biden's Student Loan Policies for Students and
Taxpayers.''
Purpose: To examine the effects of the Biden
administration's student loan policies on American
postsecondary education.
Witnesses: Mr. Marc Goldwein, Senior Vice President and
Senior Policy Director, Committee for a Responsible Federal
Budget, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Adam Looney, Director, Marriner
S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis,
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Dr. Carlo Salerno,
Economist and Financial Aid Expert, Los Angeles, CA; and Mr.
Sameer Gadkaree, President, The Institute for College Access &
Success, Oakland, CA.
March 29, 2023--Hearing titled ``Diversity of Thought: Protecting Free
Speech on College Campuses.''
Purpose: To highlight the ways in which free speech rights
are being violated on college campuses and explore potential
legislative solutions to preserve First Amendment protections.
Witnesses: Mrs. Cherise Trump, Executive Director, Speech
First, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Josiah Joner, Executive Editor,
The Stanford Review, Stanford, CA; Mrs. Suzanne Nossel, Chief
Executive Officer, PEN America, New York, NY; and Mr. Ilya
Shapiro, Director of Constitutional Studies, Manhattan
Institute, New York, NY.
May 11, 2023--Hearing titled ``Examining America's Workforce
Challenges: Looking for Ways to Improve Skills Development.''
Purpose: To discuss the skills gap facing America's
workforce and opportunities to improve skills development
through a reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA).
Witnesses: Ms. Lydia Logan, Vice President for Global
Education and Workforce Development, IBM, Washington, D.C.; Mr.
Bruce Ferguson, CEO, CareerSource Northeast Florida,
Jacksonville, FL; Dr. Harry J. Holzer, John LaFarge Jr. SJ
Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington,
D.C.; and Mr. John Pallasch, Founder and CEO, One Workforce
Solutions, Aiken, SC.
May 24, 2023--Hearing titled ``Breaking the System Part II: Examining
the Implications of Biden's Student Loan Policies for Students
and Taxpayers.''
Purpose: To conduct oversight of the Biden administration's
student loan debt relief policies.
Witnesses: The Honorable James Kvaal, Under Secretary of
Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.; Mr.
Richard Cordray, Chief Operating Officer, Office of Federal
Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
June 14, 2023--Hearing titled ``Postsecondary Innovation: Preparing
Today's Students for Tomorrow's Opportunities.''
Purpose: To discuss ways in which postsecondary
institutions are engaging in innovative practices to lower
costs, increase completion, and prepare today's students for
in-demand industries.
Witnesses: Dr. Tim Renick, Executive Director, National
Institute of Student Success, Georgia State University,
Atlanta, GA; Mr. Keith Shoates, Chief Operating Officer,
Student Freedom Initiative, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Lanae
Erickson, Senior Vice President for Social Policy, Education
and Politics, Third Way, Washington, D.C.; and Dr. Lori
Carrell, Chancellor, University of Minnesota Rochester and Co-
Director, College-in-3 Initiative, Rochester, MN.
July 13, 2023--Hearing titled ``Exposing the Dangers of the Influence
of Foreign Adversaries on College Campuses.''
Purpose: To discuss ways in which foreign actors are
influencing institutions of higher education, the impacts of
this influence, and potential policy solutions to address these
issues.
Witnesses: Mr. Paul Moore, J.D., Senior Counsel, Defense of
Freedom Institute, Washington, D.C.; Mr. John C. Yang,
President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing
Justice, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Craig Singleton, China Program
Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of
Democracies, Washington, D.C.
July 27, 2023--Hearing titled ``Lowering Costs and Increasing Value for
Students, Institutions, and Taxpayers.''
Purpose: To examine potential reforms to the accountability
system of the Higher Education Act.
Witnesses: Mr. Michael B. Horn, Author and Co-Founder, the
Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation,
Lexington, MA; Mr. Stig Leschly, President and Founder,
Postsecondary Commission, Boston, MA; Dr. Stephanie Cellini,
Professor of Public Policy and Public Administration, and of
Economics, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.; and
Dr. Andrew Gillen, Ph.D., Senior Policy Analyst, Texas Public
Policy Foundation, Austin, TX.
September 20, 2023--Hearing titled ``Strengthening WIOA: Improving
Outcomes for Jobseekers, Employers, and Taxpayers.''
Purpose: To examine ways to modernize the workforce system
under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to
improve efficiency and achieve better outcomes for jobseekers,
employers, and taxpayers.
Witnesses: Mr. Scott B. Sanders, President and Chief
Executive Officer, National Association of State Workforce
Agencies, Washington. D.C.; Ms. Rya Conrad-Bradshaw, Vice
President, Corporate Markets, Cengage Group, Boston, MA; Mr.
Rick Beasley, Executive Director, South Florida Workforce
Investment Board, Miami, FL; and Mr. Mason Bishop, Nonresident
Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.
September 28, 2023--Hearing titled ``How SCOTUS's Decision on Race-
Based Admissions is Shaping University Policies.''
Purpose: To discuss postsecondary admissions following the
U.S. Supreme court decision ruling that race may not be a
factor in admissions.
Witnesses: Ms. Alison Somin, Legal Fellow, Pacific Legal
Foundation, Arlington, VA; Mr. Yukong ``Mike'' Zhao, President,
Asian American Coalition for Education, Orlando, FL; Mr. David
Hinojosa, Director, Educational Opportunities Project, Lawyers'
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Washington, D.C.; and Mr.
Delano Squires, Research Fellow, Richard and Helen DeVos Center
for Life, Religion, and Family, The Heritage Foundation,
Washington D.C.
November 14, 2023--Hearing titled ``Confronting the Scourge of
Antisemitism on Campus.''
Purpose: To discuss the proliferation of antisemitism on
college campuses in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Witnesses: Mr. Moshe Hauer, Executive Vice President,
Orthodox Union, New York, NY; The Honorable Kenneth L. Marcus,
Esq., Founder and Chairman, Brandeis Center, Washington, D.C.;
Ms. Stacy Burdett, Independent Consultant in Antisemitism
Prevention and Response, Washington, D.C.; and Ms. Sahar
Tartak, Student, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
March 7, 2024--Hearing titled ``Divisive, Excessive, Ineffective: The
Real Impact of DEI on College Campuses.''
Purpose: To examine ways in which postsecondary
institutions are engaging in harmful diversity, equity, and
inclusion practices.
Witnesses: Dr. Erec Smith, Associate Professor of Rhetoric,
York College of Pennsylvania, Cato Research Fellow, York, PA;
Dr. James Murphy, Director of Career Pathways and Post-
Secondary Policy, Education Reform Now, Washington, D.C.; Dr.
Stanley Goldfarb, Chair, Do No Harm, Bryn Mawr, PA; and Dr. Jay
Greene, Senior Research Fellow, the Heritage Foundation's
Center for Education Policy, Fayetteville, AR.
April 10, 2024--Hearing titled ``FAFSA Fail: Examining the Impacts on
Students, Families, and Schools.''
Purpose: To examine the impacts on students, families, and
institutions of the Department of Education's failure to
successfully launch the simplified Free Application for Federal
Student Aid.
Witnesses: Mr. Mark Kantrowitz, President, Cerebly, Inc.,
Skokie, IL; Mr. Justin Draeger, President and Chief Executive
Officer, National Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Kim Cook, Chief Executive
Officer, National College Attainment Network, Washington, D.C.;
and Ms. Rachelle Feldman, Vice Provost, Enrollment, University
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
July 23, 2024--Hearing titled ``Investigating How the Biden
Administration Ignored Cries for Help from Students at Haskell
Indian Nations University'' (held jointly with the Committee on
Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations).
Purpose: To examine problems at Haskell Indian Nations
University and the Biden administration's response.
Witnesses: Panel I--The Honorable Bryan Newland, Assistant
Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior,
Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Matthew Elliott, Assistant Inspector
General for Investigations, Office of Inspector General,
Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Panel II--Dr.
Ronald J. Graham, Former President, Haskell Indian Nations
University, Lawrence, KS; Ms. Emily Martin, Chief Program
Officer, National Women's Law Center, Washington, D.C.; and Mr.
Clay J. Mayes, Head Coach, Track and Field and Cross Country,
Haskell University, Lawrence, KS.
September 24, 2024--Hearing titled ``GAO Uncovers Biden-Harris FAFSA
Failures.''
Purpose: To examine the findings from the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) regarding the impacts on students,
families, and institutions from the Department of Education's
repeated failures to launch the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid.
Witnesses: Ms. Melissa Emrey-Arras, Director, Education,
Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO, Washington, D.C.;
and Mrs. Marisol Cruz Cain, Director, Information Technology
and Cybersecurity Team, GAO, Washington, D.C.
December 11, 2024--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and
Priorities of AmeriCorps and its FY 2024 Audit Failure.''
Purpose: To examine AmeriCorps' policy priorities and
recent failure of its Fiscal Year 2024 financial audit.
Witnesses: The Honorable Michael D. Smith, Chief Executive
Officer, AmeriCorps, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Stephen Ravas,
Acting Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General,
AmeriCorps, Washington, D.C.
Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and
Pensions
April 26, 2023--Hearing titled ``Reducing Health Care Costs for Working
Americans and Their Families.''
Purpose: To discuss ways to make employer-sponsored
insurance more affordable through examining regulatory
barriers, hearing potential solutions, and considering
legislation to expand association health plans.
Witnesses: Mrs. Tracy Watts, Senior Partner, Mercer,
Washington, D.C.; Ms. Marcie Strouse, Partner, Capitol Benefits
Group, Des Moines, IA; Ms. Sabrina Corlette, Senior Research
Professor, Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown
University's Health Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Mr.
Joel White, President, Council for Affordable Health Coverage,
Washington, D.C.
May 23, 2023--Hearing titled ``Protecting Employees Rights: Ensuring
Fair Elections at the NLRB.''
Purpose: To examine the National Labor Relations Board's
(NLRB) efforts to tilt the representation and decertification
election process in favor of unions.
Witnesses: Mr. Philip A. Miscimarra, Partner, Morgan, Lewis
& Brockius LLP, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Aaron Solem, Staff
Attorney, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation,
Bethesda, MD; Ms. Angela Thompson, General Counsel,
Communications Workers of America, Washington, D.C.; and Mr.
Cecil Leedy, President, LEW Electrical Services, IEC Florida
West Coast, Tampa Bay, FL.
June 21, 2023--Hearing titled ``Competition and Transparency: The
Pathway Forward for a Stronger Health Care Market.''
Purpose: To examine ways to increase competition and
transparency by discussing bipartisan policies to help
consumers navigate the health care system and give employers
the tools and information they need to fulfill their fiduciary
duties.
Witnesses: Dr. Greg Baker, CEO, Affirmed RX, Louisville,
KY; Ms. Sophie Tripoli, Director of Health Care Innovation,
Families USA, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Gloria Sachdev, President,
CEO, and Board Chair, Employers' Forum of Indiana, Carmel, IN;
Ms. Christine Monahan, Center on Health Insurance Reforms,
Washington, D.C. (testifying on behalf of Georgetown
University's McCourt School of Public Policy); and Mr. J.C.
Scott, President and CEO, Pharmaceutical Care Management
Association, Washington, D.C.
September 13, 2023--Hearing titled ``The Impact of Biden's Open Border
on the American Workforce.''
Purpose: To examine illegal immigration's impact on the
labor market and explore the costs to the American taxpayer
caused by the Biden administration's open-border policies.
Witnesses: Mr. Robert Law, Director, Center for Homeland
Security and Immigration, America First Policy Institute,
Washington, D.C.; Dr. Steven Camarota, Director of Research,
Center for Immigration Studies, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Daniel
Costa, Director, Immigration Law and Policy Research, Economic
Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Dr. Douglas Holtz-
Eakin, President, American Action Forum, Washington, D.C.
November 30, 2023--Hearing titled ``Safeguarding Workers'' Rights and
Liberties.''
Purpose: To discuss how the National Right-to-Work Act
(NRTWA) (H.R. 1200) protects workers' rights and liberties.
Witnesses: Mr. Mark Mix, President, National Right to Work
Committee, Springfield, VA; Ms. Brunlida Vargas, Assistant
Defender, Defender Association of Philadelphia, Philadelphia,
PA; Mr. Jody Calemine, Director of Labor and Employment Policy,
Century Foundation, Washington, D.C.; and Ms. Jeanette Geary,
Registered Nurse, Philadelphia, PA.
December 13, 2023--Hearing titled ``Protecting Workers and Small
Businesses from Biden's Attack on Worker Free Choice and
Economic Growth.''
Purpose: To discuss how the National Labor Relations
Board's policies are hurting small business owners and to
discuss solutions.
Witnesses: Mr. Roger King, Senior Labor and Employment
Counsel, HR Policy Association, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Matthew
Haller, President and Chief Executive Officer, International
Franchise Association, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Richard F.
Griffin, Of Counsel, Bredhoff & Kaiser, Washington, D.C.; and
Mr. F. Vincent Vernuccio, President, Institute for the American
Worker, Hamilton, VA.
January 11, 2024--Hearing titled ``Lowering Costs and Increasing Access
to Health Care with Employer-Driven Innovation.''
Purpose: To explore how employer-driven innovations in
health care can lower costs and improve access to quality care,
while addressing the barriers that small businesses face.
Witnesses: Mrs. Michele Beehler, Senior Director of Health
and Wellbeing, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Pullman,
WA; Ms. Laura Josh, General Manager, California Schools VEBA,
San Diego, CA; Ms. Amdrea Ducas, Vice President, Health Policy,
Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C.; and Dr.
Christopher Whaley, Health Economist, RAND Corporation,
Providence, RI.
February 15, 2024--Hearing titled ``Protecting American Savers and
Retirees from DOL's Regulatory Overreach.''
Purpose: To discuss how the Department of Labor's proposed
fiduciary rule will eliminate options for working-class
Americans, reduce Americans' ability to retire, and limit their
access to financial advice.
Witnesses: Mr. Doug Ommen, Insurance Commissioner, Iowa
Insurance Division, Des Moines, IA; Mr. Thomas Roberts,
Principal, Groom Law Group, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Joseph C.
Peiffer, President, Public Investors Advocate Bar Association,
Norman, OK; and Mr. Jason Berkowitz, Chief Legal and Regulatory
Affairs Officer, Insured Retirement Institute, Washington, D.C.
March 12, 2024--Hearing titled ``Safeguarding Student-Athletes from
NLRB Misclassification'' (held jointly with the Subcommittee on
Higher Education and Workforce Development).
Purpose: To discuss the National Labor Relations Board's
(NLRB) overreach in its efforts to classify student-athletes as
employees.
Witnesses: Ms. Jill Bodensteiner, Vice President and
Director of Athletics, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia,
PA; Mr. Tyler Sims, Shareholder, Littler Mendelson, Tampa, FL;
Mr. Mark Gaston Pearce, Executive Director, Workers' Rights
Institute at Georgetown Law, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Matthew
Mitten, Professor of Law and Executive Director, National
Sports Law Institute, Marquette University Law School,
Milwaukee, WI.
March 20, 2024--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and Priorities
of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.''
Purpose: To review operations, enforcement, and regulatory
policies of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
Witness: The Honorable Gordon Hartogensis, Director,
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Washington, D.C.
April 16, 2024--Hearing titled ``ERISA's 50th Anniversary: the Path to
Higher Quality, Lower Cost Health Care.''
Purpose: To discuss ways to build upon and strengthen the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
Witnesses: Mr. Russell Dubose, Vice President of Human
Resources, Phifer Inc., Tuscaloosa, AL; Mr. Scott Behrens,
Senior Vice President, Director of Government Relations,
Lockton Companies, Kansas City, MO; Ms. Karen L. Handorf,
Senior Counsel, Berger Montague, Washington, D.C.; and Ms.
Mairin Mancino, Senior Advisor, Policy, Peterson Center on
Health Care, New York, NY.
May 22, 2024--Hearing titled ``Big Labor Lies: Exposing Union Tactics
to Undermine Free and Fair Elections.''
Purpose: To examine the tactics employed by unions, such as
corporate campaigns, neutrality agreements, and salting, while
highlighting legislative proposals aimed at protecting workers'
rights and limiting union influence.
Witnesses: Mr. Bill Messenger, Vice President and Legal
Director, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation,
Springfield, VA; Mr. Michael Alcorn, Crew Member, Trader Joe's,
Hatfield, MA; Ms. Lynn Rhinehart, Senior Fellow, Economic
Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Mr. Stephen Delie,
Director of Labor Policy, Mackinac Center for Public Policy,
Midland, MI.
June 12, 2024--Hearing titled ``NLRB Overreach: Trampling on Worker's
Rights and Fostering Unfairness.''
Purpose: To examine the National Labor Relations Board's
actions and policies, while assessing the nomination of
Chairman Lauren McFerran.
Witnesses: Mr. John Ring, Partner, Morgan Lewis,
Washington, D.C.; Ms. Alice Stock, Of Counsel, Bond Schoeneck &
King, New York, NY; Ms. Eileen B. Goldsmith, Partner, Altshuler
Berzon, San Francisco, CA; and Mr. Douglas P. Seaton, President
and General Counsel, Upper Midwest Law Center, Minneapolis, MN.
June 27, 2024--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and Priorities
of the Employee Benefits Security Administration.''
Purpose: To review operations, enforcement, and regulatory
policies of the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits
Security Administration (EBSA).
Witness: The Honorable Lisa M. Gomez, Assistant Secretary,
EBSA, Washington, D.C.
July 9, 2024--Hearing titled ``Confronting Union Antisemitism:
Protecting Workers from Big Labor Abuses.''
Purpose: To examine union overreach in political advocacy,
particularly regarding divisive anti-Israel stances, and to
assess how union actions may conflict with the core interest
and rights of their members.
Witnesses: Ms. Ilana Kopmar, Staff Attorney, Nassau County
Legal Aid Society, Hempstead, NY; Mr. Glenn Taubman, Staff
Attorney, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation,
Springfield, VA; Ms. Anne Marie Lofaso, Professor of Law, West
Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, WV; and Mr.
William Sussman, Graduate Student, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, MA.
September 10, 2024--Hearing titled ``ERISA's 50th Anniversary: The
Value of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits.''
Purpose: To examine ways to strengthen the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act, as it marks its 50th
anniversary, addressing issues such as rising health care
costs, regulatory challenges, and opportunities for innovation
in employer-sponsored health benefits.
Witnesses: Ms. Ilyse Schuman, Senior Vice President, Health
and Paid Leave Policy, American Benefits Council, Washington,
D.C.; Ms. Holly Wade, Executive Director, National Federation
of Independent Business Research Center, Washington, D.C.; Mr.
Anthony Wright, Executive Director, Families USA, Davis, CA;
and Dr. Paul Fronstin, Director, Health Benefits Research,
Employee Benefit Research Institute, Washington, D.C.
Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
April 19, 2023--Hearing titled ``Examining Biden's War on Independent
Contractors.''
Purpose: To examine the Department of Labor's independent
contractor proposed rule and discuss the anti-independent
contractor ABC test and legislation supporting independent
work.
Witnesses: Ms. Karen Anderson, Founder, Freelancers Against
AB5, Dana Point, CA; Ms. Tammy McCutchen, Senior Affiliate,
Resolution Economics, New Market, TN; Mr. David Long, Chief
Executive Officer, National Electrical Contractors Association,
Washington, D.C.; Dr. Liya Palagashvili, Senior Research
Fellow, Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Ephrata,
PA; Ms. Laura Padin, Director of Work Structures, National
Employment Law Project, Washington, D.C.; and Ms. Kim Kavin,
Co-Founder, Fight for Freelancers USA, Morris County, NJ.
July 18, 2023--Hearing titled ``Cutting Corners at WHD: Examining the
Cost to Workers, Small Businesses, and the Economy.''
Purpose: To examine the Department of Labor Wage and Hour
Division's (WHD) rulemaking during the Biden administration,
including the costs and burdens imposed by the WHD regulations
on workers and businesses, especially small businesses.
Witnesses: Mr. Jonathan Wolfson, Chief Legal Officer and
Policy Director, Cicero Institute, Austin, TX; Ms. Elizabeth
Milito, Executive Director, National Federation of Independent
Businesses, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Aaron Sojourner, Senior
Economist, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research,
Kalamazoo, MI; and Ms. Rachel Greszler, Senior Research Fellow,
The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C.
September 27, 2023--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and
Priorities of the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration.''
Purpose: To examine the policies and priorities of the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration conveyed in
President Biden's Budget for Fiscal Year 2024.
Witnesses: The Honorable Douglas L. Parker, Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.
Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.
November 29, 2023--Hearing titled ``Bad for Business: DOL's Proposed
Overtime Rule.''
Purpose: To examine the Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and
Hour Division's (WHD) proposed rule entitled ``Defining and
Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative,
Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Paul DeCamp, Member of the Firm,
Epstein, Becker & Green, P.C., Washington, D.C.; Ms. Jagruti
Panwala, Principal, Sita Ram LLC., New Hope, PA (testifying on
behalf of American Hotel and Lodging Association); Ms. Judy
Conti, Director of Government Affairs, National Employment Law
Project, Washington, D.C.; and Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
President, American Action Forum, Washington, D.C.
February 14, 2024--Hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and
Priorities of the Wage and Hour Division.''
Purpose: To review operations, enforcement, and regulatory
policies of the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.
Witness: The Honorable Jessica Looman, Administrator, Wage
and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.
April 11, 2024--Hearing titled ``Unlocking Opportunity: Allowing
Independent Contractors to Access Benefits.''
Purpose: To explore innovative policies, such as portable
benefits, to address the challenges faced by independent
contractors, ensuring they retain the flexibility of their work
arrangements while gaining access to essential benefits.
Witnesses: Ms. Kristin Sharp, Chief Executive Officer, Flex
Association, Washington, D.C.; Ms. Gabriella Hoffman, Senior
Policy Analyst, Independent Women's Forum Center for Economic
Opportunity, Alexandria, VA; Dr. Katie Wells, Postdoctoral
Fritz Fellow, Tech and Society Initiative, Georgetown
University, Washington, D.C.; and Dr. Liya Palagashvili, Senior
Research Fellow, Mercatus Center at George Mason University,
Ephrata, PA.
June 26, 2024--Hearing titled ``Combating Workplace Antisemitism in
Postsecondary Education: Protecting Employees from
Discrimination.''
Purpose: To investigate employment discrimination at
colleges and universities following the rise of antisemitism on
college campuses since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7,
2023.
Witnesses: Mr. Mark Rienzi, President and Chief Executive
Officer, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Washington,
D.C.; Professor Brian Keating, Chancellor's Distinguished
Professor of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La
Jolla, CA; Ms. Melissa Emrey-Arras, Director, Education,
Workforce, and Income Security, U.S. Government Accountability
Office, Washington, D.C.; and Professor Dafna Golden, Geography
Professor, Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA.
July 24, 2024--Hearing titled ``Safeguarding Workers and Employers from
OSHA Overreach and Skewed Priorities.''
Purpose: To conduct oversight of the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration's (OSHA) regulatory proposals to
ensure the agency is fulfilling its mission of maintaining safe
workplaces without unnecessarily harming job creators and
workers.
Witnesses: Chief Tim Bradley, Director, North Carolina,
National Volunteer Fire Council, Mebane, NC; Ms. Felicia
Watson, Senior Counsel, Littler Mendelson, Washington, D.C.;
Mr. Jordan Barab, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of OSHA,
Takoma Park, MD; and Mr. Peter Gerstenberger, Senior Vice
President, Industry Support, Tree Care Industry Association,
Manchester, NH.
September 18, 2024--Hearing titled ``Examining the Biden-Harris Attacks
on Tipped Workers.''
Purpose: To examine the Biden administration's 2021 tip
rule and its negative effects on tipped workers, and
legislation that would help remove regulatory burdens under the
Fair Labor Standards Act imposed by the Department of Labor.
Witnesses: Mr. Tom Boucher, Owner, Great NH Restaurants,
Inc., Beford, NH (testifying on behalf of the National
Restaurant Association); Mr. Paul DeCamp, Member, Epstein,
Becker & Green, P.C., Washington, D.C., Ms. Saru Jayaraman,
President, One Fair Wage, New York, NY; Ms. Simone Barron, Co-
Founder, Full-Service Workers Alliance, Seattle, WA; and Ms.
Saru Jayaraman, President, One Fair Wage, New York, NY.
Legislation Referred to the Committee That Passed the House
H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, sponsored by Rep.
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL), passed the House by a vote of
219 Yeas and 213 Nays on May 11, 2023.
H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act, sponsored by Rep. Julia
Letlow (LA), passed the House by a vote of 213 Yeas and
208 Nays on March 24, 2023.
H.R. 443, the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act,
sponsored by Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), passed the House by
of a vote of 407 Yeas and 0 Nays under suspension of
the rules on February 5, 2024.
H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of
2023, sponsored by Rep. Gregory W. Steube (FL), passed
the House by a vote of 219 Yeas and 203 Nays on April
20, 2023.
H.R. 1147, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2023,
sponsored by Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA), passed the House
by a vote of 330 Yeas and 99 Nays on December 13, 2023.
H.R. 2799, the Expanding Access to Capital Act of 2023,
sponsored by Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC), passed the
House by a vote of 212 Yeas and 205 Nays on March 8,
2024.
H.R. 2811, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, sponsored by Rep.
Jodey Arrington (TX), passed the House by a vote of 217
Yeas and 215 Nays on April 26, 2023.
H.R. 2882, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,
sponsored by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ), passed the House
by a vote of 350 Yeas and 58 Nays under suspension of
the rules on February 5, 2024.
H.R. 3724, the End Woke Higher Education Act, sponsored by Rep.
Burgess Owens (UT), passed the House by a vote of 213
Yeas and 201 Nays on September 19, 2024.
H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, sponsored by
Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC), passed the House by a vote
of 314 Yeas and 117 Nays on May 31, 2023.
H.R. 3941, the Schools Not Shelters Act, sponsored by Rep.
Marcus J. Molinaro (NY), passed the House by a vote of
222 Yeas and 201 Nays on July 19, 2023.
H.R. 4259, the Think Differently About Education Act of 2023,
sponsored by Rep. Marcus J. Molinaro (NY), passed the
House by voice vote under suspension of the rules on
September 24, 2024.
H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities
Reauthorization Act, sponsored by Rep. Brett Guthrie
(KY), passed the House by a vote of 386 Yeas and 37
Nays under suspension of the rules on December 12,
2023.
H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act,
sponsored by Rep. Mark Green (TN), passed the House by
a vote of 424 Yeas and 1 Nay under suspension of the
rules on September 26, 2023.
H.R. 5339, the Protecting Americans' Investments from Woke
Policies Act, sponsored by Rep. Rick W. Allen (GA),
passed the House by a vote of 217 Yeas and 206 Nays on
September 18, 2024.
H.R. 5349, the Crucial Communism Teaching Act, sponsored by
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (FL), passed the House by a
vote of 327 Yeas and 62 Nays on December 6, 2024.
H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, sponsored by
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), passed the House by a
vote of 320 Yeas and 71 Nays under suspension of the
rules on December 11, 2023.
H.R. 5646, the Stop Campus Hazing Act, sponsored by Rep. Lucy
McBath (GA), passed the House by voice vote under
suspension of the rules on September 24, 2024.
H.R. 5856, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims
Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2023,
sponsored by Rep. Christopher Smith (NJ), passed the
House by a vote of 414 Yeas and 11 Nays under
suspension of the rules on February 13, 2024.
H.R. 5933, the DETERRENT Act, sponsored by Rep. Michelle Steel
(CA), passed the House by a vote of 246 Yeas and 170
Nays on December 6, 2023.
H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, sponsored by
Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC), passed the House by a vote of
378 Yeas and 26 Nays under suspension of the rules on
April 9, 2024.
H.R. 6914, the Pregnant Students' Rights Act, sponsored by Rep.
Ashley Hinson (IA), passed the House by a vote of 212
Yeas and 207 Nays on January 18, 2024.
H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, sponsored by Rep. Erin
Houchin (IA), passed the House by a vote of 381 Yeas
and 1 Nay on November 15, 2024.
H.J. Res. 30, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule
submitted by the Department of Labor relating to
``Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments
and Exercising Shareholder Rights'', sponsored by Rep.
Andy Barr (KY), passed the House by a vote of 216 Yeas
and 204 Nays on February 28, 2023.
H.J. Res. 45, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule
submitted by the Department of Education relating to
``Waivers and Modifications of Federal Student Loans'',
sponsored by Rep. Bob Good (VA), passed the House by a
vote of 218 Yeas and 203 Nays on May 24, 2023.
H.J. Res. 88, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule
submitted by the Department of Education relating to
``Improving Income Driven Repayment for the William D.
Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program'', sponsored by Rep. Lisa
McClain (MI), passed the House by a vote of 210 Yeas
and 189 Nays on December 7, 2023.
H.J. Res. 98, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule
submitted by the National Labor Relations Board
relating to ``Standard for Determining Joint Employer
Status'', sponsored by Rep. John James (MI), passed the
House by a vote of 206 Yeas and 177 Nays on January 12,
2024.
H.J. Res. 165, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule
submitted by the Department of Education relating to
``Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial
Assistance'', sponsored by Rep. Mary Miller (IL),
passed the House by a vote of 210 Yeas and 205 Nays on
July 11, 2024.
H. Res. 461, Condemning the use of elementary and secondary
school facilities to provide shelter for aliens who are
not admitted to the United States, sponsored by Rep.
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA), passed the House by a
vote of 223 Yeas and 201 Nays on June 22, 2023.
H. Res. 798, Condemning the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and
other terrorist organizations at institutions of higher
education, which may lead to the creation of a hostile
environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff,
sponsored by Rep. Burgess Owens (UT), passed the House
by a vote of 396 Yeas and 23 Nays under suspension of
the rules on November 2, 2023.
H. Res. 927, Condemning antisemitism on University campuses and
the testimony of University Presidents in the House
Committee on Education and the Workforce, sponsored by
Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY), passed the House by a vote of
303 Yeas and 126 Nays under suspension of the rules on
December 13, 2023.
H. Res. 1215, Calling on elected officials and civil society
leaders to join in efforts to educate the public on the
contributions of the Jewish American community,
sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL), passed
the House by a vote of 371 Yeas and 0 Nays under
suspension of the rules on June 3, 2024.
Legislation Within Committee Jurisdiction Not Referred to the Committee
That Passed the House
S. 1147, the Jenna Quinn Law, sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn
(TX), passed the House by voice vote under suspension
of the rules on December 17, 2024.
S. 2051, the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act
of 2023, sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (IL), passed the
House by a vote of 406 Yeas and 0 Nays under suspension
of the rules on April 9, 2024.
S. 3448, the Never Again Reauthorization Act of 2023, sponsored
by Sen. Jacky Rosen (NV), passed the House by a vote of
402 Yeas and 12 Nays under suspension of the rules on
December 17, 2024.
S. 5355, the National Advisory Council on Indian Education
Improvement Act, sponsored by Sen. Deb Fischer (NE),
passed the House by voice vote under suspension of the
rules on December 17, 2024.
Legislation Referred to the Committee Enacted Into Law
H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act,
sponsored by Rep. Mark Green (TN), was enacted into law
on October 6, 2023 (Public Law 118-207).
H.R. 5646, the Stop Campus Hazing Act, sponsored by Rep. Lucy
McBath (GA), was enacted into law on December 23, 2024
(Public Law 118-173).
H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, sponsored by Rep. Erin
Houchin (IN), was enacted into law on December 11, 2024
(Public Law 118-145).
Legislation Within Committee Jurisdiction Not Referred to the Committee
Enacted Into Law
S. 1147, the Jenna Quinn Law, sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn
(TX), was enacted into law on December 23, 2024 (Public
Law 118-193).
S. 2051, the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act
of 2023, sponsored by Sen. Richard J. Durbin (IL), was
enacted into law on June 17, 2024 (Public Law 118-65).
S. 3448, the Never Again Reauthorization Act of 2023, sponsored
by Sen. Jacky Rosen (NV), was enacted into law on
December 23, 2024 (Public Law 118-197).
S. 5355, the National Advisory Council on Indian Education
Improvement Act, sponsored by Sen. Deb Fischer (NE),
was enacted into law on December 23, 2024 (Public Law
118-209).
Oversight Plan Summary and Activity
The Committee adopted its oversight plan for the 118th
Congress at its organizational meeting on January 31, 2023. The
Committee outlined several priority areas for oversight in the
plan including, but not limited to:
Student Loans
Student Aid
Preserving the First Amendment on Campus
Monitoring Use of COVID Relief Funds
Faithful Implementation of Title IX
Department of Labor's Workforce Development
Programs
Anti-Poverty Programs
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Child Nutrition
National Labor Relations Board
Administration Bias Protecting Big Labor
Union Accountability and Transparency
Wage and Hour
Retirement Security and Pensions
Health Care
Equal Employment Opportunity
Workplace Safety and Health
Mine Safety and Health
All areas upon which the Committee planned to conduct
oversight were examined.
ACTIONS TAKEN BASED ON OVERSIGHT PLAN
Student Loans
Transcribed Interview--As part of the
Committee's oversight investigation into the return to
payment of federal student loans, the Committee
conducted a transcribed interview with Marc Piccolo,
Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief Operating Officer,
Office of Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of
Education on October 27, 2023.
Failed Financial Audits--The Committee sent
multiple letters to Department of Education Secretary
Miguel Cardona, requesting documents and briefings
regarding the Department's failed financial audits for
three consecutive years (disclaimers of opinion,
material weaknesses, lack of sufficient internal
controls) attributable largely to errors in the office
of Federal Student Aid's (FSA) estimates and
assumptions in the FFEL and Direct Loan programs and in
general, the Department's lack of sufficient internal
controls at FSA.
Hardship Waiver Proposed Rule--The Committee
submitted a comment letter to Secretary Cardona
requesting that the Department withdraw its proposed
rule to cancel borrowers' student loans based on
``hardships.''
Borrower Defense to Repayment and Student
Loan Servicer Subpoenas--Following the transcribed
interview with FSA Senior Advisor Marc Piccolo, the
Committee subpoenaed the Department of Education for
all documents related to borrower defense and repayment
after the Department refused to turn over borrower
defense to the Committee. Additionally, the Committee
subpoenaed five student loan servicers including,
Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA),
Nelnet Servicing, LLC, Maximus dba Aidvantage,
Edfinancial Services and Central Research, Inc.
compelling the servicers to provide documents related
to the Department's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on
Student Debt Relief.
Student Loan Bailout--The Committee sent a letter
to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, requesting
information on the Department's decision to discharge at least
$6 billion in student loans for over 200,000 borrowers through
a class action settlement in Sweet v. Cardona.
GAO Investigation--In a March 4, 2024, letter to
the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Committee asked
GAO to investigate the Department of Education for its failure
to respond to the Committee on issues related to the student
loan bailout, and borrower defense to the repayment of student
loans.
Legislation--The Committee considered H.J. Res.
45, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of
title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the
Department of Education relating to ``Waivers and Modifications
of Federal Student Loans,'' in its May 10, 2023, markup
session. The resolution was reported favorably out of Committee
was agreed to in the House on May 24, 2023, by a vote of 218
Yeas and 203 Nays. In its September 14, 2023, markup session,
the Committee reported favorably out of Committee H.J. Res. 88,
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of
title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the
Department of Education relating to ``Improving Income Driven
Repayment for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program
and the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program.'' The
resolution was agreed to in the House on December 7, 2023, by a
vote of 210 Yeas and 189 Nays.
Hearings--The Committee held multiple hearings to
address student loan policies and conduct oversight on the
Department's return to repayment plans. These included, the May
16, 2023 Full Committee hearing titled, ``Examining the
Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education,'' the
March 23, 2023 Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce
Development hearing titled, ``Breaking the System: Examining
the Implications of Biden's Student Loan Policies for Students
and Taxpayers,'' the May 24, 2023 hearing titled, ``Breaking
the System Part II: Examining the Implications of Biden's
Student Loan Policies for Students and Taxpayers,'' and the May
7, 2024 Full Committee hearing titled, ``Examining the
Education Department's Policies, Priorities, and FY 2023
Financial Audit Failure.''
Student Aid
FSA Oversight--On January 24, 2024, the Committee
sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO),
asking GAO to investigate the Department of Education's failed
implementation of the new Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA). Additionally, Chairwoman Foxx and Subcommittee on
Higher Education and Workforce Development Chair Burgess Owens
(UT) sent a letter to Secretary Cardona demanding answers from
the Department on its continued delays of the implementation of
FAFSA after the Department announced the rollout would be
delayed another 30 days. On February 7, 2024, the Committee
sent a joint letter with Senate Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions Committee Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA) to GAO,
requesting an investigation into the Department's reported
issues with its information technology system used for the
rollout of FAFSA. On March 4, 2024, the Committee asked GAO to
investigate the Department's failure to respond to multiple
Committee requests, including the rollout of FAFSA. After
reports of the Department obstructing the GAO investigation
into the rollout of FAFSA, the Committee sent a joint letter
with Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA) to the Department to seek
information on the obstruction.
FAFSA Subpoena--On July 25, 2024, the Committee
issued a subpoena to the Department of Education that compelled
the production of all documents and communications related to
the rollout of the simplified FAFSA.
Hearings--The Committee held two hearings to
examine the Office of Federal Student Aid's (FSA) failure to
rollout the simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA), including the April 10, 2024, Subcommittee on Higher
Education and Workforce Development hearing titled, ``FAFSA
Fail: Examining the Impacts on Students, Families, and Schools,
and the September 24, 2024 Subcommittee on Higher Education and
Workforce Development hearing titled, ``GAO Uncovers Biden-
Harris FAFSA Failures.'' Additionally, the Committee held a
July 27, 2023, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce
Development hearing to examine reforms in the Higher Education
Act to lower college costs for students, titled ``Lowering
Costs and Increasing Value for Students, Institutions, and
Taxpayers.''
Preserving the First Amendment on Campus
Religious Protections at Institutions of Higher
Education--The Committee sent a comment letter to Secretary
Cardona on March 24, 2023, regarding the Department of
Education's proposed rule that would rescind free speech and
free exercise of religion provided to religious organizations
at public institutions of higher education.
Freedom of Speech at Campus Events--Following
reports of the harassment collegiate athlete Riley Gaines faced
at an event on San Francisco State's campus, the Committee sent
a letter to Secretary Cardona requesting information about
actions the Department of Education is taking to protect free
speech on college campuses.
Freedom of Speech on College Campuses Report--The
Committee published its report titled, ``Freedom of Speech and
Its Protection on College Campuses'' on September 21, 2023,
outlining how free speech is stifled in postsecondary education
and solutions to protect First Amendment rights.
Hearings--On March 29, 2023, the Committee held a
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development
hearing titled ``Diversity of Thought: Protecting Free Speech
on College Campuses,'' where the Committee discussed the ways
in which free speech rights are being violated on campus and
solutions to preserve students' First Amendment protections.
Monitoring Use of COVID Relief Funds
Department of Education's COVID-19 Education Fund
Management--The Committee sent a letter to Secretary Cardona
requesting all documents, communications, and policies guiding
the Department of Education's administration of COVID-19
education relief funds on April 3, 2023.
Faithful Implementation of Title IX
Department of Education's Title IX Compliance
Investigations--On March 23, 2023, Chairwoman Foxx and Rep.
Mary Miller (IL) sent a letter to the Office of Civil Rights
Assistant Secretary Catherin Lhamon as a follow up on the
Committee's October 2021 letter to Secretary Cardona, seeking
information on the Department of Education's interpretation of
Title IX and sexual assault reports at Loudoun County Public
Schools. In a June 8, 2023, letter to Secretary Cardona,
Chairwoman Foxx and Rep. Miller raised concerns and requested a
Title IX investigation into a Wisconsin school district's
policies after reports surfaced of a student assault in a
campus shower.
Department of Education Title IX Regulations--The
Committee sent letters to Secretary Cardona requesting that the
Department rescind its Title IX athletics proposed rule, and
when the Department did not, the Committee asked for additional
information on the process behind developing the proposed rule.
Additionally, following the Department's decision to revamp its
Title IX regulations through the proposed rule,
``Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs
or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance,'' the
Committee on Education and Workforce and the Committee on
Oversight and Accountability sent a letter to Secretary Cardona
announcing its investigation into the rewrite of Title IX
regulations.
Legislation--In the Committee's June 13, 2024,
markup session, the Committee reported favorably to the House,
H.J. Res. 165, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted
by the Department of Education relating to ``Nondiscrimination
on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities
Receiving Federal Financial Assistance''. The resolution was
agreed to in the House on July 11, 2024, by a vote of 210 Yeas
and 205 Nays.
Department of Labor's Workforce Development Programs
Hearings--The Committee held two hearings two
specifically address ways to modernize the workforce
development system under the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act including the September 20, 2023, Subcommittee
on Higher Education and Workforce Development hearing titled
``Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for Jobseekers,
Employers, and Taxpayers,'' and the June 22, 2023, Full
Committee hearing titled ``Competencies Over Degrees:
Transitioning to a Skills-Based Economy.''
Anti-Poverty Programs
Woman, Infants, and Children--The Committee sent a
letter to the Department of Agriculture on February 21, 2023,
raising concerns over the Department's proposed changes to the
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program packages that limit
families from accessing flexible and nutritious food options.
Head Start--Chairwoman Foxx and Subcommittee on
Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Chairman
Aaron Bean (FL), sent a letter to Department of Health and
Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on January 19, 2024,
raising concerns over the Department's proposed rule titled
``Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality
Programming.'' The Members argue that the proposed rule does
little to ensure quality programming and instead serves as a
collective bargaining agreement for Head Start teachers.
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Parental Consent for Hormone Therapies Used on
Children--The Committee sent several letters to clinics and
hospitals around the country that reportedly used life-altering
medical interventions on children without parental consent.
Child Labor--Chairwoman Foxx and Workforce
Protections Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA) sent a
letter to Department of Labor Acting Secretary Su, raising
concerns over the alarming increase in child labor around the
country, specifically amongst migrant children.
Hearings--The Committee held a February 6, 2024,
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary
Education hearing titled, ``Protecting Missing and Exploited
Children,'' to examine ways to protect children through the
reauthorization of the Missing Children's Assistance Act.
Child Nutrition
USDA Revisions to Child Nutrition Programs--In a
joint letter with Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Committee Ranking Member Senator John Boozman (AR), to the
Department of Agriculture, the Committees requested an
extension of the review period for the proposed rule, ``Child
Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With
the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,'' citing its
significant impact on school meals. The Committee on Education
and the Workforce sent a follow-up letter to the Department on
the same proposed rule arguing that it would result in
additional expenditures of $1.4 billion over six school years.
Feeding Our Future Investigation--The Committee
launched an investigation into the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), the Minnesota Department of Education
(MDE), and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over what has been
identified as the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the nation.
The Minnesota nonprofit, Feeding Our Future, defrauded the
USDA's Federal Child Nutrition Program of over $250 million,
diverting those funds away from feeding hungry children. The
Committee sent several letters to USDA, the USDA Office of
Inspector General, MDE Commissioner Willie Jett, and Governor
Walz requesting information and documents related to the
Feeding Our Future fraud. After the agencies failed to comply
with the Committee's document requests, the Committee
subpoenaed Jett, Walz, USDA, and USDA OIG for the documents on
September 4, 2024.
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
NLRB Region 15 Subpoena--On March 22, 2023, the
Committee issued a subpoena to NLRB Region 15 requesting
documents and communications related to the misconduct of NLRB
employees at a Starbucks store in Overland Park, Kansas during
a representation election at the store.
Mail Ballot Fraud in Representation Elections--
After an NLRB whistleblower provided documents to the Committee
outlining dozens of instances of NLRB misconduct in their use
of mail ballots in representation elections, the Committee sent
an information request to NLRB Chair Lauren McFerran.
Additionally, the Committee sent a letter to NLRB Inspector
General David Berry, requesting that he provide the Committee
with a publicly releasable version of a report detailing
findings of gross mismanagement in the NLRB's administration of
a mail ballot election.
Return to Work--Following reports of low in-person
attendance at the NLRB office, the Committee sent a letter to
NLRB Chair McFerran criticizing the agency for failing to
return their employees to full-time in-person work, and
requested details on their return to work plans. The Committee
subpoenaed the Department for these materials, after DOL failed
to provide requested information.
NLRB Proposed Rule--The Committee responded to the
NLRB's proposed rule, ``Representation-Case Procedures:
Election Bars; Proof of Majority Support in Construction
Industry Collective-Bargaining Relationships,'' criticizing the
proposed rule for stripping employees of vital protections, and
prioritizing union interests.
Committee Issue Report--On May 9, 2024, the
Committee released a report detailing the NLRB's misconduct in
its administration of mail ballots.
Hearings--The Committee held several hearings to
examine the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) actions,
policies, and overreach. These included, the May 23, 2023,
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions hearing
titled, ``Protecting Employees Rights: Ensuring Fair Elections
at the NLRB,'' the joint Health, Employment, Labor, and
Pensions Subcommittee and Higher Education and Workforce
Development Subcommittee March 12, 2024, hearing titled,
``Safeguarding Student-Athletes from NLRB Misclassification,''
and the June 12, 2024, Subcommittee on Health, Employment,
Labor and Pensions hearing titled, ``NLRB Overreach: Trampling
on Worker's Rights and Fostering Unfairness.''
Legislation--In the Committee's December 12, 2023,
markup session, the Committee favorably reported to the House,
H.J. Res. 98, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted
by the National Labor Relations Board relating to ``Standard
for Determining Joint Employer Status.'' The resolution was
agreed to in the House on January 12, 2024, by a vote of 206
Yeas and 177 Nays.
Administration Bias Protecting Big Labor
Workplace Speech and Conduct Memorandum--In a
letter to EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows, the Committee requested
that the EEOC receive public input before issuing a final joint
memorandum with NLRB on offensive workplace speech that may
constitute harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Hearings--The Committee held a hearing to
specifically determine the extent to which the administration
has weaponized federal policies in favor of unions, the
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
December 13, 2023 hearing titled, ``Protecting Workers and
Small Businesses from Biden's Attack on Worker Free Choice and
Economic Growth.''
Union Accountability and Transparency
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA)
Investigation--Following the ALAA union's controversial vote
and subsequent adoption of the ``Resolution Calling for a
Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of
Palestine, and Support for Workers'' Political Speech,'' the
Committee launched an investigation into ALAA for putting
Jewish union members in a compromising vote with the measure.
The investigation included multiple letters sent to ALAA
president Lisa Ohta requesting documents and communications
related to the vote, a subpoena for those materials once the
union refused to provide them, and a subpoena requiring Ms.
Ohta's appearance at a deposition with the Committee on June 6,
2024. The Committee published its report on the investigation's
findings on September 20, 2024.
President Biden's Participation in UAW Strike--
After President Biden joined a strike with the United Auto
Workers (UAW) at a General Motors plant, the Committee sent a
letter to President Biden requesting information on his
attendance, and the cost to the taxpayer.
Corruption at Unions--On March 15, 2024, the
Committee sent letters to 14 major unions requesting
information on each union's efforts and plans to protect their
members from fraud and corruption.
Unions Leveraging Pension Plan Holdings--The
Committee sent letters to the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters and AFL CIO following reports of the unions' attempts
to leverage pension plan holdings to engage in shareholder
proxy voting activism.
Hearings--Several hearings were held to conduct
oversight unions to ensure they are properly managing their
members' dues, education funds, and pension programs including
the May 22, 2024, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor,
and Pensions hearing titled, ``Big Labor Lies: Exposing Union
Tactics to Undermine Free and Fair Elections,'' and the July 9,
2024, Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing titled
``Confronting Union Antisemitism: Protecting Workers from Big
Labor Abuses.''
Wage and Hour
Worker Misclassification--On August 8, 2024, the
Committee sent a letter to DOL Acting Secretary Julie Su,
threatening a subpoena if DOL fails to produce data on the
WHD's misclassification enforcement investigations.
DOL Return to Work Subpoena--After the Department
of Labor provided an insufficient response to the Committee's
inquiry about its return to in-person work plans, the Committee
issued a subpoena to DOL Acting Secretary Su on May 6, 2024,
compelling DOL to submit its return-to-office action plans to
the Committee.
Independent Contractors--Several letters were sent
to DOL Acting Secretary regarding the Department's independent
contractor model and worker misclassification enforcement
investigations. On September 23, 2024, the Committee subpoenaed
the Department for all independent contractor related documents
and communications.
Legislation--In the Committee's March 21, 2024,
markup session, the Committee reported favorably to the House,
H.J. Res. 116, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted
by the Department of the Labor relating to ``Employee or
Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor
Standards Act.''
Hearings--The Committee held several hearings to
review the Wage and Hour Division's policies and regulations,
including the following Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
hearings: the April 19, 2023, hearing titled, ``Examining
Biden's War on Independent Contractors,'' the July 18, 2023
earing titled ``Cutting Corners at WHD: Examining the Cost to
Workers, Small Businesses, and the Economy,'' the November 29,
2023, hearing titled ``Bad for Business: DOL's Proposed
Overtime Rule,'' the February 14, 2024, hearing titled
``Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Wage and Hour
Division, the April 11, 2024, hearing titled, ``Unlocking
Opportunity: Allowing Independent Contractors to Access
Benefits,'' and the September 18, 2024 hearing titled
``Examining the Biden-Harris Attacks on Tipped Workers.''
Retirement Security and Pensions
DOL's Retirement Security Rule--In a letter to DOL
Acting Secretary Su, the Committee requested a public hearing
from DOL's Employee Benefits Security Administration on the
proposed rule titled, ``Retirement Security Rule: Definition of
an Investment Advice Fiduciary.''
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)
Oversight--Following reports of the PBGC refusing to recover
$127 million in taxpayer money it sent to fund pensions for at
least 3,479 deceased participants in the Central States Pension
Fund, the Committee launched an investigation into PBGC,
sending multiple document request letters to PBGC Director
Gordon Hartogensis. The Committee officially issued a subpoena
to PBGC for the documents on March 26, 2024.
PBGC's SFA Program--On April 20, 2023, Chairwoman
Fox and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee
Chairman Bob Good (VA) sent a letter to PBGC Director
Hartogensis requesting information on the PBGC's implementation
of special financial assistance programs for multiemployer
pension plans following the Office of Inspector General's
September 8, 2022, risk advisory.
Legislation--In the Committee's July 10, 2024,
markup session, the Committee reported favorably to the House,
H.J. Res. 142, Providing for congressional disapproval under
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted
by the Department of Labor relating to ``Retirement Security
Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice Fiduciary''.
Hearings--The Committee held a Subcommittee on
Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine the
operations and regulatory policies at the PBGC on March 20,
2024, titled, ``Examining the Policies and Priorities of the
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.''
Health Care
Legislation--In the Committee's September 11,
2024, markup session, the Committee favorably reported to the
House, H.J. Res. 181, Providing for congressional disapproval
under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule
submitted by the Department of Labor relating to ``Definition
of `Employer'-Association Health Plans''.
Final Rules Limiting Health Care Options--On March
28, 2024, the Committee sent a comment letter to DOL, Treasury,
and HHS, opposing the final rules titled ``Short-Term, Limited-
Duration Insurance and Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted
Benefits Coverage.''
Strengthening ERISA--Prior to its hearing
regarding the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA),
the Committee sent a letter to stakeholders of the employee
health benefits community, seeking feedback on ways the
Committee can strengthen ERISA.
Hearings--The Committee held several hearings to
ensure that employers have the flexibility and tools to offer
workers and their families affordable, employer-sponsored
health care coverage that fits their individual needs. These
hearings included the Subcommittee on Health, Employment,
Labor, and Pensions April 26, 2023, hearing titled ``Reducing
Health Care Costs for Working Americans and Their Families,''
the June 21, 2023, hearing titled ``Competition and
Transparency: The Pathway Forward for a Stronger Health Care
Market,'' the January 11, 2024, hearing titled ``Lowering Costs
and Increasing Access to Health Care with Employer-Driven
Innovation,'' the April 16, 2024, hearing titled ``ERISA's 50th
Anniversary: the Path to Higher Quality, Lower Cost Health
Care,'' and the September 10, 2024, hearing titled ``ERISA's
50th Anniversary: The Value of Employer-Sponsored Health
Benefits.''
Equal Employment Opportunity
Return to Work Plans--The Committee sent a letter
to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair
Charlotte Burrows requesting information on EEOC's plans to
return their employees to full-time in-person work.
EEOC Mismanagement of Funds--On August 24, 2024,
the Committee sent a letter to EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows
requesting information on the EEOC's mismanagement of
congressionally appropriated funds that almost led to the
furlough of EEOC employees.
EEOC Failure to Resolve Discrimination
Complaints--Chairwoman Foxx and Workforce Protections
Subcommittee Chair Kevin Kiley (CA) sent a letter to EEOC Chair
Burrows expressing concerns about the lack of transparency and
performance issues within the EEOC, specifically with respect
to EEOC's failure to resolve discrimination complaints that
resulted in a 20 percent increase in the charge backlog of
discrimination charges from Fiscal Year 2021 to Fiscal Year
2022.
EEOC Proposed Rule--On October 11, 2023, the
Committee sent a letter to EEOC Chair Burrows, urging the
agency to revise its proposed rule that would allow abortion
services to be covered under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
Workplace Safety and Health
Workers' Voice Summit--The Committee sent
oversight letters to DOL Acting Secretary Su regarding OSHA's
``Workers' Voice Summit,'' raising concerns over the political
nature of the event and the taxpayer funds that were used for
it. After the Department failed to respond, the Committee
issued a subpoena for documents related to the summit on
November 21, 2023.
White House Compliance with OSHA Policies--After
President Biden's dog bit people on 24 separate occasions,
including White House staff, the Committee sent letters to the
White House requesting information on whether the correct OSHA
forms were filled out for workplace incidents.
OSHA Walkaround Rule--The Committee responded to
OSHA's proposed rule titled, ``Worker Walkaround Representative
Designation Process,'' raising concerns over the Department of
Labor's inability to justify the data that contributed to the
proposed rule.
OSHA's Heat Rule--Following OSHA's August 30,
2024, Notice of Proposed rulemaking on ``Heat Illness
Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings, the Committee
sent a a letter to DOL urging OSHA to abandon the proposed rule
due to the burdens it would place on job creators, especially
small businesses.
Hearings--The Committee held Subcommittee on
Workforce Protections hearings with the purpose of ensuring
OSHA is maintaining safe workplace environments while not
harming and burdening employers. These hearings included the
September 27, 2023, hearing titled ``Examining the Policies and
Priorities of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and the July 24, 2024, titled ``Safeguarding Workers and
Employers from OSHA Overreach and Skewed Priorities.''
Mine Safety and Health
MSHA Proposed Rule--The Committee sent a letter to
DOL Acting Secretary Su on December 8, 2023, expressing
concerns regarding the Mine Safety and Health Administration's
proposed rule to update existing standards limiting respirable
crystalline silica in the mining industry, due to the
unnecessary burdens the proposed rule would place on the
industry.
ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE
Combatting Antisemitism
Due to the uptick in antisemitism across the country
following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, the
Committee on Education and the Workforce took the following
actions to combat antisemitism in higher education, K-12
education, and the workplace:
Higher Education
Immediately following the attacks on Israel on
October 7, 2023, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce
Development Chair Burgess Owens (UT) introduced H. Res. 798,
Condemning the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist
organizations at institutions of higher education, which may
lead to the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish
students, faculty, and staff on October 19, 2023. The
resolution was agreed to in the House by a vote of 396 Yeas and
23 Nays under suspension of the rules on November 2, 2023.
On November 14, 2023, the Committee held a
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development
hearing titled, ``Confronting the Scourge of Antisemitism on
Campus.''
On December 5, 2023, the Committee held a Full
Committee hearing examining the outbreak of antisemitism on
college campuses following the October 7 attacks. The hearing,
titled ``Holding Campus Leader Accountable and Confronting
Antisemitism,'' featured testimony from Dr. Claudine Gay of
Harvard University, Ms. Liz Magill of the University of
Pennsylvania (Penn), Dr. Pamela Nadell of American University,
and Dr. Sally Kornbluth of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT).
Chairwoman Foxx announced a formal investigation
on December 7, 2023, into Harvard, Penn, and MIT, and put other
colleges on notice, saying that ``disgusting targeting and
harassment of Jewish students is not limited to these
institutions, and other universities should expect
investigations as well, as their litany of similar failures has
not gone unnoticed.''
Chairwoman Foxx sent letters to the general
counsels of Harvard, Penn, and MIT providing notice to preserve
materials related to antisemitism in advance of forthcoming
Committee investigations into antisemitism on college campuses.
The Committee sent its first document request
letter to Harvard on January 9, 2024, citing Dr. Gay's
testimony before Congress as a failure to address the
longstanding and pervasive antisemitism on campus.
The Committee sent its first document request
letter to the Penn on January 24, 2024, and calls into question
the university's ``clear double standard'' that tolerates
``antisemitic vandalism, harassment, and intimidation, but
suppresses and [penalizes] other expression it deemed
problematic.''
Chairwoman Foxx sent a final warning on February
7, 2024, to Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker
and Interim President Dr. Alan Garber since the university
failed to produce documents related to the Committee's
antisemitism investigation.
Chairwoman Foxx sent a letter to Columbia
President Dr. Minouche Shafik, Columbia Trustees Co-Chair David
Greenwald, Columbia Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman, Barnard
College President Dr. Laura Rosenbury, and Barnard College
Board of Trustees Chair Cheryl Glicker Milstein requesting
documents and information regarding Columbia University's
response to antisemitism on its campus and its failure to
protect Jewish students, faculty, and staff.
On February 16, 2024, the Committee served
subpoenas to Harvard requiring Harvard to produce 11 key areas
of documentation that are intended to uncover what actions
Harvard is undertaking or has undertaken to ensure Harvard
Jewish students feel safe and welcome on campus.
The Committee held a roundtable on February 29,
2024, to hear from Jewish students attending Harvard, Penn,
MIT, Columbia, the University of California Berkeley (UC
Berkeley), Rutgers University, Stanford University, Tulane
University, and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and
Art about their experiences with antisemitism on campus.
The Committee sent its first document request
letter to MIT on March 8, 2024, highlighting the disparity
between the university's rosy assessment of the campus
environment with student responses that said the majority of
Jewish students did not feel comfortable being Jewish or
Israeli on campus, and majority did not feel the university's
actions were adequate.
On March 18, 2024, the Committee conducted a
transcribed interview with the Harvard Antisemitism Advisory
Group member, Dr. Dara Horn.
The Committee sent a letter on March 19, 2024, to
UC Berkeley Chancellor Dr. Carol T. Christ, President Michael
V. Drake, and Board of Regents Chair Richard Leib requesting
documents and information regarding UC Berkeley's response to
numerous antisemitic incidents on campus and its
administration's failure to protect Jewish students and
faculty.
On March 27, 2024, the Committee sent a letter to
Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway, Rutgers Board
of Governors Chair William E. Best, Rutgers University-Newark
Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Rutgers University-Camden Chancellor
Antonio D. Tillis, and Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Chancellor Francine Conway requesting documents and information
regarding Rutgers University's response to numerous antisemitic
incidents on its campuses and its failure to protect Jewish
students, faculty, and staff.
The Committee held a hearing on April 17, 2024,
titled ``Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic
College Chaos,'' with the presidents of Rutgers and
Northwestern, as well as the chancellor of the University of
California Los Angeles (UCLA) testifying. The hearing honed in
on the illegal encampments that had broken out on campuses
across the country.
The Committee sent a follow up letter to Columbia
President Shafik, and Columbia Trustees Co-Chairs Greenwald and
Shipman demanding the university take action regarding the
chaotic encampments on campus.
On May 15, 2024, the Committee sent a letter to
University of California system President Michael Drake, UCLA
Chancellor Gene Block, and University of California Board of
Regents Chair Richard Leib requesting documents and information
regarding UCLA's response to antisemitic encampments on its
campus.
Chairwoman Foxx released an investigative update
report on May 16, 2024, on Harvard's Antisemitism Advisory
Group, as part of the Committee's investigation into
antisemitism at Harvard.
The Committee held a hearing on May 23, 2024,
titled ``Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic
College Chaos,'' with the presidents of Rutgers and
Northwestern, as well as the chancellor of UCLA testifying.
The Committee sent a letter on June 7, 2024, to
Northwestern University President Michael Schill and Board of
trustees Chair Peter J. Barris warning that the Committee is
prepared to subpoena documents and information regarding the
university's deficient response to antisemitism on its campus.
On June 20, 2024, the Committee conducted a
transcribed interview with Yale President Peter Salovey as part
of its investigation into antisemitism at Yale.
On August 9, 2024, the Committee conducted a
transcribed interview with University of Michigan President
Santa Ono as part of its investigation into antisemitism at the
University.
Following repeated failures to turn over documents
necessary to the Committee's investigation, subpoenas were
issued to Columbia University on August 21, 2024, specifically
seeking information on the ``Gaza Solidarity Encampment'' and
Board of Trustees communications.
On August 29, 2024, the Committee conducted a
transcribed interview with Penny Pritzker, Senior Fellow,
Harvard Corporation.
The Committee released the issue report titled,
``Antisemitism on College Campuses Exposed'' on October 31,
2024.
On December 19, 2024, the U.S. House of
Representatives Staff Report on Antisemitism was released.
K-12 Education
The Committee held a Subcommittee on Early
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education hearing on
antisemitism in K-12 schools on May, 8, 2024.
At the Committee's June 13, 2024, markup, the
Committee favorably reported H.R. 8606, the Never Again
Education Reauthorization and Study Act of 2024, a bill to
support Holocaust education programs, to the House.
On September 26, 2024, Chairwoman Foxx and Rep.
Michelle Steel (R-CA) sent a letter to Education Secretary
Miguel Cardona asking for an investigation into the Santa Ana
Unified School District (SAUSD) for a pattern of antisemitic
behavior among its senior officials.
Workplace
The Committee sent a letter on January 29, 2024,
to Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (Local 2325) President
Lisa Ohta asking for more information and documents regarding
the union's vote on a measure titled ``Resolution Calling for a
Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of
Palestine, and Support for Workers' Political Speech.'' The
Resolution--which garnered several lawsuits from Local 2325
members--calls for an economic boycott of Israel, fails to
acknowledge the horrific actions committed by Hamas on October
7, 2023, and puts Jewish union members in a compromising
position.
On March 11, 2024, the Committee served a subpoena
to Association of Legal Aid Attorneys President Lisa Ohta after
ALAA obstructed the Committee's oversight by refusing to
provide information to the Committee.
The Committee served a subpoena to Association of
Legal Aid Attorneys President Lisa Ohta, compelling Ohta to
appear before the Committee for a deposition on May 29, 2024,
on the union's infringement on the rights of union members
through its adoption of a resolution on Gaza.
On May 28, 2024, Chairwoman Foxx introduced H.R.
8573, the Union Members Right to Know Act. The legislation
would require labor unions to inform union members of their
free speech rights and the right not to pay dues or fees based
on religious beliefs and practices for nonrepresentational
activity.
On June 6, 2024, the Committee conducted a
deposition with Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA)
President Lisa Ohta regarding ALAA's infringement on its
members rights through the adoption of a Gaza resolution.
The Committee held a Subcommittee on Workforce
Protections hearing on June 26, 2024, titled, ``Combating
Workplace Antisemitism in Postsecondary Education: Protecting
Employees from Discrimination.''
The Committee held a Subcommittee on Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing on July 9, 2024,
titled, ``Confronting Union Antisemitism: Protecting Workers
from Big Labor Abuses.''
On September 20, 2024, the Committee released a
report on antisemitic activity within the Association of Legal
Aid Attorneys (ALAA) union, following ALAA's passage of an
anti-Israel resolution in December of 2023.
Committee-Initiated Correspondence
January 12, 2023--Letters to President Joe Biden, Department of
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Attorney General Merrick
Garland, Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona,
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier
Becerra, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair
Charlotte Burrows, National Labor Relations Board General
Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, National Labor Relations Board
Chairman Lauren McFerran, and White House Counsel Dana
Remus renewing congressional inquiries she began in the
117th Congress.
January 26, 2023--Letters to the Departments of Labor,
Education, and Health and Human Services asking whether the
Biden administration's policy of making committee
chairmen's inquiries a priority will change now with the
Republican majority in the House.
February 2, 2023--Letter to National Labor Relations Board
Chairman Lauren McFerran in opposition to the Board's
proposed rule, which weakens employees' rights under the
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), makes the interests of
unions a priority, and strips employees of vital
protections.
February 2, 2023--Letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona
calling on him to extend the rushed public comment period
for the administration's Income-Drive Repayment rule
proposal. This letter was sent jointly with Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Republican
Leader Bill Cassidy (LA).
February 7, 2023--Letter to Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda to
verify that Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh met his ethics
obligations as he sought employment with the National
Hockey League Players Association.
February 13, 2023--Letter to U.S. Department of Education
Secretary Miguel Cardona to rescind the Biden
administration's radical income-driven repayment proposal,
which will severely exacerbate rising college costs and
excessive borrowing. This letter was sent jointly with
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA); Rep. Elise Stefanik
(NY); Rep. Joe Wilson (SC); Rep. Tim Walberg (MI); Rep. Jim
Banks (IN); Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA); Rep. Bob Good (VA);
Rep. Mary Miller (IL); Rep. Aaron Bean (FL); Rep. Glenn
``GT'' Thompson (PA); Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI); Rep. Rick
W. Allen (GA); Rep. James Comer (KY); Rep. Burgess Owens
(UT); Rep. Lisa McClain (MI); Rep. Michelle Steel (CA);
Rep. Eric Burlison (MO); Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX); Rep.
Brandon Williams (NY); Rep. Mike Bost (IL); Rep. Jake
Ellzey (TX); Rep. Alex X. Mooney (WV); Rep. Dave Joyce
(OH); Rep. Michael Guest (MS); Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC);
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR); Rep. Erin Houchin (IN); Rep.
Nancy Mace (SC); Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID); Rep. Rick Crawford
(AR); Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY); Rep. Jake LaTurner (KS);
Rep. Barry Moore (AL); Senate Republican Leader Mitch
McConnell (KY); Senate Whip John Thune (SD); Senate
Conference Chairman John Barrasso (WY); Senate Conference
Vice Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (WV); Sen. Steve Daines
(MT); Sen. John Boozman (AR); Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (AL);
Sen. Tom Cotton (AR); Sen. Joni Ernst (IA); Sen. Tommy
Tuberville (AL); Sen. Marsha Blackburn (KY); Sen. Mike
Braun (IN); Sen. Ted Budd (NC); Sen. John Cornyn (TX); Sen.
Kevin Cramer (ND); Sen. Mike Crapo (ID); Sen. Lindsey O.
Graham (SC); Sen. Bill Hagerty (TN); Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith
(MS); Sen. Mike Lee (UT); Sen. Ted Cruz (TX); Sen. Chuck
Grassley (IA); Sen. John Hoeven (ND); Sen. James Lankford
(OK); Sen. Cynthia Lummis (WY); Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D.
(KS); Sen. Markwayne Mullin (OK); Sen. Mitt Romney (UT);
Sen. Tim Scott (SC); Sen. Thom Tillis (NC); Sen. Todd Young
(IN); Sen. Jerry Moran (KS); Sen. James E. Risch (ID); Sen.
Rick Scott (FL); and Sen. Roger F. Wicker (MS).
February 10, 2023--Letter to Office of Federal Contract
Compliance Programs (OFCCP) Director Jenny R. Yang to
lambast the agency's imminent release of sensitive employee
data that is normally protected.
February 16, 2023--Letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary
Marty Walsh to demand accountability from the Department on
its failure to respond to several Committee inquiries.
February 21, 2023--Letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture
expressing concerns with the agency's proposed changes to
the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program packages
that limit families from accessing flexible and nutritious
food options.
February 23, 2023--Letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary
Marty Walsh to request that his office retain records to
ensure DOL staff have the necessary materials to respond to
the Committee's oversight inquiries.
February 24, 2023--Letter to U.S. Department of Education
Secretary Miguel Cardona to conduct oversight of the
agency's failure to investigate the University of
Pennsylvania (Penn) for holding classified documents on a
Biden-affiliated campus building. This letter was sent
jointly with Rep. Jim Banks (IN), Rep. Michelle Steel (CA),
and Rep. James Comer (KY).
March 6, 2023--Letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture
Secretary Thomas Vilsack requesting an extension of the
review period for the proposed rule, ``Child Nutrition
Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the
2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.'' This letter was
sent jointly with Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Committee Republican Leader Senator John Boozman (AR).
March 7, 2023--Letter to Trish Lollo, President of St. Louis
Children's Hospital, to request information about the kinds
of medical interventions provided by the hospital's
Transgender Center.
March 16, 2023--Letter to Office of Management and Budget
Director Shalanda Young and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su
regarding their joint issuance of a memorandum entitled
``Strengthening Support for Federal Contract Labor
Practices'', which appears to resurrect unconstitutional
policies included in an Obama-era Executive Order (EO) that
was enjoined by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern
District of Texas in 2016 and that was subsequently
disapproved by a joint resolution of Congress signed by
President Trump in 2017. The letter was sent jointly with
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)
Committee Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA).
March 21, 2023--Letter to Dr. Kurt Newman, President and CEO,
Children's National Hospital, expressing concerns about the
hospital's Youth Pride Clinic using life-altering medical
interventions on children.
March 22, 2023--Letter to Rebecca Dormon, Assistant to the
Regional Director, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)--
Region 15, accompanying a subpoena to the NLRB over reports
of misconduct by NLRB employees at a Starbucks store in
Overland Park, Kansas, during a representation election.
The subpoena compelled the NLRB to submit all documents and
communications related to the representation election.
March 23, 2023--Letter to Catherine E. Lhamon, Assistant
Secretary of the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of
Education, following up on the Committee's October 21,
2021, letter to Secretary Cardona, on the Department of
Education's interpretation of Title IX and the sexual
assault reports at Loudoun County Public Schools. This was
a joint letter with Rep. Mary Miller (IL).
March 24, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, Department of Education, opposing the Department
of Education's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which would
rescind free speech and free exercise of religious
protections provided to religious student organizations at
public institutions of higher education. This was a joint
letter with Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), Rep. Glenn Grothman
(WI), Rep. Elise M. Stefanik (NY), Rep. Rick W. Allen (GA),
Rep. Jim Banks (IN), Rep. Burgess Owens (UT), Rep. Lisa C.
McClain (MI), Rep. Mary Miller (IL), Rep. Aaron Bean (FL),
Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX), and Rep. Erin Houchin (IN).
March 27, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Lina M. Khan, Chair,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC), expressing concerns over
the FTC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled,
``Non-Compete Clause Rule,'' due to the NPRM's sweeping ban
on non-compete clauses and the FTC's lack of authority in
the matter.
March 30, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gina Raimondo,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce, disapproving of the
Department's Notice of Funding Opportunity for the CHIPS
Incentive Program, which encourages companies seeking CHIPS
funding to use Project Labor Agreements in connection with
their construction projects. This was a joint letter with
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
Chairman Bob Good (VA).
March 31, 2023--Letter to Joseph K. West, Chair, American Bar
Association (ABA), urging the ABA to make a determination
on whether Stanford Law School was out of compliance with
the ABA's academic freedom standard after Stanford Law's
invited guest, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Stuart Kyle
Duncan, was shouted down by campus protesters for having
alternative opinions. This was a joint letter with Higher
Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chair
Burgess Owens (UT).
April 3, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, calling for all
documents, communications, and policies guiding the
Department's administration of COVID-19 education funds.
This was a joint letter with House Committee on Oversight
and Accountability Chairman James Comer (KY) and House
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman
Brad Wenstrup (OH).
April 3, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
the Honorable Julie A. Su, Acting Secretary, U.S.
Department of Labor; and the Honorable Janet Yellen,
Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury, opposing
proposed rules regarding the Affordable Care Act's
contraceptive mandate. This was a joint letter with
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
Chairman Bob Good (VA).
April 5, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, seeking
information on whether colleges and universities are
complying with reporting requirements under Section 117 of
the Higher Education Act. This was a joint letter with Rep.
Elise M. Stefanik (NY), Rep. Joe Wilson (SC), Rep. Glenn
``GT'' Thompson (PA), Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), Rep. Glenn
Grothman (WI), Rep. Rick W. Allen (GA), Rep. Jim Banks
(IN), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA), Rep. Burgess Owens (UT),
Rep. Bob Good (VA), Rep. Lisa McClain (MI), Rep. Mary
Miller (IL), Rep. Michelle Steel (CA), Rep. Ron Estes (KS),
Rep. Julia Letlow (LA), Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA), Rep. Aaron
Bean (FL), Rep. Eric Burlison (MO), Rep. John James (MI),
Rep. Brandon Williams (NY), and Rep. Erin Houchin (IN).
April 6, 2023--Letter to President Biden, calling on President
Biden to withdraw his nomination of Department of Labor
Deputy Secretary Julie Su as Secretary of the Department,
citing the severe operational failures that happened under
her tenure as Secretary of California's Labor Workforce
Development Agency. This was a joint letter with House
Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (MO),
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (CA), Rep. Michelle
Steel (CA), Rep. Ken Calvert (CA), Rep. Tom McClintock
(CA), Rep. John Duarte (CA), Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA), Rep.
Darrell Issa (CA), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA), Rep. Young Kim
(CA), Rep. Jay Obernolte (CA), and Rep. David Valadao (CA).
April 18, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting Acting
Secretary Su's appearance before the Committee, after the
Department rejected a request to have Acting-Secretary Su
appear before the Committee before June.
April 20, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gordon Hartogensis,
Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC),
expressing concerns over PBGC's implementation of special
financial assistance programs for multiemployer pension
plans following the Office of Inspector General's September
8, 2022, risk advisory. This was a joint letter with
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
Chairman Bob Good (VA).
April 25, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, requesting
information on the Department's plans to restart student
loan repayments. This was a joint letter with Higher
Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chair
Burgess Owens (UT).
April 26, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, following up on the
Committee's April 18, 2023, letter requesting Acting
Secretary Su's appearance before the Committee on May 17,
2023.
April 28, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, inquiring about
the Department's actions to protect free speech on college
campuses in light of the harassment former collegiate
athlete Riley Gaines faced at San Francisco State
University. This was a joint letter with Rep. Tim Walberg
(MI), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI), Rep. Rick W. Allen (GA),
Rep. Jim Banks (IN), Rep. James Comer (KY), Rep. Burgess
Owens (UT), Rep. Bob Good (VA), Rep. Lisa McClain (MI),
Rep. Mary Miller (IL), Rep. Aaron Bean (FL), Rep. Nathaniel
Moran (TX), and Rep. Erin Houchin (IN).
May 4, 2023--Letter to Dr. Barbara Barzansky, Co-Secretary,
Liaison Committee on Medical Education, American Medical
Association, and Dr. Veronica M. Catanese, Co-Secretary,
Liaison Committee on Medical Education, Association of
American Medical Colleges, regarding concerns over the
accrediting bodies' accreditation standard and whether that
standard prioritizes diversity outcomes over skills-based
programs. This was a joint letter with Higher Education and
Workforce Development Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens
(UT), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI), and Rep. Greg Murphy (NC).
May 4, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, questioning whether
the Department is unlawfully ignoring the Trump
administration's independent contractor rule. This was a
joint letter with Workforce Protections Subcommittee
Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA).
May 10, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Thomas Vilsack,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, opposing the
Department's proposed rule, ``Child Nutrition Programs:
Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans,'' due to the proposed rule's
additional expenditures of $1.4 billion over six school
years. This was a joint letter with Rep. Glenn ``GT''
Thompson (PA), Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), Rep. Elise Stefanik
(NY), Rep. Rick W. Allen (GA), Rep. Jim Banks (IN), Rep.
James Comer (KY), Rep. Burgess Owens (UT), Rep. Lisa
McClain (MI), Rep. Michelle Steel (CA), Rep. Nathaniel
Moran (TX), Rep. Brandon Williams (NY), and Rep. Erin
Houchin (IN).
May 12, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, asking the
Department to provide answers about its decision to waive
income verification requirements for student loan borrowers
who enroll in income-driven repayment plans. This was a
joint letter with House Committee on Oversight and
Accountability Chairman James Comer (KY) and Subcommittee
on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Chairman
Pete Sessions (TX).
May 15, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, objecting to the
agency's proposed rule, ``Nondiscrimination on the Basis of
Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal
Financial Assistance: Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for
Male and Female Athletic Teams.'' This was a joint letter
with Rep. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (PA), Rep. Tim Walberg
(MI), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY),
Rep. Rick W. Allen (GA), Rep. Jim Banks (IN), Rep. Burgess
Owens (UT), Rep. Bob Good (VA), Rep. Lisa McClain (MI),
Rep. Mary Miller (IL), Rep. Michelle Steel (CA), Rep. Julia
Letlow (LA), Rep. Aaron Bean (FL), Rep. Eric Burlison (MO),
Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX), Rep. Brandon Williams (NY), and
Rep. Erin Houchin (IN).
May 18, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Charlotte A. Burrows,
Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),
expressing concerns about the lack of transparency and
performance issues within the EEOC, specifically with
respect to EEOC's failure to resolve discrimination
complaints that resulted in a 20 percent increase in the
charge backlog of discrimination charges from Fiscal Year
2021 to Fiscal Year 2022. This was a joint letter with
Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley
(CA).
May 24, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, investigating the
Department's decision to discharge at least $6 billion in
student loans for over 200,000 borrowers through a class
action settlement in Sweet v. Cardona, and requesting all
documents and communications related to the student loan
bailout. This was a joint letter with House Committee on
Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (KY).
May 25, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, regarding serious
delays in the Department's processing of H-2A applications,
and the harmful impact the delays have on the agricultural
sector. This was a joint letter with Workforce Protections
Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA).
May 25, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, seeking information
and documents from the Department on recent reports that
migrant children--under the care of the Department of
Health and Human Services--are being trafficked and working
illegally in the United States. This was a joint letter
with Rep. Tim Walberg (MI) and Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer
(OR).
June 1, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting information
from the Department on how it is addressing the alarming
increase of child labor in the United States. This was a
joint letter with Workforce Protections Subcommittee
Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA).
June 8, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, raising concerns
about a Wisconsin school district's Title IX policies
regarding a shower incident on campus, and calling on the
Department's Office for Civil Rights to open a Title IX
investigation or compliance review of the school district.
This was a joint letter with Rep. Mary Miller (IL).
June 14, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, highlighting the
potential for fraud within President Biden's student loan
debt transfer plan, and questioning the Department about
its efforts to prevent fraud. This was a joint letter with
Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee
Chairman Burgess Owens (UT).
June 20, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, calling for the
Department to abandon its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) regarding Financial Transparency and Gainful
Employment, Financial Responsibility, Certification
Procedures, Administrative Capability, and Ability to
Benefit. This was a joint letter with Higher Education and
Workforce Development Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens
(UT).
June 23, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, requesting
additional clarity regarding the process the Department
followed when developing the Title IX athletics proposed
rule, after the Department refused to rescind the proposed
rule. This was a joint letter with Senate Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Republican Leader
Bill Cassidy (LA).
June 27, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, requesting
documents and a briefing from the Department before July
20, 2023, explaining the Department's plans for the return
to student loan repayment. This was a joint letter with
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA).
June 28, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gary Gensler, Chairman,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), opposing the
SEC's proposed rule titled ``Open-End Fund Liquidity Risk
Management Programs and Swing Pricing; Form N-Port
Reporting,'' due to the devastating impacts it would have
on millions of retirement savers. This was a joint letter
with Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA).
July 4, 2023--Letter to the Honorable James Kvaal, Under
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, following up on
false statements that Under Secretary Kvaal made during the
Committee's May 24, 2023, Subcommittee on Higher Education
and Workforce Development hearing.
July 6, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, U.S.
Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO), questioning GAO about Department of Labor Acting
Secretary Su's authority to serve in an acting role for a
prolonged period of time.
July 7, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, regarding processing
delays of H-2B applications and the Department's role in
ensuring action is taken on applications within seven days,
instead of the 90 days it is taking to process many
applications. This was a joint letter with Workforce
Protections Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA).
July 13, 2023--Letter to Dr. Michael V. Drake, President,
University of California, and Dr. Carol Christ, Chancellor,
University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley), expressing
concerns over Berkeley's joint institute with Tsinghua
University and the Shenzhen government in China, citing
concerns over China's access to Berkeley research through
the institute. This was a joint letter with Select
Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike
Gallagher (WI).
July 17, 2023--Letter to Lynne Fox, International President,
Workers United, regarding a Workers United employee, Ms.
Michelle Eisen, lying about her employment with Workers
United on her truth in testimony disclosure form when she
was a witness for the Committee's September 14, 2022,
hearing titled ``In Solidarity: Removing Barriers to
Organizing.'' Ms. Eisen listed her position as ``barista,''
despite being paid $49,734 by Workers United as an
``organizer,'' and misled Committee members who were
interested in learning about the labor union's role in
organizing a Starbucks store.
July 20, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Thomas Vilsack,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, seeking answers
and requesting documents and communications regarding the
Minnesota-based non-profit, Feeding Our Future, that
defrauded the Department's Food and Nutrition Service of
over $250 million. This was a joint letter with Committee
on Oversight & Investigations Chairman James Comer (KY);
Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn ``GT'' Thompson
(PA); Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and
Horticulture Chairman Brad Finstad (MN); Rep. Tom Emmer
(MN); Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN); Rep. Pete Stauber (MN).
August 3, 2023--Letter to Julie Su, Acting Secretary, U.S.
Department of Labor, disapproving of the Department's
Office of Labor Management Standards for demanding
financial information related to company officials and
supervisors who discussed issues related to collective
bargaining. This was a joint letter with Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob
Good (VA).
August 4, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, condemning the
Department's decision to withhold Elementary and Secondary
Education Act funds from hunting and archery education
programs nationwide, and requesting a reversal of their
action. This was a joint letter with Rep. Elise Stefanik
(NY), Rep. Richard Hudson (NC), Rep. Jake LaTurner (KS),
Rep. John Rose (TN), Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), Rep. Patrick
McHenry (NC), Rep. Brian Babin, D.D.S. (TX), Rep. Mary E.
Miller (IL), Rep. David Kustoff (TN), Rep. John H.
Rutherford (FL), Rep. Mike Bost (IL), Rep. Bob Latta (OH),
Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (FL), Rep. Mike Kelly (PA), Rep. Troy
Balderson (OH), Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY), Rep. Dan Crenshaw
(TX), Rep. Chip Roy (TX), Rep. Max Miller (OH), Rep. Lori
Chavez-DeRemer (OR), Rep. Michael Guest (MS), Rep. Kelly
Armstrong (ND), Rep. Jim Banks (IN), Rep. Debbie Lesko
(AZ), Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR), Rep. Guy Reschenthaler
(PA), Rep. Sam Graves (MO), Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC), Rep.
Lance Gooden (TX), Rep. Neal Dunn (FL), Rep. Ann Wagner
(MO), Rep. Daniel Webster (FL), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI),
Rep. Ben Cline (VA), Rep. Kat Cammack (FL), Rep. Austin
Scott (GA), Rep. Andrew Clyde (GA), Rep. Adrian Smith (NE),
Rep. James R. Baird (IN), Rep. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (PA),
Rep. Erin Houchin (IN), Rep. David Rouzer (NC), Rep. Brad
Wenstrup, D.P.M. (OH), Rep. Ryan Zinke (MT), Rep. Russ
Fulcher (ID), Rep. Mike Ezell (MS), Rep. Dan Bishop (NC),
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN), Rep. Brandon Williams (NY),
Rep. Bryan Steil (WI), Rep. Harriett Hageman (WY), Rep.
Andy Ogles (TN), Rep. Steve Womack (AR), Rep. Hal Rogers
(KY), Rep. Ashley Hinson (IA), Rep. John R. Moolenaar (MI),
Rep. Mark E. Green, MD (TN), Rep. Rudy Yakym (IN), Rep.
Bill Johnson (OH), Rep. Randy Weber, Sr. (TX), Rep. Rick W.
Allen (GA), Rep. Rob Wittman (VA), Rep. Scott Franklin
(FL), Rep. Darin LaHood (IL), and Rep. Buddy Carter (GA).
August 14, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Lauren McFerran,
Chairman, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and the
Honorable Jennifer A. Abruzzo, General Counsel, NLRB,
outlining dozens of instances of misconduct found in
documents provided by an NLRB whistleblower related to the
NLRB's use of mail ballots in representation election
cases.
August 15, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, raising concerns over
the Department's failure to comply with rulemaking
procedures under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. This was a
joint letter with Workforce Protections Subcommittee
Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA).
August 17, 2023--Letter to Lynne Fox, International President,
Workers United, following up on the Committee's July 17,
2023, letter inquiring about former Committee hearing
witness Michelle Eisen's employment with Workers United,
and Fox's failure to respond to the letter by the July 31,
2023, deadline.
August 31, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, demanding the
Department cease further action amending the definition of
an investment advice fiduciary. This was a joint letter
with Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA).
September 7, 2023--Letter to David Berry, Inspector General,
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), requesting that his
office provide the Committee with a publicly releasable
version of a report detailing findings of gross
mismanagement in the NLRB's administration of a mail ballot
election.
September 7, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, urging the
Department to provide details on its methodology in
determining which student loan borrowers qualify for debt
cancellation under the current income-driven repayment
(IDR) program after President Biden announced that 804,000
borrowers would receive a total of $39 billion in loan
cancellation following the adjustment of the IDR program's
qualification standards. This was a joint letter with
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Republican
Leader Bill Cassidy (LA).
September 19, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, raising concerns over
the Department's Employee Benefit Security Administration
and its failure to conduct investigations in a timely
manner. This was a joint letter with Health, Employment,
Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (VA).
September 28, 2023--Letter to President Joe Biden, requesting
documents and information from the President on his
participation in a United Auto Workers union strike at
General Motors' Willow Run Distribution Center in Wayne
County, Michigan.
October 5, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Lisa Gomez, Assistant
Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration,
raising concerns about the Department of Labor's potential
regulations impacting retirement plans.
October 10, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, asking the
Department to identify the enforcement actions it has taken
to protect student loan borrowers from debt relief scams.
October 11, 2023--Letters to President Joe Biden and the
Honorable Julie A. Su, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of
Labor, expressing concerns over the unsafe working
conditions in the White House, citing 12 dog bite incidents
at the White House, and requesting proof of the White House
submitting OSHA forms after the incidents.
October 11, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Charlotte Burrows,
Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, urging
the agency to revise its proposed rule that would allow
abortions and abortion services to be covered in the
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. This was a joint letter with
Rep. Mary Miller (IL).
October 17, 2023--Letters to Julie A. Su, Acting Secretary,
U.S. Department of Labor; the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and the
Honorable Janet Yellen, Secretary, U.S. Department of the
Treasury, regarding the Departments' proposed rule titled
``Requirements Related to the Mental Health Parity and
Addiction Equity Act,'' citing its subjective parity
requirements that will hurt patients.
October 20, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, asking the Department
to extend the comment period on its proposed rule that
would raise the salary threshold for employees to be
considered exempt from overtime rules under the Fair Labor
Standards Act, impacting businesses and other employers.
October 31, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, accompanying a
subpoena to the Department for documents related to
borrower defense and repayment after the Committee
requested data on borrower defense from the Department on
multiple occasions.
November 2, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, questioning the
Department on its decision to change guidance on
constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression
in public elementary and secondary schools, and whether the
new guidance undermines constitutionally protected rights
for students.
November 2, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting responsive
materials and transcribed interviews after the Department
failed to provide information to the Committee about the
Employee Benefit Security Administration's (EBSA)
enforcement practices. The request for in-person
transcribed interviews included Mr. Tim Hauser, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Program Operations, EBSA; Ms.
Colleen McKee, Director of the Office of Enforcement, EBSA;
and Mr. Marc Sarata, Director of the Office of Field
Administration, EBSA. This was a joint letter with Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob
Good (VA).
November 7, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, urging the Department
to withdraw its proposed rule titled ``Defining and
Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative,
Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees,''
after the Department refused to extend the comment period
past the initial 60-day window. This was a joint letter
with Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA), Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA), Rep.
Tim Walberg (MI), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY), Rep. Rick Allen
(GA), Rep. James Comer (KY), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA), Rep.
Burgess Owens, Rep. Bob Good (VA), Rep. Mary Miller (IL),
Rep. Michelle Steel (CA), Rep. Julia Letlow (LA), Rep.
Aaron Bean (FL), Rep. Eric Burlison (MO), and Rep. Erin
Houchin (IN).
November 13, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor urging the Department
to withdraw the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration's proposed rule, which would permit third
parties onto a worksite who otherwise would not be allowed
by the employer, upending inspection procedures.
November 14, 2023--Letter to Willie Jett, Commissioner of
Education, Minnesota Department of Education, requesting
information regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
and the Minnesota Department of Education's administration
of Federal Child Nutrition Programs and Feeding Our Future.
This was a joint letter with Rep. James Comer (KY); Rep.
Glenn Thompson (PA); House Committee on Agriculture
Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and
Horticulture Chairman Brad Finstad (MN); Rep. Tom Emmer
(MN); Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN); and Rep. Pete Stauber
(MN).
November 14, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, opposing the
Department's proposed rule titled ``Improving Protections
for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the
United States.'' The proposed rule would allow access by
organized labor to the property of farmers and make changes
to the H-2A program that would increase burdens on farmers.
This was a joint letter with House Committee on Agriculture
Chairman Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (PA).
November 15, 2023--Letter to Jeffrey Dunston Zients, Assistant
to the President and Chief of Staff, regarding President
Biden's and Department of Labor Acting Secretary Su's
failure to meet the response deadline for the Committee's
investigation into a dog bite incident that occurred at the
White House. The Committee requests all documents and
reports related to the incident and the White House's
occupational safety and health program.
November 16, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, launching an
investigation into the Department's decision to revamp its
Title IX regulations through a proposed rulemaking titled
``Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial
Assistance.'' This was a joint letter with House Committee
on Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Health Care
and Financial Services Chairwoman Lisa McClain (MI).
November 17, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, urging the Employee
Benefits Security Administration extend its public comment
period and hold a public hearing when the comment period
closes on the proposed rule titled ``Retirement Security
Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice Fiduciary.''
November 21, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, accompanying a
subpoena for documents related to the ``Workers' Voice
Summit'' hosted by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, after the Committee raised concerns about
the political nature of the Summit, which was funded by
taxpayer dollars.
November 30, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, U.S.
Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO), seeking information on whether the data presented in
the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employee Situation Report
is accurate for the purposes of monitoring labor market
conditions.
December 7, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, asking Acting
Secretary Su to not issue a joint employer proposed rule
under the Fair Labor Standards Act for the rest of her
tenure at the Department of Labor. This was a joint letter
with Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairman Kevin
Kiley (CA).
December 8, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, expressing concerns
with the Department's Mine Safety and Health
Administration's proposed rule to update existing standards
limiting respirable crystalline silica in the mining
industry, due to the burdens the proposed rule would impose
on the industry.
December 14, 2023--Letter to Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General
and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Postal Service (USPS),
requesting documents and information related to the USPS's
use of Privacy Act Statements and USPS's compliance with
the Privacy Act, after reports of USPS giving Americans'
personal information, without consent, to labor unions.
December 18, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, condemning the
Department's inaction on implementing a 2019 executive
order that would strengthen Title VI to protect besieged
Jewish students and faculty on campuses. This was a joint
letter with Rep. Joe Wilson (SC), Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA),
Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI), Rep. Elise
Stefanik (NY), Rep. Rick Allen (GA), Rep. Jim Banks (IN),
Rep. James Comer (KY), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA), Rep.
Burgess Owens (UT), Rep. Bob Good (VA), Rep. Lisa McClain
(MI), Rep. Mary Miller (IL), Rep. Michelle Steel (CA), Rep.
Ron Estes (KS), Rep. Julia Letlow (LA), Rep. Kevin Kiley
(CA), Rep. Aaron Bean (FL), Rep. Eric Burlison (MO), Rep.
Nathaniel Moran (TX), Rep. John James (MI), Rep. Lori
Chavez DeRemer (OR), Rep. Brandon Williams (NY), and Rep.
Erin Houchin (IN).
December 20, 2023--Letter to Penny Pritzker, Senior Fellow,
Harvard Corporation, requesting more documents and
information about the university's handling of plagiarism
allegations against Harvard University President Claudine
Gay and the unequal application of Harvard's Honor Code.
December 21, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, urging caution before
the Department makes changes to Section 14(c) programs,
which protect employment opportunities for workers with
disabilities. This was a joint letter with Rep. Glenn
``GT'' Thompson (PA), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY), Rep. Glenn
Grothman (WI), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA), Rep. Aaron Bean
(FL), Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), and Rep. Eric Burlison (MO).
January 4, 2024--Letter to President Joe Biden, requesting that
with the commencement of the second session of the 118th
Congress, President Biden nominate someone other than
Acting Secretary Julie Su to head the Department of Labor.
This was a joint letter with Workforce Protections
Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA).
January 9, 2024--Letter to Ms. Penny Pritzker, Senior Fellow,
Harvard Corporation, and Dr. Alan Garber, Interim
President, Harvard University, requesting all documents
related to antisemitic acts or incidents on Harvard's
campus since January 2021.
January 11, 2024--Letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams,
questioning his decision to close James Madison High
School--forcing students into remote learning--in order to
temporarily house migrants in the school's gym. This was a
joint letter with Early Childhood, Elementary, and
Secondary Education Chairman Aaron Bean (FL), and Rep.
Brandon Williams (NY).
January 16, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, requesting
documents related to the Biden administration's student
loan bailout plan that was considered by the 2023
Negotiated Rulemaking Student Loan Relief Committee during
the week of December 11, 2023. The lawmakers also requested
that the Department preserve all existing and future
records related to student loan plans. This was a joint
letter with House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington
(TX).
January 16, 2024--Letter the Honorable Gordon Hartogensis,
Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC),
demanding answers surrounding the agency's refusal to
recover the $127 million in taxpayer money it sent to fund
pensions for at least 3,479 deceased participants in the
Central States Pension Fund. This was a joint letter with
Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee
Chairman Bob Good (VA).
January 18, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, expressing
concerns over the Department failing its annual financial
audit for the second consecutive year, and requesting
Secretary Cardona's appearance before the Committee to
explain the failure. This was a joint letter with Rep.
Lloyd Smucker (PA).
January 19, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
urging the Department to reconsider its proposed rulemaking
entitled ``Supporting the Head Start Workforce and
Consistent Quality Programming,'' due to its potential to
limit low-income families' access to education. This was a
joint letter with Early Childhood, Elementary, and
Secondary Education Chairman Aaron Bean (FL).
January 22, 2024--Letter to members of the employee health
benefits community, soliciting information and feedback
from the community on the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act (ERISA) ahead of the Committee's hearing on
strengthening ERISA.
January 24, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gene L. Dodaro,
Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO), requesting a GAO investigation into the Department
of Education's failed implementation of the new Free
Application for Federal Student Aid program. This was a
joint letter with Rep. Rick Allen (GA), Rep. Erin Houchin
(IN), Rep. Lisa McClain (MI), Rep. Burgess Owens (UT), Rep.
Lloyd Smucker (PA), Rep. Michelle Steel (CA), Rep. Elise
Stefanik (NY), Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA), Rep. Tim Walberg
(MI), Rep. Brandon Williams (NY), Senate Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA),
Sen. John Barrasso, M.D. (WY), Sen. Mike Braun (IN), Sen.
Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Sen. Susan Collins (ME), Sen,
Steve Daines (MT), Sen. Joni Ernst (IA), Sen. Deb Fischer
(NE), Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS),
Sen. James Lankford (OK), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Sen. Roger
Marshall, M.D. (KS), Sen. Mike Rounds (SD), Sen. Marco
Rubio (FL), Sen. Thom Tillis (NC), and Sen. J.D. Vance
(OH).
January 24, 2024--Letter to University of Pennsylvania Board of
Trustees Chairman Ramanan Raghavendran and University of
Pennsylvania Interim President Larry Jameson, requesting
documents and information regarding the University's
response to antisemitism on its campus, citing troubling
campus incidents that occurred after the Hamas attacks on
Israel on October 7, 2023.
January 26, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, raising concerns
about the Department's potential unequal application of
policies, procedures, and fines for religious institutions.
The lawmakers also requested a staff-level briefing to
ensure the Department is taking correct actions on any
Clery Act proceeding. This was a joint letter with House
Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (KY) and
Rep. Bob Good (VA).
January 29, 2024--Letter to Ms. Lisa Ohta, President,
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (Local 2325), requesting
information and documents related to Local 2325's vote on a
measure titled ``Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in
Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and
Support for Workers' Political Speech.''
January 30, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, demanding answers
from the Department on its existing errors and continued
delays of implementation of the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid, in response to the Department
announcing the implementation would be delayed another 30
days. This was a joint letter with Higher Education and
Workforce Development Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens
(UT).
February 7, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gene L. Dodaro,
Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO), requesting GAO investigate reported issues with the
information technology system used by the Department of
Education for the rollout of the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid. This was a joint letter with Senate
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Republican
Leader Bill Cassidy (LA).
February 7, 2024--Letter to Ms. Penny Pritzker, Senior Fellow,
Harvard Corporation, threatening a subpoena if Harvard does
not produce the documents the Committee requested related
to incidents of antisemitism on Harvard's campus.
February 12, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, raising concerns over
the Department's inability to justify the data that
contributed to its proposed rule titled ``Worker Walkaround
Representative Designation Process.''
February 12, 2024--Letter to Columbia President Dr. Minouche
Shafik, Columbia Trustees Co-Chair David Greenwald,
Columbia Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman, Barnard College
President Dr. Laura Rosenbury, and Barnard College Board of
Trustees Chair Cheryl Glicker Milstein, requesting
documents and information regarding Columbia's response to
antisemitism on its campus.
February 21, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, following up on a
Committee letter that raised concerns about the National
Assessment of Educational Progress' contracting models, and
their potential to stifle competition and discourage
innovation.
February 22, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting job
creators have an additional 60 days to comment on the
Department's over 600-page proposed rule titled ``National
Apprenticeship System Enhancements.''
February 26, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gordon Hartogensis,
Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC),
following up to the Committee's January 16, 2024 letter
seeking information about PBGC's refusal to recover $127
million it sent to the Central States Pension Fund to pay
for non-existent pensions of deceased participants. This
was a joint letter with Health, Employment, Labor, and
Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (VA).
March 4, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller
General, Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting
that GAO investigate the Department of Education for its
failure to respond to Committee oversight requests
including those related to the student loan bailout,
foreign adversaries funding American universities, borrower
defense to the repayment of student loans, and the rollout
of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
March 8, 2024--Letter to Sally Kornbluth, President,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Mark
Gorenberg, MIT Corporation Chair, requesting documents and
information regarding MIT's response to numerous
antisemitic incidents on campus and its administration's
failure to protect Jewish students and faculty.
March 8, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, and the Honorable
Julie A. Su, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor,
raising concerns about the agencies' low utilization of in-
person office space and failure to return to pre-pandemic
attendance levels.
March 11, 2024--Letter to Lisa Ohta, President, Association of
Legal Aid Attorneys (Local 2325), accompanying a subpoena
after Local 2325 failed to respond to Committee oversight
inquiries relating to the union's vote and subsequent
adoption of the ``Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in
Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and
Support for Workers' Political Speech.''
March 13, 2024--Letters to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor; the Honorable
Charlotte Burrows, Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission; and the Honorable Jennifer Abruzzo, General
Counsel, National Labor Relations Board, inquiring about
the nature of the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration's ``Workers' Voice Summit.''
March 15, 2024--Letters to the presidents of Service Employees
International Union; International Brotherhood of
Teamsters; United Steelworkers, International Union; United
Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of
America; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers;
Communications Workers of America; International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; Labors'
International Union of North America; United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners of America; United Association,
International Longshoremen's Association; and United Mine
Workers of America, highlighting examples of recent
corruption at each union, and requesting information about
each union's efforts to protect members from fraud and
corruption.
March 18, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, opposing the
Department's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled
``National Apprenticeship System Enhancements,'' due to its
attempt to increase the regulations on registered
apprenticeships under the National Apprenticeship Act of
1937. This was a joint letter with Rep. Burgess Owens (UT),
Rep. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (PA), Rep. Tim Walberg (MI),
Rep. Rick Allen (GA), Rep. Jim Banks (IN), Rep. Lloyd
Smucker (PA), Rep. Michelle Steel (CA), Rep. Julia Letlow
(LA), Rep. Aaron Bean (FL), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX), Rep.
Brandon Williams (NY), and Rep. Erin Houchin (IN).
March 19, 2024--Letter to Carol T. Christ, Chancellor,
University of California Berkeley; Dr. Michael V. Drake,
President University of California' and Richard Leib,
Chair, University of California Board of Regents,
requesting documents and information regarding UC
Berkeley's response to antisemitic incidents on campus and
its administration's failure to protect Jewish students and
faculty.
March 25, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting information
about workplace safety protocols in the White House
following reports that the number of dog bite incidents
involving President Biden's dog rose to 24.
March 26, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gordon Hartogensis,
Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC),
serving a subpoena to PBGC for its failure to provide
adequate responses to the Committee's previous inquiries
into the agency's overpayment of $127 million to the
Central States Pension Fund for deceased participants.
March 27, 2024--Letter to Rutgers University President Jonathan
Holloway, Rutgers Board of Governors Chair William E. Best,
Rutgers University-Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Rutgers
University-Camden Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis, and Rutgers
University-New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway
requesting documents and information regarding Rutgers
University's response to antisemitic incidents on its
campuses.
March 28, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor; the Honorable Janet
Yellen, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury; and the
Honorable Xavier Becerra, Secretary, Department of Health
and Human Services, opposing the final rules titled
``Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance and Independent,
Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage,'' which limit
affordable health care options for Americans.
April 4, 2024--Letter to Seema Nanda, Solicitor, U.S.
Department of Labor, requesting documents and information
on the solicitor's role in the Pension Benefits Guaranty
Corporation's failure to call for the return of the
overpayment of $127 million to fund pension plans for
deceased participants. This was a joint letter with Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob
Good (VA).
April 8, 2024--Letter to Lisa Ohta, President, Association of
Legal Aid Attorneys (Local 2325), stating that the
Committee will take additional enforcement actions if the
union fails to comply in full with the Committee's
subpoena.
April 12, 2024--Letter to Betty A. Rosa, Commissioner, New York
State Education Department (NYSED), requesting information
related to reports that NYSED refused to reimburse $1.5
million to Success Academy charter school due to a singular
typographical error in a reimbursement submission. This was
a joint letter with Early Childhood, Elementary, and
Secondary Education Chairman Aaron Bean (FL), Rep. Elise
Stefanik (NY), and Rep. Brandon Williams (NY).
April 19, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, demanding further
information about the Department's potentially unlawful
actions related to student loan consolidation. This was a
joint letter with Higher Education and Workforce
Development Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (UT), Rep.
Joe Wilson (SC), Rep. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (PA), Rep. Tim
Walberg (MI), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY), Rep. Rick Allen
(GA), Rep. Jim Banks (IN), Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA), Rep.
Michelle Steel (CA), Rep. Julia Letlow (LA), Rep. Aaron
Bean (FL), and Rep. Brandon Williams (NY).
April 21, 2024--Letter to Columbia President Dr. Minouche
Shafik, Columbia Trustees Co-Chair David Greenwald, and
Columbia Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman, demanding that
Columbia's administration take immediate action to crack
down on the violent, antisemitic protests occurring on
campus.
April 24, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Sandra Bruce, Inspector
General, U.S. Department of Education, raising concerns
about considerable fraud within the federal student
financial aid system and demanding answers on the
Department's efforts to prevent and remedy these issues.
This was a joint letter with Rep. Michelle Steel (CA).
April 30, 2024--Letter to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C.
Metro Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith raising
concerns about MPD's refusal to assist in clearing out a
George Washington University's campus encampment. This was
a joint letter with House Oversight and Accountability
Committee Chairman James Comer (KY).
May 6, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, subpoenaing the
Department for its inadequate response to the Committee's
inquiry about its return to in-person work plans.
May 10, 2024--Letter to Northwestern University President
Michael Schill and Board of Trustees Chair Petter Barris
requesting documents and information regarding
Northwestern's response to numerous antisemitic incidents
on its campus and its failure to protect Jewish students
and faculty.
May 14, 2024--Letter to Lisa Ohta, President, Association of
Legal Aid Attorneys (Local 2325), accompanying a subpoena
compelling Ohta to participate in a deposition with the
Committee on May 29, 2024, as part of the Committee's
investigation into the union's adoption of the `Resolution
Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, and End to the Israeli
Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers' Political
Speech.'
May 14, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Janet Yellen, Secretary,
U.S. Department of the Treasury, requesting all suspicious
activity reports (SARs) connected to 20 organizations that
are reported to be leading, financing, and participating in
the antisemitic protests occurring on college campuses
across the nation. This was a joint letter with House
Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James
Comer (KY).
May 15, 2024--Letter to Columbia University President Dr.
Minouche Shafik, Columbia Trustees Co-Chair David
Greenwald, and Columbia Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman,
requesting documents and information regarding UCLA's
response to the unlawful antisemitic encampments and the
administration's failure to maintain a safe learning
environment for UCLA students, faculty, and staff.
May 16, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting additional
information about the Employee Benefits Security
Administration's cybersecurity capabilities and procedures
after a cybersecurity capabilities and procedures after a
cybersecurity breach at Optum's Change Healthcare unit
exposed the threat cybercriminals pose to EBSA's ability to
protect workers' information and employer-sponsored health
insurance plans.
May 17, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, urging the
Department to withdraw its April 17, 2024, proposed rule
that would transfer student loan debt onto American
taxpayers. This was a joint letter with 129 Members of
Congress.
May 20, 2024--Letter to Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish, Executive
Secretary, Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation,
following up on reports that taxpayer-funded Truman
Scholarships were disproportionately awarded to candidates
who favor liberal causes. This was a joint letter with
Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee
Chairman Burgess Owens (UT) and Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL).
May 22, 2024--Letter to Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su,
Executive Director of the National Electrical Benefit Fund
Investments (NEBF) Kevin McCormack, NEBF Trustees Lonnie R.
Stevenson, David Long, Kenneth W. Cooper, and Dennis F.
Quebe, North American Building Trades Unions President Sean
McGarvey, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, International
Association of Fire Fighters General President Edward A.
Kelly, and National Education Association President Rebecca
S. Pringle demanding answers regarding the Biden
administration's attempts to leverage retirement assets to
organize unions and benefit Big Labor. This was a joint
letter with Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (VA).
May 23, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) raising concerns over how HHS is ensuring that
research universities are preventing harassment and
discrimination, particularly against individuals of Jewish
faith and heritage. The investigation into research
universities comes as part of Speaker Mike Johnson's House-
wide effort to combat antisemitism on college campuses.
This was a joint letter with Higher Education & Workforce
Development Subcommittee Chaiman Burgess Owens (UT), House
Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee Chair Cathy McMorris
Rodgers (WA), E&C Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett
Guthrie (KY), and E&C Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations Chair Morgan Griffth (VA).
May 29, 2024--Letters to Sean O'Brien, President, International
Brotherhood of Teamsters; Elizabeth Shuler, President, AFL
CIO; and Mary Kay Henry, President, Service Employees
International Union, demanding answers regarding their
respective unions' attempts to leverage pension plan
holdings to engage in shareholder proxy voting activism.
May 29, 2024--Letters to Yale University President Peter
Salovey and University of Michigan President Santa Ono,
requesting the presidents' participation in transcribed
interviews with the Committee, as part of the Committee's
ongoing investigation into antisemitism at Yale and
Michigan.
June 3, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, regarding the
administration's obstruction of the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) investigation in the
Department's failure to implement the new Free Application
for Federal Student Aid program. This was a joint letter
with Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Republican Leader Bill Cassidy (LA).
June 3, 2024--Letters to the leaders of Barnard College;
Columbia University; University of California, Berkeley;
University of California, Los Angeles; Harvard University;
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Northwestern
University; University of Pennsylvania; Rutgers University;
and Cornell University, launching a Congress-wide
investigation into the rise of antisemitism on college
campuses. These were joint letters with Ways and Means
Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO), Energy and Commerce
Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Judiciary
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (OH), Oversight and
Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (KY) and
Science, Space, & Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas
(OK).
June 4, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Charlotte Burrows, Chair,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), requesting
the EEOC give the public an opportunity comment and provide
feedback before finalizing a joint memorandum with the
National Labor Relations Board on workplace speech and
conduct.
June 7, 2024--Letter to Northwestern University President
Michael Schill and Board of Trustees Chair Peter J. Barris
warning that the Committee is prepared to subpoena
documents and information regarding the university's
deficient response to antisemitism on its campus.
June 13, 2024--Letter to Minnesota Department of Education
Commissioner of Education Willie Jett, requesting
information on the Department's administration of the
Federal Child Nutrition Program and oversight of the
nonprofit, Feeding Our Future, after the U.S. Attorney
charged 70 individuals associated with Feeding Our Future
for defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture of over
$250 million. This was a joint letter with House Oversight
and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (KY),
Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (PA),
Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture
Subcommittee Chairman Brad Finstad (MN), Rep. Tom Emmer
(MN), Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN), and Rep. Pete Stauber
(MN).
June 24, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, urging the withdrawal
of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration
proposed rule that would establish a new safety and health
standard to protect emergency responders from occupational
hazards, that would jeopardize the ability of many
emergency service organizations to operate. This was a
joint letter with Rep. Brandon Williams (NY), Rep. Aaron
Bean (FL), Rep. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (PA), Rep. Dan Meuser
(PA), Rep. Mike Bost (IL), Rep. Ralph Norman (SC), Rep.
Richard Hudson (NC), Rep. Burgess Owens (UT), Rep. Andrew
Garbarino (NY), Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID), Rep. Erin Houchin
(IN), Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY), Rep.
Jim Banks (IN), Rep. Joe Wilson (SC), Rep. Michael Lawler
(NY), Rep. Rick Allen (GA), Rep. Russell Fry (SC), Rep.
Larry Bucshon (IN), Rep. Eric Burlison (MO), Rep. Chuck
Edwards (NC), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY), and Rep. Scott
Perry (PA).
June 25, 2024--Letter to George Mason University's President,
Dr. Gregory Washington, and the Antonin Scalia Law School's
Dean, Kenneth C. Randall, requesting information following
reports alleging that Joshua Wright, a former professor,
used his academic influence to seduce and harass young,
female students in his law classes.
July 2, 2024--Letter to Tony Dearman, Director, Bureau of
Indian Education, U.S. Department of the Interior,
conducting oversight into alleged misconduct involving the
Haskell Indian Nations University. This was a joint letter
with House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce
Westerman (AR).
July 3, 2024--Letter to Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs, seeking
information regarding the Biden administration's attempts
to influence the outcome of a unionization vote at the
Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama, as voting was
underway.
July 11, 2024--Letters to federal agencies under the
Committee's jurisdiction regarding the Supreme Court ruling
that overturned the Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural
Resources Defense Council decision.
July 25, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, notifying the
Department of the Committee's issuance of a subpoena for
all the Department's communications and documents
associated with the rollout of the simplified Free
Application for Federal Student Aid.
July 29, 2024--Letters to Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Commissioner Daniel Werfel and California Public Employees'
Retirement System (CalPERS) President and Vice Chair of
Investment Theresa Taylor demanding answers regarding
CalPERS' commitments to divert pension holdings for the
benefit of organized labor.
August 1, 2024--Letter to Columbia University President Dr.
Minouche Shafik, Columbia Trustees Co-Chair David
Greenwald, and Columbia Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman,
warning Columbia that the Committee will proceed with a
subpoena if Columbia fails to satisfy its document requests
related to antisemitic behavior on campus.
August 1, 2024--Letters to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
the Honorable Julie A. Su, Acting Secretary, U.S.
Department of Labor; and the Honorable Janet Yellen,
Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury, urging the
agencies to work with Congress and stakeholders to ensure
that any mental health parity rules are workable and
improve patient care.
August 7, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Merrick Garland,
Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, seeing
information on the Biden administration's implementation of
the Special Financial Assistance program that was included
in the American Rescue Plan Act. This was a joint letter
with Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee
Chairman Bob Good (VA).
August 8, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, threatening the
Department with a subpoena if it fails to provide responses
and data regarding worker misclassification and the Wage
and Hour Division's misclassification enforcement
investigations.
August 21, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Janet Yellen,
Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury, following up on
the Committee's May 2024 document request letter that asked
for all suspicious activity reports connected to twenty
organizations that are reported to be leading, financing,
and participating in antisemitic protests occurring on
college campuses. The letter threatens compulsory measures
if the Department continues to ignore requests. This was a
joint letter with House Committee on Oversight and
Accountability Chairman James Comer (KY).
August 21, 2024--Letters accompanying six subpoenas to Columbia
University leadership and Trustees for compelling the
production of all documents and communications related to
antisemitic incidents on campus after Columbia failed to
comply with prior Committee document requests.
August 22, 2024--Letters to leadership at Barnard College, the
University of California Berkeley, Columbia University,
Cornell University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, the
University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, and the
University of California Los Angeles inquiring about the
institutions' plans for preventing a resurgence of
antisemitic disruptions on campus. These were joint letters
with House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith
(MO).
August 23, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, urging the
Department to halt is proposed rulemaking on Program
Integrity and Institutional Quality: Distance Education,
Return of Title IV, Higher Education Act Funds, and Federal
TRIO Programs, citing the rulemaking's unnecessary changes
and burdens to institutions.
August 26, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Charlotte Burrows,
Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),
regarding potential mismanagement of congressionally
appropriated funds, which almost resulted in an
administrative furlough for EEOC employees. This was a
joint letter with Workforce Protections Subcommittee
Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA).
August 26, 2024--Letter to President Biden and Vice President
Harris, regarding the revisions the Bureaus of Labor
Statistics made to recent jobs data. This was a joint
letter with Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (VA).
August 27, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Hampton Dellinger,
Special Counsel, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, requesting
an investigation into whether Secretary of Education Miguel
Cardona violated the Hatch Act with his email remarks
blaming Republican elected officials for blocking student
loan relief for borrowers. This was a joint letter with
Rep. Keith Self (TX).
September 4, 2024--Letters accompanying subpoenas to Minnesota
Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota Commissioner of Education
Willie Jet, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary
Thomas Vilsack, and USDA Inspector General Phylis K. Fong,
as part of the Committee's investigation into the
Minnesota-based nonprofit, Feeding Our Future, defrauding
the USDA of over $250 million in Federal Child Nutrition
Programs funds. The subpoenas compel the production of
documents and communications related to the departments'
roles in allowing such fraud to occur.
September 20, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, condemning the
Department for interfering in the Committee's oversight of
student loan servicers, following the Committee's subpoenas
of five loan servicers and the Department's subsequent
letter citing its authority to review and approve all loans
servicers' response to the subpoenas.
September 23, 2024--Letter issuing a subpoena to Department of
Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su, compelling the Department
to submit all documents related to the administration's
efforts to eliminate the independent contractor model, and
worker misclassification enforcement investigations, after
the Department failed to comply with previous Committee
document requests.
September 25, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, Department of Labor, demanding answers on the
Department's delayed August release of job numbers and
seeking information on how Wall Street firms received the
numbers before the public did. This was a joint letter with
Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee
Chairman Bob Good (VA).
September 26, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, asking for an
investigation into the alarming pattern of antisemitism
among senior officials of the Santa Ana Unified School
District. This was a joint letter with Rep. Michelle Steel
(CA).
September 30, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting information
about the Department's recent event held less than 60 days
prior to the presidential election, which appeared to be a
union rally with only union leaders as speakers.
October 2, 2024--Letter to Advanced Research Projects Agency
for Health (ARPA-H) Director Renee Wegrzyn, requesting
information on how ARPA-H is ensuring that institutions and
individuals involved in the research projects it funds
comply with Title VI requirements for a harassment and
discrimination-free environment following reports of
antisemitism on college campuses ARPA-H funds research.
This was a joint letter with Subcommittee on Higher
Education and Workforce Development Chairman Burgess Owens
(UT), House Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) Chair
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), E&C Subcommittee on Health
Chair Brett Guthrie (KY), and E&C Subcommittee on Oversight
and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (VA).
October 9, 2024--Letters to Department of Labor (DOL) Acting
Secretary Julie Su, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
Chairman Lauren McFerran, and Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) Chair Charlotte Burrows, criticizing the
agencies for failing to return their employees to full-time
in-person work, and their prioritization of union
interests.
October 16, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, demanding the
Department respond to the Committee's subpoena regarding
its efforts to eliminate the use of the independent
contractor model under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
October 16, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, raising concerns
about the Department's revisions to career and technical
education programs that would place burdens on state
education and related agencies, school districts, and
postsecondary institutions that implement CTE programs.
This was a joint letter with Early Childhood, Elementary,
and Secondary Education Chairman Aaron Bean (FL).
October 17, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting information
about how the Department's Office of Labor Relations
Management Standards enforces disclosure requirements for
``worker centers.'' This was a joint letter with Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob
Good (VA).
October 25, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, following up on the
Committee's oversight request regarding the Bureau of Labor
Statistics August job numbers report rollout, after the
Department failed to respond to the request. This was a
joint letter with Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (VA).
November 7, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gene L. Dodaro,
Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office,
asking it to evaluate the effectiveness of the H-2A visa
program. This was a joint letter with House Agriculture
Committee Chairman Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (PA).
November 8, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, warning the
Department against making any changes that would
overregulate contracts and activities done by third-party
providers, which support online education.
November 13, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, demanding information
about the management of the Black Lung Disability Trust
Fund, which provides benefits to coal miners who have been
disabled due to black lung disease.
November 21, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Larry D. Turner,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, requesting an
investigation into whether the Department of Labor abused
its authority after reports revealed the Department shared
confidential information involving at least six employee
benefit pension plans with a plaintiff's attorney for use
against plan fiduciaries.
November 22, 2024--Letter to Dr. Deepak Srivastava, President,
J. David Gladstone Institutes, announcing an investigation
into the J. David Gladstone Institutes and the extent to
which the Institutes are maintaining a safe environment for
faculty and staff, after reports of antisemitic harassment
and intimidation at the Institutes surfaced. This was a
joint letter with Higher Education and Workforce
Development Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (UT), House
Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) Chair Cathy McMorris
Rodgers (WA), E&C Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett
Guthrie (KY), and E&C Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (VA).
November 25, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, seeking to ensure that
the Department continues to process casework for workers
and employers during the Biden-Trump presidential
transition.
December 3, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, requesting that
the Department withdraw its proposed rule to cancel
borrowers' student loans based on ``hardships.''
December 16, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Merrick Garland,
Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), seeking
more information on the administration's implementation of
the Special Financial Assistance Program and the steps the
DOJ is taking to ensure that taxpayer money is recovered
after it made improper payments to multiemployer pension
plans. This was a joint letter with Health, Employment,
Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (VA).
December 20, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, urging the
Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration to abandon
its proposed federal heat rule due to the burdens it would
place on small businesses.
December 30, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, following up on the
Department's failure to respond to the Committee's
inquiries regarding its revisions to Bureau of Labor
Statistics' jobs data released in August. This was a joint
letter with Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (VA).
December 31, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, urging the Department
to extend its public comment period for its proposed rule
titled, ``Employment of Workers with Disabilities Under
Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.'' This was a
joint letter with Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), Rep. Glenn
Thompson (PA), and Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI).
Conference Reports Filed With Committee Members Appointed as Conferees
P.L. 112-81--H.R. 2670, National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2024 (Sponsor: Rep. Mike D. Rogers).
Issue Reports Written by the Committee
September 21, 2023--Report titled ``Freedom of Speech and Its
Protection on College Campuses.'' The report details how
free speech is being stifled in postsecondary education and
solutions to protect the First Amendment.
May 9, 2024--Report detailing the National Labor Relations
Board's misconduct and procedural irregularities related to
the agency's administration of mail ballot elections.
September 20, 2024--Report detailing how unions put politics
over members while pursuing antisemitic activism. The
report includes a thorough accounting of rampant
antisemitic activity within the Association of Legal Aid
Attorneys (ALAA), a United Auto Workers local union,
following ALAA's passage of an anti-Israel resolution in
December of 2023.
October 31, 2024--Report detailing how antisemitism engulfed
college campuses while administrators put the wants of
terrorist sympathizers over the safety of Jewish students,
faculty, and staff.
December 19, 2024--Report containing findings and
recommendations originating from a more than 7-months long
investigation into antisemitism on American college
campuses initiated by the Speaker of the House and
conducted by the Education and the Workforce Committee, the
Energy and Commerce Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the
Oversight Committee, the Veterans Affairs Committee, and
the Ways & Means Committee.
Amicus Briefs Supported by the Committee
February 3, 2023--Brief submitted to the United States Supreme
Court supporting the parties challenging the authority of
the Secretary of Education and the Biden administration to
enact widespread student loan debt cancelations through an
exploitation of the language in the 2003 HEROES Act. This
brief was led by Chairwoman Foxx and Rep. Duncan (SC) and
signed by 126 additional Members of the House of
Representatives.
Committee Activity Statistics
Total Number of Bills and Resolutions Referred to the
Committee--1,424
Total Number of Hearings Held by the Committee--64
Total Number of Hearings Held by the Full Committee--13
Total Number of Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Early
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education--11
Total Number of Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Higher
Education and Workforce Development (including 1 joint
hearing)--16
Total Number of Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Health,
Employment, Labor and Pensions (including 1 joint
hearing)--16
Total Number of Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Workforce
Protections--9
Total Number of Markup Sessions Held by the Committee--15
Total Number of Markup Sessions Held by the Full Committee--15
Total Number of Legislation Ordered Reported by the Full
Committee--54
Total Number of Committee Reports Filed for Legislation Ordered
Reported by the Full Committee--53
Total Number of Legislation Referred to the Committee that
Passed the House--32
Total Number of Legislation Within Committee Jurisdiction Not
Referred to the Committee that Passed the House--4
Total Number of Legislation Referred to the Committee Enacted
Into Law--3
Total Number of Legislation Within Committee Jurisdiction Not
Referred to the Committee Enacted Into Law--4
Total Number of Committee-Initiated Correspondence--183
Total Number of Conference Reports Filed with Committee Members
Appointed as Conferees--1
Total Number of Issue Reports Written by the Committee--5
Total Number of Amicus Briefs Supported by the Committee--1
MINORITY VIEWS
Introduction
Representative Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott (D-VA) is the
Ranking Member (Ranking Member Scott) of the U.S. House of
Representatives (House) Committee on Education and the
Workforce (Committee). Ranking Member Scott is committed to
building an America where everyone can succeed, not just the
wealthy few.
During the 118th Congress, the Committee's Democratic
Members (Committee Democrats)--led by Early Childhood,
Elementary, and Secondary Education (ECESE) Subcommittee
Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) (ECESE Subcommittee
Ranking Member Bonamici); Higher Education and Workforce
Development (HEWD) Subcommittee Ranking Member Frederica Wilson
(D-FL) (HEWD Subcommittee Ranking Member Wilson); Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee Ranking
Member Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) (HELP Subcommittee Ranking Member
DeSaulnier); and Workforce Protections (WP) Subcommittee
Ranking Member Alma Adams (D-NC) (WP Subcommittee Ranking
Member Adams)--relied on research and evidence to improve the
lives of children, students, workers, families, and retirees.
It is worth noting that upon taking the House Majority in
the 118th Congress, the Republicans eliminated the Committee's
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Resources. The issues
that previously fell under that subcommittee's jurisdiction
remain with the Committee, and they have been doled out under
the rubric of the other subcommittees. However, considering the
number of civil rights issues within the Committee's
jurisdiction, and the number of civil rights-related offices
over which the Committee has oversight authority, it is an
unfortunate statement of priorities.
Over the last two years, Committee Democrats put people
over politics. They worked with the Biden Administration and
across the aisle to address longstanding inequities in
education and provide quality educational opportunities, expand
access to quality and affordable health care, and promote safe
and inclusive workplaces where workers can earn a living wage
and collectively bargain. Next Congress, Committee Democrats
will continue to champion policies that empower working
families and drive sustainable growth. The path forward is one
of opportunity, equity, and shared success for all.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE
Research is clear on the short- and long-term positive
outcomes of quality preschool and child care programs. Quality
programs can help close achievement gaps in elementary and
secondary education and provide significant returns on
investment throughout a child's life. Access to affordable
child care enables families to more fully participate in the
labor market without jeopardizing their financial security.
Committee Democrats continued their commitment to improving
access to early childhood education during the 118th Congress.
On April 27, 2023, Ranking Member Scott, Representative
Susan Wild (D-PA), and other House and U.S. Senate (Senate)
colleagues introduced H.R. 2976 (S. 1354), the Child Care for
Working Families Act that would ensure that working families
pay no more than seven percent of their income for child care,
early childhood educators earn livable wages, and families have
more child care options in their communities. The legislation
would make high-quality child care affordable for families and
address the child care shortages that have made it difficult
for families to find an open child care slot. Committee
Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 2976.
On September 13, 2023, House Democratic Whip Katherine
Clark (D-MA), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member
Scott, other House and Senate colleagues introduced H.R. 5433
(S. 2777), the Child Care Stabilization Act, which would
preserve vital childcare stabilization funding secured by
congressional Democrats in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The legislation would keep childcare providers afloat, preserve
child care slots for millions of children, and help ensure
access to quality and affordable child care for working
families before the funding expired on September 30, 2023.
Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 5433. Inaction
on this bill will result in denying the child care sector an
additional $16 billion in child care funding annually over the
next five years.
K-12 EDUCATION
A strong K-12 education system is essential to ensuring our
children have the fundamental tools to grow into skillful,
productive members of society and maintaining U.S.
competitiveness. Every student should be able to succeed in a
safe, welcoming, and well-funded learning environment. This
Congress, Committee Democrats fought against the politicization
of classrooms and supported students, parents, educators, and
communities to ensure that schools provide an accurate and
high-quality education.
State of Education
On February 8, 2023, the Committee used its first hearing
this Congress to discuss the state of education in America.
Committee Democrats called Colorado Governor, and former
Committee Member, Jared Polis, as their witness. Throughout the
hearing, Gov. Polis and Committee Democrats countered
Republicans' extreme education agenda by contrasting House
Republicans' efforts to undermine public education, with House
Democrats' accomplishments for students, educators, and parents
over the previous Congresses.
Fighting Against Politics Over Parents
On March 8, 2023, the Committee's Republican Majority
(Committee Republicans) used their first markup to roll out
legislative attacks on our nation's public schools by
considering H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. Despite its
misleading name, H.R. 5 in actuality would facilitate efforts
to ban books, whitewash school curricula, and target school
board members, effectively politicizing schools rather than
making them inclusive and safe spaces for teaching and
learning. Moreover, the provisions of H.R. 5 that did not
incentivize such politicization were largely duplicative of
current law, would do little to actually address students'
well-being. Further, the provisions in the bill exemplified the
type of federal overreach congressional Republicans have long
claimed would harm children, teachers, and schools. Committee
Democrats offered 30 amendments to promote policies that would
help students and teachers succeed, 26 of which were rejected
by Committee Republicans. On March 23-24, 2023, Committee
Democrats opposed the bill during its consideration on the
House floor. During that debate, H.R. 5 was exposed as a
political stunt to undermine public education, compared to
ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici's substantive
alternative that would truly support parental engagement and
student success. House Democrats were unified in their
opposition to H.R. 5 and convinced five House Republicans to
oppose its passage, making H.R. 5's opposition bipartisan.
While H.R. 5 ultimately passed the House, it was not taken up
by the Senate.
Protecting Public Schools
On April 18, 2023, the ECESE Subcommittee held a hearing
during which Committee Republicans pressed for increased
parental school choice, advocating for programs that divert
funds from public education to subsidize tuition and fees at
private schools in various forms. Committee Democrats drew a
clear contrast between Republicans' support for low-quality
school choice programs that divert funds from public education,
lack accountability, provide unequal access to educational
opportunities, permit discrimination, potentially increase
racial and socioeconomic segregation, and fail to improve
student achievement, and Democrats' support for investments in
high-quality public schools that serve all students.
On June 6, 2023, Committee Republicans, as part of their
extreme anti-immigrant platform, marked up a non-binding
resolution, H. Res. 461, Condemning the use of elementary and
secondary school facilities to provide shelter for aliens who
are not admitted to the United States, which would condemn
schools for providing shelter for undocumented immigrants.
Committee Democrats highlighted the long history of schools
being used to shelter people, including in, but not limited to,
weather related emergencies. They also highlighted the U.S.
Supreme Court's decision in Plyler v. Doe, which held that
children who are not legally admitted to the country have the
right to a free public education under the Equal Protection
Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. On June 22, 2023, the
Majority brought H. Res. 461 to the House floor. Committee
Democrats emphasized that House Republicans were yet again
wasting floor time fostering culture wars and advocating
policies that would deny people in need even the most basic
physiological human needs.
On June 13, 2023, Committee Republicans took their
obsession with schools sheltering undocumented immigrants a
step further and marked up a bill, H.R. 3941, the Schools Not
Shelters Act. This bill would prohibit public schools and
institutions of higher education that receive federal financial
assistance from being used to provide shelter or housing for
undocumented immigrants as a condition of receiving such
financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education
(ED). Committee Democrats denounced the Republicans'
politicization of schools and threats to remove vital funding
from public schools and institutions of higher education while
offering nothing to improve education. During the markup,
Representative Mark Takano (D-CA) offered an amendment to the
bill to affirm the U.S. Supreme Court's holding in Plyler v.
Doe. Committee Republicans rejected the amendment. On July 18-
19, 2023, the bill proceeded to the House floor. Curiously,
during the floor debate, there was no condemnation of schools
that have been used to house other populations of individuals
(e.g., prisoners) in the past. The absurdity of the bill was
further expressed when Ranking Member Scott pointed out the
bill only prohibited the use of schools as ``emergency''
shelters, leaving open the question of whether a school could
establish permanent, non-emergency shelter for undocumented
immigrants and retain federal funding. While the bill passed,
nearly 95% of House Democrats opposed its passage, and H.R.
3941 was not taken up by the Senate.
On March 6, 2024, the ECESE Subcommittee held a hearing
about charter schools that once again drew a contrast between
Committee Democrats' and Committee Republicans' views on public
education. Committee Democrats spoke about the importance of a
well-funded, well-regulated public school system and explained
their support for high-quality, equitable educational
opportunities for all students. This vision includes
accountable, non-profit charter schools as examples of quality
public school choice options. In contrast, Committee
Republicans expressed support for rapid and unchecked expansion
of charter schools as part of a broader school choice agenda.
This agenda includes allowing for-profit corporations to
operate publicly-funded charter schools and the conversion of
non-charter public schools to charter management. At the same
time, Committee Republicans dismiss concerns regarding the
adverse impact of choice policies on the public system's
ability to deliver a quality education to every child.
Following shortly after that hearing, on March 21, 2024,
Committee Republicans marked up H.R. 6418, the Empower Charter
School Educators to Lead Act. H.R. 6418 would permit the use of
federal charter school funding by charter school developers or
entities assisting charter school developers for pre-planning
grants to develop ideas for charter schools with the goal of
expanding school choice. While support for the bill was
bipartisan, the majority of Committee Democrats opposed the
legislation as an unnecessary expansion of current law, which
already permits planning grants when a developer is working
with a charter authorizer. They also expressed concerns about
the increased opportunities for waste, fraud, and abuse of
government funding H.R. 6418 could cause given that the bill
lacks necessary, relevant guardrails against such malfeasance.
While the bill was reported out of Committee favorably over
Democratic objections, Republican leadership declined to
consider H.R. 6418 on the House floor.
On June 4, 2024, the ECESE Subcommittee held a hearing in
which Committee Republicans attempted to scapegoat migrant
children for the chronic underfunding of K-12 schools. ECESE
Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici and Committee Democrats
used the hearing to remind Committee Republicans that access to
firearms is the greatest risk to school safety. They also
refuted arguments blaming migrant children for the underfunding
of K-12 schools, showing instead that Republican-backed voucher
programs are the biggest drain on public education funds.
Committee Democrats again decried efforts to undermine Plyler
v. Doe, the Supreme Court decision that affirmed access to
public education is a fundamental right, regardless of a
student's immigration status.
Addressing Foreign Influence While Combating Anti-Asian Rhetoric in K-
12 Education
On September 19, 2023, Committee Republicans continued
their politicization of public education, holding a hearing
whose title, Academic Freedom Under Attack: Loosening the CCP's
Grip on America's Classrooms, suggested that the People's
Republic of China controlled America's schools. Ranking Member
Scott, ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici, and other
Committee Democrats condemned Committee Republicans for holding
yet another culture war-focused hearing as part of their
extremist agenda. Committee Democrats reminded Committee
Republicans that Congress can raise legitimate security
concerns about the Chinese Communist Party without weaponizing
education or pursuing baseless conspiracy theories that result
in discrimination against Chinese and Chinese-American people
and fuel anti-Asian bias. Committee Democrats believe that our
nation's K-12 schools should embrace and celebrate the
diversity of their students, teachers, and staff. Committee
Democrats also highlighted that actual foreign security threats
are outside the jurisdiction of the Committee.
On June 13, 2024, Committee Republicans marked up H.R.
6816, the Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate
Communist Teachings (PROTECT) for Our Kids Act. Committee
Republicans justified the bill's consideration by falling back
on their specious claims relating to Chinese influence and
interference in K-12 schools. Ranking Member Scott noted that
considering legislation likely to increase anti-Asian sentiment
while doing absolutely nothing to protect our children or
enhance learning outcomes in schools is a poor use of the
Committee's time. Ranking Member Scott then offered an
amendment that would give Committee Republicans an opportunity
to live up to their outsized claims, authorizing $300 million
in appropriations to fund this initiative they considered so
vital and necessary; however, Committee Republicans rejected
this amendment. While the bill was reported out of Committee
favorably over Democratic objections, Republican leadership
declined to consider H.R. 6816 on the House floor.
In that same June 13, 2024, markup, the Committee also
considered H.R. 5567, the Combating the Lies of Authoritarians
in School Systems (CLASS) Act. This bill would limit federal
funding for schools that receive more than $10,000 from foreign
sources in an effort to reduce foreign influence in K-12 public
schools. Committee Democrats unanimously opposed the
legislation as it would add another item to an already long to-
do list for elementary and secondary school administrators
without providing them any additional financial resources.
Ranking Member Scott offered an amendment that would authorize
$300 million in appropriations to fund this initiative;
however, Committee Republicans did not accept the amendment.
While the bill was reported out of Committee favorably over
Democratic objections, Republican leadership declined to
consider H.R. 5567 on the House floor.
The June 13, 2024, markup also included consideration of
H.R. 8649, the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial
Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act. This bill would
establish numerous unnecessary and burdensome requirements
related to potential influence and espionage by foreign
adversaries. Under H.R. 8649, state and local educational
agencies would have to comply with these requirements in order
to receive federal education funds under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act. Committee Democrats again condemned
the bill for feeding into Committee Republicans' culture wars
narrative without any credible evidence to support their
claims. If made into law, H.R. 8649 would create administrative
confusion for public schools, severely penalizing public
schools if they fail to meet the requirements of the bill
whether intentionally or accidentally. Taken with the other
bills marked up in this meeting, Committee Republicans
translated their extremist rhetoric into policies that would
have a chilling effect on states, districts, and schools
engaging in international and cultural exchange opportunities.
Ranking Member Scott, recognizing the administrative burden
public schools would face under H.R. 8649, offered an amendment
to provide funds to assist schools in complying with the bill;
Committee Republicans rejected the amendment on a party-line
vote. While the bill was reported out of Committee favorably
over Democratic objections, Republican leadership declined to
consider H.R. 8649 on the House floor.
School Discipline
On May 18, 2023, Ranking Member Scott joined Representative
Donald Beyer (D-VA) to reintroduce H.R. 3470, the Keeping All
Students Safe Act. This bill would help eliminate
discriminatory school discipline by prohibiting dangerous
seclusion and restraint practices in classrooms and help
schools adopt evidence-based practices to address student
behavior. Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 3470.
Addressing Learning Recovery Post-Pandemic
On July 26, 2023, the ECESE Subcommittee held a hearing
during which Committee Republicans decried school closures
during the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed concerns about how
some schools used their COVID-19 relief funds. Committee
Democrats asserted that now is the time to look forward and
address the consequences of lost instructional time as well as
pre-existing achievement gaps and other challenges for our
nation's students that were exacerbated by the COVID-19
pandemic. They highlighted the historic investments in
education made by President Biden and congressional Democrats
that are currently aiding students, parents, and teachers in
addressing these issues. Committee Democrats also highlighted
the devastating cuts to critical education funding proposed by
congressional Republicans and the need to invest in public
education to enhance student success.
Establishing Commission to Study Indian Boarding Schools
On February 5, 2024, H.R. 7227, the Truth and Healing
Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2024 was
introduced by Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Tom
Cole (R-OK). This bill establishes a Truth and Healing
Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies to investigate
and report on the history of Indian Boarding School abuses and
discriminatory policies and their impact on Native American and
Tribal Communities. This bill will allow victims and
descendants of families who attended Indian boarding schools to
share their stories and experiences, and it directs the
Commission to develop recommendations for federal entities
based on its findings. On June 13, 2024, the Committee marked
up H.R. 7227 and it was reported to the House favorably by a
nearly unanimous bipartisan vote. Republican leadership
declined to consider H.R. 7227 on the House floor.
Fulfilling the Promise of Brown v. Board of Education
May 17, 2023, marked the 69th anniversary of the Supreme
Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. To
help fulfill the promise of Brown, Ranking Member Scott
reintroduced two bills--H.R. 3444, the Strength in Diversity
Act of 2023, and H.R. 3445, the Equity and Inclusion
Enforcement Act of 2023--that would take key steps towards
finally achieving equal access to quality education in America.
The Strength in Diversity Act would offer support to school
districts that are developing, implementing, or expanding
school desegregation initiatives by establishing a federal
grant program to support voluntary, local efforts to increase
diversity in schools. The Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act
would restore the private right of action for students and
parents to bring disparate impact claims under Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and would ensure that every school
district and institution of higher education has at least one
employee specifically responsible for investigating complaints
of discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or
shared ancestry. Committee Republicans declined to mark up
either H.R. 3444 or H.R. 3445.
Investing in Innovative Teacher Retention and Recruitment
On September 25, 2024, the ECESE Subcommittee held a
hearing during which Committee Democrats underscored the urgent
need to invest in our educators and students pursuing careers
in teaching. The witnesses highlighted the critical role robust
teacher preparation programs play in equipping educators to
effectively meet the diverse needs of today's students.
Committee Democrats also highlighted the importance of
recruiting and retaining diverse teachers in schools to support
students of diverse backgrounds, while pushing back on attempts
to advocate for pathways that could de-professionalize the
educator profession.
Fighting All Forms of Hate in K-12 Education
On October 19, 2023, the ECESE Subcommittee held a hearing
during which Committee Republicans campaigned to ban books in
schools and libraries. Committee Democrats urged Republicans to
focus on the serious challenges facing students, parents, and
educators instead of allowing politicians and a vocal minority
of parents to curtail students' freedom to read, particularly
by censoring books focused on LGBTQI+ themes, protagonists, or
characters, and characters of color.
On May 8, 2024, the ECESE Subcommittee held a hearing
titled Confronting Pervasive Antisemitism at K-12 Schools. At
that hearing, ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici and
Committee Democrats reminded Committee Republicans about the
importance of condemning antisemitism in schools and in all
other places and fighting against discrimination and all forms
of hate.
On June 13, 2024, Committee Republicans marked up H.R.
8606, the Never Again Education Reauthorization and Study Act
of 2024, which updates and extends the authorization for the
Never Again Education Act, first signed into law in 2020.
Renewing and updating this law would allow the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum to continue its important work
expanding Holocaust education programs in our nation's schools.
On July 9, 2024, the Senate passed a related bill, S. 3448, the
Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023, by unanimous
consent. S. 3448 would extend the authorization for the current
law through Fiscal Year (FY) 2030. On December 17, 2024, the
House considered S. 3448. The bill passed the House by a vote
of 402-12 and was signed into law by President Biden on
December 23, 2024.
Improving Public School Infrastructure
On July 27, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and Representative
Donald Norcross (D-NJ) reintroduced H.R. 5049, the Rebuild
America's Schools Act of 2023, to address our nation's
crumbling public school infrastructure that threatens the
health and safety of more than 50 million students and 3
million teachers in public schools. The legislation would
invest $130 billion in our schools' physical and digital
infrastructure, targeted at high poverty schools, to ensure
students and staff have safe spaces to learn and work. The bill
would also create over two million jobs. Committee Republicans
declined to mark up H.R. 5049.
On December 4, 2024, the ECESE Subcommittee held a hearing
to examine K-12 curricula. Since the federal government does
not dictate curriculum, Committee Democrats decided that the
Subcommittee should not waste time interfering with state and
local decision-making and therefore utilized the hearing to
instead focus on something that Congress does have the power to
influence, namely, school infrastructure. Committee Democrats
emphasized the critical need for investment in our schools'
physical and digital infrastructure, especially in high-poverty
communities, and that this is an investment in our students'
and teachers' health and safety as well as our future as a
nation. They also highlighted the need to pass the Rebuild
America's Schools Act of 2023.
Investing in Career and Technical Education
On January 18, 2024, the ECESE Subcommittee held a hearing
to examine how Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs,
which generally have broad bipartisan support, can strengthen
local economies, help employers fill job openings, and allow
students to explore careers while building valuable skills to
compete in the modern economy.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Higher education is still out of reach for many Americans.
Too many students are either unaware of the options in higher
education that are available to them, unprepared for higher
education, or not equipped with the tools to succeed once they
arrive on a campus. Even students who arrive ready to navigate
the system often face runaway college costs, forcing them to
take on a large student loan burden, sometimes with little
understanding of how their higher education options align with
their desired career path. This Congress, Committee Democrats
remained committed to pursuing policies that lower college
costs, further strengthen the Pell Grant, and ensure that all
students have access to a quality, affordable higher education
regardless of race or socioeconomic status.
Making College More Affordable
On March 9, 2023, Ranking Members Wilson and Scott
announced the reintroduction of H.R. 1731, the Lowering
Obstacles to Achievement Now (LOAN) Act. The LOAN Act would
complement the needed reforms the Biden Administration has made
to federal student aid programs to ensure that current and
future borrowers can afford college. The legislation would make
key improvements to student aid, including doubling the Pell
Grant, improving the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
program, expanding access to lower-interest loans, and creating
a safety net for vulnerable borrowers.
On March 23, 2023, the HEWD Subcommittee held a hearing to
discuss President Biden's student loan policies. During the
hearing, Ranking Member Wilson led Committee Democrats in
highlighting the impact of the Biden Administration's historic
steps on behalf of student loan borrowers and the need to
support current and future borrowers by passing the LOAN Act.
On May 10, 2023, Committee Democrats fought H.J. Res. 45,
House Republicans' attempt to eliminate President Biden's
student debt relief plan under the Congressional Review Act
(CRA). During the markup, Committee Democrats expressed
disappointment that their colleagues chose to denounce support
for debt relief for student borrowers, despite supporting loan
forgiveness for others, such as through the Paycheck Protection
Program (PPP) during the pandemic. On May 24, 2023, the
resolution was considered on the House floor. Committee
Democrats highlighted the consequences of the resolution for
many Republican Members' districts, exposing how if passed,
H.J. Res. 45 could trigger a wave of delinquencies and defaults
for the most vulnerable borrowers. House Democrats
overwhelmingly voted against H.J. Res 45. Although H.J. Res. 45
passed both Chambers of Congress, it did not sustain veto-proof
majorities and therefore died after President Biden vetoed it.
On May 24, 2023, the HEWD Subcommittee held a hearing with
ED Under Secretary Mr. James Kvaal and Office of Federal
Student Aid (FSA) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mr. Richard
Cordray. HEWD Subcommittee Ranking Member Wilson led Committee
Democrats in highlighting the Biden Administration's historic
efforts to help borrowers as they returned to loan repayment
for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Committee
Democrats also denounced House Republicans' hypocrisy for
refusing to provide debt relief for student borrowers while
supporting huge tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy.
On July 27, 2023, the HEWD Subcommittee held a hearing to
discuss accountability efforts in higher education to protect
students and taxpayers from poor outcomes and fraud. Committee
Democrats praised President Biden's efforts to safeguard
students from predatory colleges and low-value programs.
Instead of holding predatory for-profit colleges and programs
accountable, Committee Republicans belittled concerns about
consumer protections and called into question the value of
higher education.
On October 19, 2023, Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez
(D-NM), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), and Ranking Member Scott, joined
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in reintroducing H.R. 5998 (S.
3086), the America's College Promise Act of 2023. The
legislation would authorize and fund a federal-state
partnership to provide students two years of tuition-free
enrollment at a community college, Historically Black College
or University, Tribal College or University, or Minority-
Serving Institution. Committee Republicans declined to mark up
H.R. 5998.
On January 31, 2024, the Committee marked up H.R. 6951, the
College Cost Reduction Act, Committee Republicans' misguided
proposal to address the rising costs of college. The bill would
repeal the existing regulatory framework to protect students
and taxpayers in higher education, including elimination of the
bipartisan 90/10 rule, gainful employment requirements, and
borrower defense provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(HEA). Further, the bill would push student loan borrowers to
the predatory private loan market by eliminating federal PLUS
loans and decreasing certain federal student loan limits. The
bill would also repeal the Saving on a Valuable Education
(SAVE) plan, the most generous Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)
plan yet, and replace it with an income-based repayment plan
without any pathway to timed forgiveness. Committee Republicans
rejected over 30 amendments offered by Committee Democrats to
actually lower costs for low- and middle-income families.
During markup debate, Committee Democrats emphasized that H.R.
6951 would actually raise costs for students and colleges,
allow for the misuse of taxpayer dollars, limit access to
quality degree programs, and fuel divisive culture wars across
higher education. Republican leadership declined to consider
H.R. 6951 on the House floor.
Overseeing FAFSA Implementation
Due to significant delays and ongoing errors made in the
development of an improved Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA), this Congress saw robust, bipartisan oversight of
ED's continuing implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act
and the FUTURE Act. On January 12, 2024, Ranking Member Scott
drafted a letter to ED, in which he urged the Department to
prevent further delays in implementing the new, simplified
FAFSA. On February 12, 2024, Ranking Member Scott and Senate
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) led congressional Democrats on a letter
to ED expressing significant concern with the ongoing FAFSA
challenges and asking how the Department will improve
communication with students, colleges, and other stakeholders
going forward. Similarly, on May 7, 2024, Ranking Member Scott
joined with the bipartisan, bicameral leaders of the Senate and
House Education and Appropriations Committees in a letter to ED
urging it to prioritize a timely rollout of the 2025-2026
FAFSA.
On April 10, 2024, the HEWD Subcommittee held a hearing on
ED's failure to implement the FAFSA. Although Committee
Republicans spent significant time arguing that the Biden
Administration failed to implement the FAFSA due to its focus
on student debt relief efforts, Committee Democrats focused on
how to ensure students get the information they need to make
informed decisions about their education.
On July 10, 2024, the Committee marked up and reported
favorably H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act, which would
permanently move the FAFSA rollout date from January 1 to
October 1. Ranking Member Scott, opposed the legislation during
the markup, since it could require ED to release a broken 2025-
2026 form prematurely that would continue to harm students, and
his opposition was supported by prominent financial aid
stakeholders. However, due to House Republican's decision to
delay floor consideration of H.R. 8932 until after October 1,
2024, the bill's operative October 1 date applied to the 2026-
2027 FAFSA. This allayed the primary concern of Committee
Democrats, that H.R. 8932 as drafted could force the Department
to release a broken 2025-2026 form or violate of the law. On
November 15, the House passed the FAFSA Deadline Act with
strong bipartisan support. The bill passed the Senate and was
signed into law by President Biden on December 11, 2024.
On September 24, 2024, at a HEWD Subcommittee hearing,
Committee Democrats and Republicans questioned the U.S.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) about GAO's
investigations into ED's challenges implementing reforms to the
FAFSA, specifically looking at technological challenges and
challenges communicating with students and families.
Ensuring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on College Campuses
On September 28, 2023, the HEWD Subcommittee held a hearing
on the Supreme Court's decision on the use of race as a factor
in college admission policies. During this hearing, Committee
Democrats reinforced our continued commitment to defend
educational equity and diverse learning environments despite
the Supreme Court's recent ruling on affirmative action in
college admissions. Committee Democrats underscored the value
of racially diverse college campuses and confronted the GOP's
attacks on diversity and inclusion initiatives across our
society. Our nation has a compelling interest in fostering
racially diverse college campuses, and the ruling in the
Harvard and UNC cases does not change that fact. Despite
conservative spin, the Supreme Court's narrow ruling did not
outlaw consideration of race generally in higher education, and
there are many ways colleges can continue to foster diversity
in higher education.
On March 7, 2024, during a HEWD Subcommittee hearing on the
impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives on
college campuses, Committee Democrats defended the importance
of DEI initiatives. Committee Republicans again trod out
culture war talking points designed to do nothing to actually
improve education outcomes. Committee Democrats continued to
stress that DEI initiatives exist to improve an increasingly
diverse higher education system that was originally designed to
serve only the privileged few. The promise of higher education
in America is that every student has access to a safe, diverse,
and welcoming learning environment.
Protecting First Amendment Rights and Academic Freedom
On March 29, 2023, during a HEWD Subcommittee hearing on
campus free speech, Committee Democrats spotlighted
Republicans' one-sided political campaign to protect
conservative speech and discussed solutions to the real
challenges facing students and their families. They also
highlighted that the actual threat to free speech on campus is
Republican politicians' censorship of college curriculum.
Instead of playing political games, Committee Democrats are
committed to lowering barriers to success and improving the
lives of all students in higher education.
On March 21, 2024, Committee Republicans marked up two
higher education bills--H.R. 3724, the Accreditation for
College Excellence Act of 2023, and H.R. 7683, the Respecting
the First Amendment on Campus Act--which taken together would
undermine the accreditation process and First Amendment rights
at institutions of higher education. Committee Republicans
claimed the bills would ensure that programs of study meet core
curricula standards and that colleges would protect free
expression freedoms for students and faculty. In reality, the
bills would impose a costly and unworkable speech accommodation
regime and would create unnecessary problems in accreditation
and potential campus safety risks. H.R. 7683 also includes a
provision that would create a license for student religious
groups to discriminate against LGBTQI+ students by requiring
public colleges and universities to provide such groups with
benefits, including funding, even if the groups violate the
school's nondiscrimination policies. Both bills were reported
favorably out of Committee over widespread Democratic
objection. Republican leadership declined to consider H.R. 7683
on the House floor. However, pieces of both bills were
repackaged and rebranded as a new H.R. 3724 titled the End Woke
Higher Education Act. H.R. 3724 was then considered on the
House floor on September 19, 2024. Committee Democrats took to
the floor to oppose the End Woke Higher Education Act, pointing
out that the bill undermines the legitimacy of the college
accreditation process and attempts to supplant the First
Amendment on campus with a new speech regime that exposes
schools to monetary legal judgements and possible loss of
federal student aid. While H.R. 3724 passed the House with
nearly unanimous opposition from House Democrats, H.R. 3724 was
not taken up by the Senate.
Fighting Against Hate in Higher Education
On December 5, 2023, during a hearing with the Presidents
of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Committee Democrats made
clear that colleges and universities must protect students from
all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism and
Islamophobia. Committee Democrats also called out Committee
Republicans for dismissing the documented spike in antisemitism
in America following the 2016 election and for proposing cuts
to ED's Office for Civil Rights, the entity actually
responsible for investigating campus discrimination claims.
Regrettably, in responses to questions, the witnesses fell into
a rhetorical trap where a suggestion that speech is protected
was an indication that one agrees with the speech, and most
news coverage focused on these responses.
On May 20, 2024, the Committee heard from the Presidents of
Northwestern University, Rutgers University, and the University
of California at Los Angeles on their efforts to ensure that
every student has access to a quality education regardless of
their race, color, national origin, or shared ancestry.
Committee Democrats again held the universities accountable to
their responsibility to maintain a safe learning environment
for all students and reiterated criticism that House
Republicans continued to rail against discrimination on campus
while actively proposing cuts to those federal offices
designated to protect students' civil rights.
Oversight of Haskell University
On July 23, 2024, the HEWD Subcommittee held a joint
hearing with the House Committee on Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to investigate
allegations of neglect, mismanagement, and sexual harassment at
Haskell Indian Nations University. The Members of both
Subcommittees worked on a bipartisan basis with the aim of
increasing oversight and accountability to improve campus
culture at Haskell.
Addressing Foreign Influence While Combating Anti-Asian Rhetoric in
Higher Education
On July 13, 2023, the HEWD Subcommittee held a hearing to
discuss institutional compliance with foreign influence laws
and the role of ED in combatting undue foreign influence.
Committee Democrats reprimanded House Republicans' blatant
anti-Asian rhetoric, which jeopardizes important academic
partnerships and endangers Asian-American students, scholars,
and faculty.
On November 24, 2023, the Committee marked up H.R. 5933,
the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes
in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act. This bill would
create a new, overly burdensome framework for colleges to
report gifts and contracts with foreign entities. Committee
Democrats offered several commonsense amendments that would
simplify reporting, ensure the bill does not create a chilling
effect on the continuance of global research, and prevent
discrimination against individuals required to be named under
the bill. The Majority rejected all amendments offered by
Committee Democrats. On December 6, 2023, Committee Democrats
opposed the bill on the House floor to again speak out against
H.R. 5933, emphasizing that instead of helping universities
stay transparent about their foreign partnerships, it would
jeopardize global research partnerships while doing nothing to
meaningfully protect research security, taxpayer dollars, or
student safety. House Democrats largely voted in opposition of
the bill. H.R. 5933 was not taken up by the Senate.
Fighting Hazing on College Campuses
On September 11, 2024, the Committee marked up and reported
favorably on a bipartisan vote H.R. 5646, the Stop Campus
Hazing Act. Introduced by Committee Member Representative Lucy
McBath (D-GA), this transformative legislation would improve
student safety and well-being, provide transparency and foster
an environment where respect and support prevail over harmful
traditions. On September 24, 2024, the House passed the bill;
it passed the Senate by unanimous consent on December 11, 2024,
and was signed into law by President Biden on December 23,
2024.
Furthering Innovation in Higher Education
On June 14, 2023, the HEWD Subcommittee hosted a hearing
about innovative practices in higher education. Committee
Democrats discussed evidence-based strategies to help students
succeed in higher education. HEWD Subcommittee Ranking Member
Wilson emphasized that as Congress considers legislation
regarding innovation in higher education, it must prioritize
improving access and quality for every student, not just some.
PROTECTING STUDENTS' CIVIL RIGHTS
On March 8, 2023, during the Committee's first markup
meeting of the 118th Congress, Committee Republicans
prioritized the markup of H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and
Girls in Sports Act of 2023, a bill designed to further
politicize children's classrooms. H.R. 734 would weaponize
Title IX, a landmark civil rights law, against transgender
women and girls, a critically marginalized population that
federal courts have recognized should be protected from
discrimination under Title IX. Committee Democrats offered
amendments based on the real, discriminatory challenges female
athletes face, namely fewer resources compared to male athletes
and pervasive sex discrimination, including harassment and
assault. None of these amendments were adopted. On April 20,
2023, Committee Democrats took to the House floor to oppose
H.R. 734, now dubbed the ``Politics Over Participation Act.''
House Democrats made clear that they will not stand by while
Republican politicians target transgender women and girls and
make school sports less fair and less safe for students. The
bill passed the House on a straight party line vote. H.R. 734
was not taken up by the Senate.
On, June 13, 2024, Committee Republicans marked up H.R.
8648, the Civil Rights Protection Act. H.R. 8648 would alter
procedures at ED's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in a way that
would likely exacerbate the backlog of cases in that office and
result in inequitable treatment of cases based on when they
were filed. Committee Democrats emphasized that the bill would
likely do nothing to increase the protections of civil rights
law for all students and could likely result in inequitable or
unworkable resolutions of civil rights cases at OCR. The
biggest issue related to the resolution of cases at OCR is
money, and Ranking Member Scott and Representative Kathy
Manning (D-NC) both offered amendments to increase
authorization levels for OCR. Both amendments were defeated on
party-line votes. While the bill was reported out of Committee
favorably over Democratic objections, Republican leadership
declined to consider H.R. 8648 on the House floor.
On July 10, 2024, ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member
Bonamici led House Democrats' staunch opposition to H.J. Res.
165, the Republican attempt to repeal the Biden
Administration's Title IX rule. The repeal of this rule is a
plank in the conservative ``Project 2025,'' a roadmap of
extreme measures that exacerbate culture wars in public
education, weaken protections for young women and girls, and
perpetuate harm against vulnerable LGBTQIA+ youth. H.J. Res.
165 was not taken up by the Senate.
AMERICORPS
On December 11, 2024, the HEWD Subcommittee held a hearing
on the Corporation for National and Community Service (also
known as AmeriCorps) and its disclaimed audit for FY 2024, its
seventh straight failed audit. During the hearing, Committee
Republicans called for ending AmeriCorps due to its consistent
financial management challenges. Committee Democrats urged
AmeriCorps to make the reforms necessary to achieve a clean
audit in the future while also speaking to the important work
AmeriCorps volunteers and members do around the country.
JOBS AND THE WORKFORCE
Under the leadership of the Biden Administration and
congressional Democrats, the economy has experienced a record-
breaking recovery over the past four years--creating more than
16.4 million jobs as of November 2024 and bringing prime-age
labor force participation up to rates not seen in more than 20
years. Importantly, inflation produced by pandemic-related
supply chain issues and instability abroad has been wrestled
under control, falling to 2.7 percent over the year as of
November 2024, even as real wages have grown substantially,
particularly among low-wage workers. This recovery is not
accidental; it is the result of policies that champion and
empower working families. Investments in workers, their
families, and their communities have driven this inclusive
growth. Congressional Democrats have worked with the Biden
Administration to prioritize workers and their families and
rebuild the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.
On June 7, 2023, the Committee held its annual hearing on
the Budget of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) at which
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su testified about the Biden
Administration's FY 2024 priorities. While Committee
Republicans focused on attacking Acting Secretary Su, Committee
Democrats focused on the economy's historic recovery under the
Biden Administration as well as the investments Congress must
continue to make to build on our progress.
On May 1, 2024, the Committee held its annual hearing on
the DOL Budget at which Acting Secretary Su testified about the
Biden Administration's FY 2025 priorities. While Committee
Republicans again focused on attacking Acting Secretary Su,
Committee Democrats focused on key policy priorities and
discussed the Biden Administration's achievements to build our
economy.
Expanding Career Opportunities
On March 17, 2023, Ranking Member Scott unveiled H.R. 1655,
the Jobs to Compete Act, to expand Pell Grant access to
students in high-quality, short-term career training programs.
The legislation would allow more adult learners to afford
short-term training programs and help businesses recruit highly
qualified candidates within the local workforce. Committee
Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 1655.
At a HEWD Subcommittee hearing on May 11, 2023, HEWD
Subcommittee Ranking Member Wilson and Committee Democrats
advocated for a bipartisan reauthorization of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that meets the needs of
both job seekers and businesses.
At a Committee hearing on June 22, 2023, the Committee
discussed pathways for everyone in America to access
meaningful, sustainable careers. Ranking Member Scott called
for the reauthorization of a fully-funded WIOA as well as the
passage of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2023.
On September 20, 2023, the HEWD Subcommittee held a hearing
during which Committee Democrats and Republicans discussed how
a bipartisan reauthorization of WIOA could help ensure that
workers and students get the skills they need to succeed in the
modern economy. Committee Democrats underscored the need to
fully fund WIOA programs, expand job training programs,
prioritize access to underserved workers, and improve the
quality of job opportunities.
On December 5, 2023, Committee Democrats helped introduce
H.R. 6585, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, a bipartisan bill
based on Ranking Member Scott's Jobs to Compete Act, which
would expand Pell Grant eligibility to high-quality, short-term
training programs. At a Committee markup on December 12, 2023,
the Committee advanced The Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act with
bipartisan support. Republican leadership declined
consideration of this bill on the House floor.
On December 7, 2023, Committee Democrats helped introduce
the bipartisan bill, H.R. 6655, the A Stronger Workforce for
America Act, to help workers in America get the skills and
support they need to benefit from our economic growth. This
bill would update WIOA programs that are the backbone of our
workforce development system. On December 12, 2023, the
Committee advanced A Stronger Workforce for America Act with
bipartisan support. Following passage of H.R. 6655 in the
House, the Senate attempted to pass it under Unanimous Consent
but failed.
On March 6, 2024, Ranking Member Scott attended the
Business Roundtable CEO Workforce Forum along with Committee
Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) to discuss why Congress must invest
in workforce development and pass the Bipartisan Workforce Pell
Act and A Stronger Workforce for America Act.
Promoting Apprenticeships
On April 25, 2023, Ranking Member Scott introduced H.R.
2851, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2023. This bipartisan
bill would strengthen our most successful workforce initiative
by creating nearly one million new apprenticeship
opportunities, streamlining access for workers and employers,
and expanding these opportunities into new and in-demand
industries. Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R.
2851.
Increasing Employment for Opportunity Youth
On September 14, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and Committee
Vice Ranking Member Jahana Hayes (D-CT), along with other
Democratic House colleagues, reintroduced H.R. 5511, the
Opening Doors for Youth Act of 2023. The legislation would
invest more than $6 billion to help at-risk and opportunity
youth gain their first employment opportunities and develop
opportunities to successfully transition from school to work.
Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 5511.
Supporting the Direct Care Workforce
On July 18, 2023, Ranking Member Scott, along with
Representatives Wild, Susie Lee (D-NV), and Bonamici,
introduced H.R. 4720, the Direct Creation, Advancement, and
Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act of 2023, to meet
the growing demand for direct care workers and improve their
working conditions. The legislation would expand the direct
care workforce pipeline, improve workplace health and safety,
and invest in quality direct care career and job training
programs. These critical investments would ensure seniors and
people with disabilities have access to the care they need.
Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 4720.
WORKERS' RIGHTS AND WORKER PROTECTIONS
Committee Democrats remain committed to protecting and
upholding workers' rights and consistently stood up for workers
throughout the 118th Congress.
Making the Economic Case for Worker Protections
On March 28, 2023, during a Committee hearing titled
Unleashing America's Opportunities for Hiring and Employment,
Committee Democrats emphasized the role of workplace
protections in a robust economic policy that encourages growth
for all.
Ensuring Access to Good and Fair Wages
On February 28, 2023, Ranking Member Scott reintroduced
H.R. 1263, the Transformation to Competitive Integrated
Employment Act, bipartisan legislation to finally phase out the
sub-minimum wage for workers with disabilities and help them
transition to fully integrated competitive workplaces.
Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 1263.
On July 18, 2023, the WP Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Wage and Hour Division of DOL. Committee Democrats pushed back
against Committee Republicans' threats to weaken critical
protections for workers. Committee Democrats also called for
stronger Wage and Hour regulations to make sure workers earn
their full pay and benefits.
On July 25, 2023, workers and business owners joined
Ranking Member Scott, Senate HELP Committee Chair Sanders, and
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), among others,
in reintroducing H.R. 4889 (S. 2488), the Raise the Wage Act,
which would gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $17
by 2028. With 150 original cosponsors on the House bill and 29
original cosponsors on the Senate bill introduced by Chair
Sanders, the Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would increase wages
for nearly 28 million workers and strengthen both businesses
and the economy. Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R.
4889.
On November 29, 2023, during a WP Subcommittee hearing, WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams and Committee Democrats
defended President Biden's proposed rule to expand overtime pay
protections from attacks by House Republicans. The proposed
rule would guarantee overtime pay for an additional 3.6 million
workers.
On February 14, 2024, the WP Subcommittee held a hearing
with DOL Wage and Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman.
Committee Democrats reinforced that sensible policy decisions
made by President Biden and congressional Democrats led to a
historic economic recovery and improved the lives of workers
and families.
On April 11, 2024, at a WP Subcommittee hearing, Committee
Democrats defended workers' fundamental right to basic worker
protections such as minimum wage, overtime, and paid leave.
On September 18, 2024, during a WP Subcommittee hearing,
Committee Democrats discussed actions the Biden Administration
took to protect and expand the rights of tipped workers that
had been previously undermined.
Promoting Equal Opportunity in the Workplace
On May 18, 2023, Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) joined
Ranking Member Scott to reintroduce H.R. 3491, the Protect
Older Job Applicants (POJA) Act of 2023. The bipartisan bill
would help confront age discrimination in employment by
extending civil rights protections for older employees to older
job applicants. Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R.
3491.
On December 4, 2023, Ranking Member Scott, ECESE
Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici, WP Subcommittee Ranking
Member Adams, and Representatives Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Brian
Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), reintroduced
H.R. 6581, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination
Act. The bipartisan legislation would restore legal protections
for older workers so they can hold employers accountable for
age discrimination. Committee Republicans declined to mark up
H.R. 6581.
On May 8, 2024, ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici,
Ranking Member Scott, and Senator Edward Markey (D-MA)
introduced H.R. 8298 (S. 4327), the Equal Remedies Act, to
ensure workers receive full compensation when their employers
are found liable for employment discrimination. Committee
Republicans declined to mark up this H.R. 8298.
On June 26, 2024, the WP Subcommittee convened a hearing
regarding allegations of antisemitic treatment towards faculty
on college campuses. Committee Democrats called for more
support for the work of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) in handling discrimination complaints.
On July 9, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee convened a hearing
addressing the issue of antisemitism in workplaces. Committee
Democrats spoke out against antisemitism and all forms of
discrimination and discussed how labor unions help create
workplace democracy.
Holding Unscrupulous Employers Accountable
On April 30, 2024, Ranking Member Scott released a report
titled A Slap on the Wrist: How It Pays for Unscrupulous
Employers to Take Advantage of Workers. The report details how
civil monetary penalties for violations of labor and employment
laws are inadequate, and even nonexistent for certain statutes.
The report also highlights that non-labor and employment laws
authorize higher penalties than statutes that provide basic
worker protections. The report examines civil monetary
penalties for child labor violations and wage theft under the
Fair Labor Standards Act, violations of workers' rights to
organize and collectively bargain under the National Labor
Relations Act (NLRA), workplace health and safety violations
under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act),
and violations of parity in coverage of mental health and
substance use disorder services under the Mental Health Parity
and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The report concludes with a
call on Congress to responsibly raise civil monetary penalties
for labor and employment violations to hold unscrupulous
employers accountable and deter future violations.
On July 25, 2024, Ranking Member Scott, alongside
Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Norcross,
Mark Pocan (D-WI), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and Steven Horsford
(D-NV), introduced H.R. 9137, the Labor Enforcement to Securely
(LET'S) Protect Workers Act. The bill would raise civil
monetary penalties for various violations of labor and
employment laws, including child labor, minimum wage and
overtime, worker health and safety, and farmworker protection
standards. The legislation would also establish, for the first
time, civil monetary penalties for violating workers' rights to
organize and collectively bargain, mental health parity
requirements for employer-sponsored health plans, and
retaliation against workers who exercise their right to family
and medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. In
addition, the bill would improve mine safety and reliable
funding of black lung benefits through new and increased civil
monetary penalties and the option to shut down scofflaw
operators. The bill would strengthen the OSH Act by closing a
loophole that allows employers to evade civil monetary
penalties for failure to retain records of workplace injuries
in the event the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) does not detect the violation within six months.
Committee Republicans declined to mark up this H.R. 9137.
Improving Access to Justice
On June 11, 2024, House Committee on the Judiciary Ranking
Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), joined by Ranking Member Scott,
introduced H.R. 8691, the Restoring Justice for Workers Act.
This bill would prohibit the use of forced arbitration clauses
in employment contracts and employers from mandating that
employees waive their right to engage in joint, class, or
collective legal action. The legislation would override the
Supreme Court's 2018 decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis and
ensure that post-dispute arbitration agreements are not
obtained by threat or coercion, that the agreement is
understandable, and that the employee affirmatively consents to
the agreement in writing and is fully aware of their workplace
rights. Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 8691.
Tackling the Future of Work
On April 19, 2023, during a WP Subcommittee hearing, WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams and Committee Democrats
opposed efforts to allow workers to be exploited by allowing
unscrupulous employers to illegally misclassify them as
independent contractors.
On September 28, 2023, Ranking Member Scott hosted a
briefing titled AI in the Workplace: New Crisis or Longstanding
Challenge? to examine the potential effects of artificial
intelligence on workers and the labor market. Attendees heard
from experts about the steps Congress can take to ensure that
advances in technology do not undermine the financial security,
civil rights, and job opportunities of our nation's workers.
On January 9, 2024, Ranking Member Scott praised President
Biden's final rule to address the misclassification of
employees as independent contractors. The rule protects
workers' right to fair wages, overtime pay, and safe
workplaces, and it levels the playing field for law-abiding
employers.
Combatting Child Labor
News surfaced in late 2022 and throughout 2023 on the
resurgence of child labor violations and reports of children
working in unsafe workplaces, sometimes being injured or
killed.\1\ Ranking Member Scott and WP Subcommittee Ranking
Member Adams twice sent letters to Chair Foxx--first on June 6,
2023, and again on September 13, 2023--requesting that the
Committee hold a hearing on child labor violations and
legislative proposals to address abusive child labor practices.
Chair Foxx's only response was a comment to the media that the
request was ``all for show.''\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\See, e.g., A New Child Labor Crisis in America, N.Y. Times (Mar.
9, 2023), https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/podcasts/the-daily/
migrant-child-labor-america.html; Nandita Bose & Mica Rosenberg, U.S.
to Crack Down on Child Labor Amid Massive Uptick, Reuters (Feb. 27,
2023), https://www.reuters.com/business/us-crack-down-child-labor-amid-
massive-uptick-2023-02-27/; Hannah Dreier, Alone and Exploited, Migrant
Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S., N.Y. Times (Feb. 25, 2023),
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/us/unaccompanied-migrant-child-
workers-exploitation.html; Child Labor Allegations at Alabama Hyundai
Factory Lead to Class Action Lawsuit, FOX 23 News (Aug. 2, 2022),
https://www.fox23.com/news/trending/child-labor-allegations-at-alabama-
hyundai-factory-lead-to-class-action-lawsuit/article_
96833571-664a-57ce-9413-f32a7018ec0b.html.
\2\Ariana Figueroa, U.S. House Democrats Push for Congressional
Hearing on Child Labor Violations, Mo. Indep. (June 9, 2023), https://
missouriindependent.com/briefs/u-s-house-democrats-push-for-
congressional-hearing-on-child-labor-violations/.
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In the face of inaction by Committee Republicans, Committee
Democrats introduced legislation to address the problem, held a
briefing, and conducted oversight on the issues.
First, on June 30, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams introduced H.R. 4440, the
Protecting Children Act, to increase civil and criminal
penalties for child labor violations, bolster DOL rulemaking
authority, and improve government capacity to address child
labor violations. Committee Republicans declined to mark up
H.R. 4440.
Committee Democrats followed that up on July 13, 2023, with
a briefing hosted by Ranking Member Scott titled The Resurgence
of Child Labor, which featured experts discussing the
resurgence of child labor violations and legislative solutions
to protect child workers.
Ranking Member Scott, Senator Robert Casey, Jr. (D-PA), and
Representative Daniel Kildee (D-MI) sent a letter to GAO on
July 21, 2023, requesting an investigation of DOL enforcement
approaches and federal capacity to conduct research and
coordinate data on youth employment, child labor, and young
workers' occupational illness and injury.
Ranking Member Scott and WP Subcommittee Ranking Member
Adams sent a letter to DOL Acting Secretary Su on July 11,
2024, probing the interrelationship between youth workforce
programs, unsafe work, and oppressive child labor.
Ranking Member Scott and WP Subcommittee Ranking Member
Adams also sent a letter to Acting Secretary Su on August 20,
2024, which, among other things, directed DOL's attention to an
admission by a South Carolina employer to a New York Times
reporter that she illegally hired migrant children, flouted
OSHA rules on harnesses in construction, and did not fear being
discovered by state authorities because she received advance
notice of inspections.
In light of news reports suggesting a link between the
resurgence of child labor and possible trafficking of minors
migrating without accompanying parents or guardians,\3\
Committee Democrats used the Committee's markup of H.R. 443,
the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act, a bipartisan
bill co-led by Representative Gregorio Sablan (D-MP) that
focuses on training of DOL staff in identification of labor
trafficking, as an opportunity to urge Republicans to support
H.R. 4440, the Protecting Children Act. During the markup on
January 10, 2024, WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams offered
the text of the Protecting Children Act as an amendment, which
Chair Foxx ruled nongermane. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
offered an amendment stressing that DOL should consider the
particular training and education needs of Wage and Hour
Division staff operating in states with a significant increase
in child labor. That amendment was adopted by voice vote. The
Committee favorably reported the bill with unanimous support,
and the bill, as amended, passed the House unanimously on
February 5, 2024. H.R. 443 was not taken up by the Senate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\Dreier, supra note 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LABOR LAW AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS
The right to organize a union is a fundamental human right
that Committee Democrats are committed to defending and
strengthening. In the 118th Congress, Committee Democrats
opposed Republicans' misguided attempts to weaken and eliminate
workers' rights to form and associate with labor unions for
higher pay, better benefits, and safer workplaces, as well as a
shot at the American Dream. While Committee Republicans
advanced legislation to defend corporations and their wealthy
executives, Committee Democrats advocated to empower workers
through labor law legislation.
On February 28, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and
Representative Fitzpatrick introduced H.R. 20, the Richard L.
Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2023, with
203 additional original cosponsors. H.R. 20 would be the most
significant improvement to labor law in nearly 90 years. The
legislation, among other provisions, would deter unfair labor
practices by authorizing civil monetary penalties, facilitate
employers and newly certified unions in reaching a first
contract, create timetables to guarantee an efficient
representation election process, and strengthen workers' rights
to engage in protected activity. Committee Republicans declined
to mark up H.R. 20.
On March 27, 2023, Ranking Member Scott sent a letter to
Chair Foxx to raise strong concerns about the legitimacy of the
Chair's subpoena for documents sent to a civil service employee
of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The letter
detailed how the issuance of the subpoena violated the rules of
the Committee and the standards of the House Committee on
Ethics.
On May 23, 2023, the HELP Subcommittee held a hearing
titled Protecting Employees' Rights: Ensuring Fair Elections at
the NLRB. Committee Democrats rebutted Committee Republicans'
unfounded attacks on the NLRB's actions and administration of
representation elections.
On November 30, 2023, the HELP Subcommittee held its second
hearing attacking workers' freedom of association and their
unions. Committee Democrats touted the proven benefits of
unionization and the surge in workers banding together to
organize as well as the false promises of ``Right-to-Work''
laws. Committee Democrats also emphasized the necessity to pass
the bipartisan PRO Act to rectify the weaknesses of the NLRA
and to secure workers' right to organize a union without fear
of retaliation or intimidation.
On December 12, 2023, Committee Republicans held a markup
of H.R. 3400, the Small Businesses before Bureaucrats Act. The
bill would amend the NLRB's jurisdictional standards by
increasing the agency's dollar volume thresholds for
determining whether it will assert jurisdiction initially by a
factor of ten and then annually using a formula involving the
U.S. Department of Commerce's Personal Consumption Expenditure
Per Capita Index. In effect, the legislation would strip
millions of private-sector workers of their rights to join or
form a union and collectively bargain. Committee Democrats,
joined by one Committee Republican, unanimously opposed H.R.
3400. While the bill was reported out of Committee favorably
over these objections, Republican leadership declined to
consider H.R. 3400 on the House floor.
Committee Republicans also held a markup of H.J. Res. 98,
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of
title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the
National Labor Relations Board relating ``Standard for
Determining Joint Employer Status.'' H.J. Res. 98 would repeal
the NLRB's 2023 final rule (2023 Rule) for determining joint
employer status and prohibit the agency from issuing a new
joint employer standard that is ``substantially the same'' as
the disapproved rule unless subsequent law specifically
authorizes the reissued rule. The 2023 Rule rescinded the
former administration's 2020 joint employer rule and adopted a
new standard rooted in common-law agency principles.
Specifically, the 2023 Rule restored the NLRB's ability to
consider evidence of an employer's reserved and/or indirect
control, along with direct control, whether it is exercised or
not, if employers share or codetermine one or more of the
employees' essential terms and conditions of employment when
determining joint-employer status. Committee Democrats
unanimously opposed the resolution to nullify a joint employer
standard that ensures all entities that control workers' terms
and conditions of employment, even through indirect means,
cannot evade their bargaining obligations with workers' unions.
Committee Republicans advanced the resolution to the House
floor, where Ranking Member Scott led a House Democratic Caucus
effort to oppose H.J. Res. 98. Ranking Member Scott and other
Democratic Members spoke in opposition to H.J. Res. 98 and in
favor of the 2023 Rule to ensure workers can negotiate a fair
contract with all entities controlling their working conditions
and hold large corporations accountable for their bargaining
obligations. In the face of Democratic opposition, H.J. Res. 98
passed the House by a vote of 206-177. It went on to pass the
Senate by a vote of 50-48 but was then vetoed by President
Biden. Ranking Member Scott led a Democratic Caucus effort to
oppose the override of President Biden's veto of H.J. Res. 98
in the House. In the face of continued Democratic opposition,
the veto override of H.J. Res. 98 failed by a vote of 214-191,
failing to achieve the requisite two-thirds majority of the
chamber necessary to override a veto.
On December 13, 2023, the HELP Subcommittee held its third
hearing attacking workers' rights to organize and collectively
bargain. Committee Democrats affirmed the importance of the
primary rights protected by the NLRA, including workers' rights
to join or form unions and act together for their mutual aid
and protection and to bargain collectively to distribute the
proceeds of an enterprise fairly among those responsible for
the enterprise's success.
On March 12, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee, in conjunction
with the HEWD Subcommittee, held a hearing at which Committee
Democrats voiced support for the fundamental right to organize
and collectively bargain. Committee Democrats also discussed
the benefits unions could provide to college athletes should
they be found to meet the legal definition of employee under
the NLRA. Committee Democrats acknowledged how college sports
have become a multi-billion-dollar industry, and despite this
success, some college athletes have struggled with food
insecurity and housing.
On May 22, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee held its fifth
hearing attacking workers' freedom of association and their
unions. Committee Democrats defended employers' choice and the
legality of employers to enter into a neutrality agreement to
ensure workers can make an independent choice whether or not to
organize a union, spotlighted the real threat to workers'
rights being employer interference, and criticized Republican
proposals to erode protections against discrimination on the
basis of union affiliation and weaken unions' bargaining power.
On May 30, 2024, Ranking Member Scott joined Representative
Greg Casar (D-TX), alongside Congressional Labor Caucus Co-
Chairs Representatives Norcross, Pocan, Dingell, and Horsford,
and 40 other Democratic Members of Congress in a letter to the
NLRB. The letter urged the agency to investigate allegations of
retaliation and other actions against organizing YouTube Music
workers by Cognizant Technology Solutions U.S. Corporation and
Google, LLC.
On June 12, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee held its sixth
hearing attacking workers' freedom of association and their
unions. Committee Democrats voiced support for the NLRB's
recent Board decisions and rulemakings that aim to secure
workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain, deter
employer interference, and strengthen remedies for workers
illegally disciplined or terminated.
On July 9, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee held a hearing on
antisemitism and labor unions. Committee Democrats discussed
the surge in worker organizing seen in the last few years, how
workers have multiple avenues to assert their objections under
the law, the already existing and robust protections and
processes against discrimination, how the primary threat to
workers' rights is employer interference, the underfunding of
the NLRB, and current weaknesses in the NLRA. Committee
Democrats rebutted Committee Republicans' unfounded claims that
workers are being ``forced'' to organize or become union
members since there are various paths under the law for workers
to object, refrain, or opt out of union membership. Committee
Democrats also highlighted the benefits of unionization,
objected to anti-union proposals that sought to empower large
corporations over their workers, and discussed the need to
robustly fund the NLRB.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Committee Democrats fought in the 118th Congress to protect
workers' right to come home at the end of the shift alive,
well, and in one piece. Committee Democrats took action to
protect workers by developing and backing legislation to make
workplaces safer through new standards to prevent urgent
workplace hazards and through reforms of OSHA to make it more
effective at preventing illness and injury and holding scofflaw
employers accountable.
Supporting Occupational Safety and Health
To address the risk of preventable violence against health
care and social service workers, Representative Joe Courtney
(D-CT) introduced the H.R. 2663, the Workplace Violence
Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, on
April 18, 2023, joined by Ranking Member Scott and WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams. Committee Republicans
declined to mark up H.R. 2663.
To remedy weaknesses in OSHA's current legal authority,
Committee Democrats marked Workers Memorial Day on April 28,
2023, by unveiling H.R. 2998, the Protecting America's Workers
Act. Introduced by Representative Courtney with Ranking Member
Scott, WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams, and 11 additional
original Democratic cosponsors, the bill would update the OSH
Act by modernizing whistleblower protections, strengthening
penalties for criminal violations, expanding coverage to 8.1
million state and local government workers, and ensuring timely
abatement of hazards. Committee Republicans declined to mark up
this bill.
To protect workers from deadly heat stress, Representative
Judy Chu (D-CA), along with Ranking Member Scott, WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams, and 33 additional original
Democratic cosponsors, introduced H.R. 4897, the Asuncion
Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of
2023, on July 26, 2023. The bill would require OSHA to develop
a standard that requires employers to implement workplace-
specific plans for protecting workers from heat stress.
Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 4897.
To protect offshore oil workers from retaliation when they
blow the whistle on unsafe working conditions, Representative
DeSaulnier introduced H.R. 5792, the Offshore Oil and Gas
Worker Whistleblower Protection Act of 2023, on September 28,
2023. This bill aims to implement key recommendations from the
National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and
Offshore Drilling and from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard
Investigation Board. Committee Republicans declined to mark up
H.R. 5792. Committee Republicans held no hearings about these
hazards and no markups of these bills.
On July 24, 2024, the WP Subcommittee held a hearing
relating to OSHA. Committee Democrats discussed the importance
of standards to prevent workplace violence and heat stress and
the extent to which workers are at risk of illness, injury, and
death from hazards that OSHA cannot regulate quickly enough
because of the slow OSHA rulemaking process under current law.
Despite the absence of meaningful opportunities to air
issues in hearings or hold votes on useful legislation,
Committee Democrats actively monitored health and safety
matters, conducted oversight of OSHA's performance, and offered
perspectives on OSHA rulemakings.
When OSHA proposed a rule to strengthen employees' voices
in their workplace by clarifying that workers may authorize a
third party, including a union representative, to join
workplace health inspections and ensure the inspections are
accurate and effective, Ranking Member Scott submitted comments
on November 13, 2023, providing more information about the
range of outside parties that workers often trust to represent
and support them.
When allegations emerged in the news media that state
agencies funded by OSHA to implement their own occupational
safety and health enforcement programs may be providing advance
notice to employers before conducting workplace inspections,
Ranking Member Scott and WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams
wrote DOL Acting Secretary Su on August 20, 2024, with
questions about the extent of OSHA's authority if state
agencies use OSHA's federal funding to undermine surprise
inspections and facilitate violations of federal laws
restricting child labor and human trafficking.
Committee Democrats also monitored the work of federal
agencies outside of DOL that could have consequences for worker
health and safety. When health care workers and occupational
health experts raised objections to a U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee's draft of
updated infection control practice guidelines, Ranking Member
Scott and Senate HELP Committee Chair Sanders sent a letter to
CDC Director Mandy Cohen on December 26, 2023, urging
reconsideration of the draft and expansion of the advisory
committee to include worker representatives and other relevant
experts. Within a month of the letter, the CDC returned the
recommendations back to the advisory committee with additional
questions for further exploration and also announced new
members of the advisory committee, including representatives
from National Nurses United. The advisory committee met in
November 2024 and rejected submitted proposals for
strengthening worker protections but will continue to develop
the draft guidelines in 2025.
Promoting Mine Safety and Health
Probably the single most urgent issue for the health and
safety of miners is silica dust. Silica is the likely cause of
the resurgence of deadly black lung disease. Black lung has
caused or contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths in the
20th and 21st centuries. Committee Republicans held no hearings
or markups to address these issues.
Committee Democrats chose to act. After observing that the
White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) continued to
hold a draft proposed rule on silica dust by DOL's Mine Safety
and Health Administration (MSHA) despite the expiration of the
90-day extended deadline allowed under the relevant executive
order, Ranking Member Scott wrote a letter on June 12, 2023, to
OMB explaining the need for swift action and demanding a date
certain for release of the draft proposal. OMB subsequently
released the draft to MSHA, which published a proposed rule
just one month after Ranking Member Scott's letter.
Ranking Member Scott and WP Subcommittee Ranking Member
Adams continued to press the case for a strong silica dust
standard in their September 11, 2023, comment letter to MSHA on
the proposed rule. Among other things, Ranking Member Scott and
WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams noted that the proposed
rule allowed mine operators too many offramps from an
obligation for continuous dust monitoring and potentially
encouraged unscrupulous operators to hire scientists with
conflicts of interest to justify reducing or eliminating dust
monitoring.
MSHA published a final rule on April 18, 2024, which closed
the loopholes identified by Ranking Member Scott and WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams. MSHA estimates that the
final rule will save more than 2,000 lives in the first 60
years in addition to preventing many cases of cancer and lung
disease.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Committee Democrats remain committed to ensuring that
workers disabled by workplace injury and illness receive
meaningful supports for their lost income and health care needs
through workers' compensation programs.
Bolstering Black Lung Benefits
The black lung benefits program is a safety net for
stabilizing income and meeting the medical needs of miners and
their families harmed by the disabling and deadly black lung
disease. On November 21, 2023, Representative Matt Cartwright
(D-PA) introduced H.R. 6461, the Black Lung Benefits
Improvement Act of 2023, which was cosponsored by Ranking
Member Scott and WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams. The bill
would enact comprehensive reforms of the black lung program,
such as ensuring access to counsel, empowering DOL to
scrutinize certain certified experts for conflicts of interest
and requiring more vigorous regulation of self-insured
operators. Committee Republicans declined to mark up H.R. 6461.
Additionally, Ranking Member Scott and WP Subcommittee
Ranking Member Adams wrote a letter to DOL Acting Secretary Su
on April 26, 2023, offering comments on the January 2023
proposed self-insurance rule and offering suggestions to
bolster the rule.
Supporting Federal Employees
Even as federal employees see concrete gains from Committee
Democrats' past work to improve workers' compensation,
Committee Democrats remain committed to further improvements.
Federal firefighters began to feel the benefits of
Committee Democrats' leadership in the 117th Congress to
improve access to workers' compensation for cancers and other
diseases linked to on-the-job exposures. During the 117th
Congress, Committee Democrats marked up and reported H.R. 2499,
the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022, which passed the
House as a standalone bill and was later enacted into law as
part of H.R. 7776, the James M. Inhofe National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. Reuters reported the
following year that, thanks to this law and the Biden
Administration's own initiatives, DOL had accepted 94% of
firefighter illness claims as of August 2023, compared to the
previous average acceptance rate of only 29%.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\David Sherfinski, U.S. Labor Dept. Speeds Up Firefighter Health
Claims Approvals, Reuters (Sept. 6, 2023), https://www.reuters.com/
article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/feature-us-labor-dept-
speeds-up-firefighter-health-claims-approvals-idUSL8N3AA57W/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee Democrats continued to press forward this
Congress on new efforts to improve federal employees' workers'
compensation. On January 30, 2023, Representatives Courtney and
Tim Walberg (R-MI) introduced H.R. 618, the Improving Access to
Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act. This
bipartisan bill would enable nurse practitioners and physician
assistants to be reimbursed by the federal employees workers'
compensation program for diagnostic, prescriptive, and other
health care services if they provided such services to injured
federal workers in states that authorize them to practice
independently under state scope-of-practice laws. Committee
Democrats joined Committee Republicans in unanimously voting to
report the bill favorably to the House on June 13, 2024.
Republican leadership declined consideration of H.R. 618 on the
House floor.
RETIREMENT SECURITY
Committee Democrats consistently work to strengthen
workers' retirement security and ensure they receive prudent
advice when investing their hard-earned retirement savings.
Protecting Multiemployer Pensions
On March 11, 2024, Committee Democrats commemorated the
third anniversary of ARPA by releasing a new interactive map of
the Multiemployer Pension Rescue. The map highlights where ARPA
saved retirees' pensions and prevented businesses from going
under.
On March 20, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee held a hearing
titled Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Committee Democrats championed
their efforts to save workers' pensions and protect businesses
through the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program, which
was included in ARPA. Committee Republicans voiced their
opposition to the SFA Program and the Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation's implementation of it.
Supporting Consideration of ESG Investments in Retirement Plans
On March 3, 2023, Ranking Member Scott led House Democrats'
opposition to H.J. Res. 30, Republican legislation to repeal
President Biden's popular rule allowing retirement plan
fiduciaries to consider environmental, social, and governance
(ESG) factors when investing workers' retirement savings. The
House approved H.J. Res 30 by a vote of 216 to 204. The Senate
also approved it by a vote of 50 to 46. Following the Senate's
approval, President Biden vetoed H.J. Res. 30. On March 23,
2023, Ranking Member Scott led Democrats in defeating
Republican efforts to override President Biden's veto of
legislation that would repeal the ESG rule. The veto override
failed by a vote 219 to 204.
Defending the Biden Administration's Retirement Security Rule
On February 15, 2024, during a HELP Subcommittee hearing
about retirees, Democrats defended President Biden's retirement
security rule, which would protect workers' retirement savings
and no longer allow unscrupulous financial advisors to provide
clients with advice that is not in their best interest.
On July 10, 2024, Committee Democrats opposed H.J. Res.
142, House Republicans' attempt to nullify the Biden
Administration's retirement security rule. Committee
Republicans voted favorably to report H.J. Res. 142, but
Republican leadership declined consideration of H.J. Res. 142
on the House floor.
HEALTH CARE
Committee Democrats believe that health care is a
fundamental human right. Although congressional Democrats have
made tremendous progress in lowering the uninsured rate and
making health care more affordable than ever before, there is
still much work to be done. To that end, Committee Democrats
have fought to move the U.S. to a more fair, more equitable
health care system by building upon the historic progress made
through legislation such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and ARPA.
Protecting and Strengthening the Affordable Care Act
As the ACA approaches its fifteenth anniversary, we can
reflect on the historic progress of the law in improving
affordability and increasing access to health care for millions
of people across the nation. The ACA dramatically reformed
America's health care system to protect people by, among many
provisions, enshrining vital consumer protections that apply to
job-based health coverage, such as eliminating coverage
exclusions for individuals with pre-existing conditions,
requiring health plans to provide certain preventive services
without cost-sharing, abolishing the discriminatory practice of
charging women higher premiums than men, and allowing
dependents to stay on a parent's policy until age 26.
During the 117th Congress, congressional Democrats further
improved affordability under the ACA by enacting IRA and ARPA.
These laws strengthened the advance premium tax credits and
eliminated the subsidy ``cliff'' for individuals earning 400
percent or more of the federal poverty level through 2025.
Thanks in substantial part to these reforms by congressional
Democrats, during the 2024 Open Enrollment Period, a record
21.3 million people signed up for coverage through
Healthcare.gov and State-Based Marketplaces, and approximately
four in five enrollees were eligible for a plan with a monthly
premium of $10 or less. Rather than turning back the clock to
an era of insufficient coverage and discriminatory practices,
as Committee Republicans and their allies continue to demand,
Committee Democrats have consistently advocated to preserve and
build upon these reforms to ensure consumers continue to have
access to high-quality, affordable coverage.
In the face of attacks on health coverage, on March 30,
2023, Ranking Member Scott condemned the ruling of a right-wing
federal judge to weaken the ACA's requirement that private
health insurance plans cover preventive care services,
including cancer screenings and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
for HIV prevention, at no cost. Committee Democrats previously
issued a detailed report highlighting the threat that this
partisan lawsuit poses for the preventive care of millions of
consumers, including those who get their coverage through their
jobs.
On April 26, 2023, the HELP Subcommittee held a hearing
titled Reducing Health Care Costs for Working Americans and
Their Families. During the hearing, Committee Democrats
emphasized the importance of cutting costs for working families
while maintaining key consumer protections under the ACA and
other important laws. Committee Democrats highlighted the
benefits of the enhanced premium tax credits for consumers and
small businesses under ARPA and the IRA, and the safeguards
afforded by the ACA for quality health coverage. Committee
Democrats also highlighted Committee Republicans' flawed
proposals to foster the growth of ``junk'' health plans, such
as association health plans (AHPs) that leave consumers with
inadequate health care and high costs. At the invitation of
Committee Democrats, the Subcommittee heard expert testimony
from Ms. Sabrina Corlette, Research Professor and Co-Director
at the Center for Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown
University's McCourt School of Public Policy, who emphasized
the urgency of lowering health care costs, rejecting deficient
health plan arrangements, increasing transparency, and building
upon the reforms of the ACA and the No Surprises Act.
On June 6, 2023, Committee Republicans held a markup of
H.R. 2813, the Self-Insurance Protection Act, and H.R. 2868,
the Association Health Plans Act. Committee Democrats
unanimously opposed both pieces of legislation, which would
have dramatically expanded ``junk'' health plans to evade
essential consumer protections under the ACA. H.R. 2813 would
prohibit regulators from reining in the inappropriate use of
stop-loss insurance as a workaround from consumer protections.
Through such arrangements, self-insured plans operate as de
facto fully insured health plans while exploiting exemptions
from state insurance regulation and certain requirements of the
ACA, such as the requirement to cover Essential Health
Benefits. Similarly, H.R. 2868 would harm consumers by
advancing Committee Republicans' long-discredited approach of
expanding AHPs to create a two-tiered insurance market that
benefits a small number of younger, healthier people and leaves
all other consumers behind. H.R. 2868 would raise health care
costs throughout the broader health care market by allowing for
cherry-picking healthier enrollees while increasing the risk of
insolvency and fraud. The bills were included in H.R. 3799, the
CHOICE Arrangement Act, which passed the House on June 21,
2023, however, H.R. 3799 was not taken up by the Senate.
The Biden Administration took action to address non-
compliant plans, such as AHPs. On April 29, 2024, Ranking
Member Scott and HELP Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier
applauded DOL for issuing its final rule titled Definition of
``Employer''-Association Health Plans, which reverses a Trump-
era rule that attempted to sabotage the ACA by expanding the
reach of AHPs. The Trump Administration's final rule was
previously vacated by a federal judge in New York v. U.S.
Department of Labor.
On September 10, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee held a hearing
titled ERISA's 50th Anniversary: The Value of Employer-
Sponsored Health Benefits, to discuss the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act (ERISA) on the occasion of the law's 50th
anniversary. Committee Democrats invited Mr. Anthony Wright,
Executive Director of Families USA, to testify before the
Subcommittee to discuss the impact of policy proposals relating
to ERISA on consumers. Mr. Wright discussed the rising cost of
health care as well as the importance of preserving and
strengthening the ACA's protections. Committee Democrats also
emphasized the importance of the enhanced ACA premium tax
credits under the IRA, criticized health plan arrangements that
evade the ACA's consumer protections, such as AHPs, and called
on DOL to fully implement ACA and ERISA requirements to provide
transparency regarding denied health care claims.
Making Prescription Drugs More Affordable
During the 117th Congress, Democrats enacted the IRA, which
for the first time ever allowed Medicare to negotiate the price
of prescription drugs. Despite the tremendous success of the
Biden Administration in implementing the law's provisions, this
historic achievement remains under attack by Republicans and
Big Pharma. Committee Democrats continue to work to defend the
law from efforts to weaken it and believe that Congress must
work to expand its provisions to include everyone, not just
those covered by Medicare.
To that end, on July 26, 2023, House Committee on Energy
and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), along
with Ranking Member Scott and House Committee on Ways and Means
Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), introduced H.R. 4895, the
Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act, to extend the
IRA's prescription drug cost-saving measures to all individuals
with private coverage. The legislation would apply the IRA's
Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program to the commercial
market (including individuals who receive job-based coverage),
increase the number of drugs subject to annual negotiations
from 20 to 50, and ensure inflation rebates include units
dispensed in the commercial market. Committee Republicans
declined to mark up H.R. 4895.
On January 11, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee held a hearing
titled Lowering Costs and Increasing Access to Health Care with
Employer-Driven Innovation during which the Subcommittee heard
testimony from Ms. Andrea Ducas, Vice President of Health
Policy at the Center for American Progress. Ms. Ducas
discussed, among other things, the importance of taking action
to lower health care costs for workers covered by employer
sponsored plans, including by extending the IRA's drug price
negotiation program to people with private health coverage.
On May 15, 2024, the Committee held a hearing titled
Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of
Health and Human Services during which the Committee heard
testimony from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra regarding the critical
investments to HHS included in President Biden's proposed FY
2025 budget. While Committee Republicans engaged in partisan
attacks, Committee Democrats and Secretary Becerra discussed
the importance of providing robust funding for programs that
improve individuals' health and the importance of lower
prescription drug costs through the IRA's drug price
negotiation program.
Improving Transparency and Lowering the Cost of Health Coverage
Rising health care costs continue to squeeze workers and
their families, and Committee Democrats believe that Congress
must do more to make health care affordable. Throughout the
118th Congress, Committee Democrats worked to bring down the
costs of health care through bipartisan legislative efforts,
where appropriate, and, when necessary, by fighting efforts by
Republicans to roll back important protections for consumers.
On June 13, 2023, the Committee invited Secretary Becerra
to discuss President Biden's proposed FY 2024 budget for HHS.
Committee Democrats highlighted how President Biden's proposed
investments in health care would further support the changing
health needs of families and lower the cost of quality health
care coverage. In contrast, Committee Republicans continued to
vilify transgender youth and promote dangerous cuts to federal
resources that protect the wellbeing of children and adults.
On June 21, 2023, the HELP Subcommittee held a bipartisan
hearing titled Competition and Transparency: The Pathway
Forward for a Stronger Health Care Market to examine how
Congress can rein in rising health care costs by improving
transparency and increasing competition. Committee Democrats
and Committee Republicans jointly invited expert testimony from
Ms. Christine Monahan, Assistant Research Professor at the
Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University's
McCourt School of Public Policy, Ms. Sophia Tripoli, Senior
Director of Health Policy and Director of the Center for
Affordable Whole Person Care at Families USA, Dr. Gloria
Sachdev, President and CEO of the Employers' Forum of Indiana,
Mr. Greg Baker, CEO of AffirmedRx, and Mr. Juan Carlos ``J.C.''
Scott, President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Care Management
Association. Committee Democrats stressed the importance of
reining in pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) through increased
transparency and competition, improving disclosures from health
plan service providers, such as third-party administrators
(TPAs), and codifying transparency requirements for group
health plans and health insurance issuers.
On July 12, 2023, the Committee held a markup of H.R. 4507,
the Transparency in Coverage Act, H.R. 4508, the Hidden Fee
Disclosure Act, H.R. 4509, the Transparency in Billing Act, and
H.R. 4527, the Health Data Access, Transparency, and
Affordability (DATA) Act of 2023. H.R. 4507, introduced by HELP
Subcommittee Chair Bob Good (R-VA) and HELP Subcommittee
Ranking Member DeSaulnier, would, among other things, codify
and improve upon core provisions of the Transparency in
Coverage rule promulgated under the ACA and require improved
transparency from PBMs. H.R. 4508, introduced by
Representatives Courtney and Erin Houchin (R-IN), would clarify
that all covered service providers must disclose their fees and
indirect compensation to ERISA plan fiduciaries and greatly
improve the content of fee disclosures by PBMs and TPAs. H.R.
4509, introduced by Chair Foxx and Ranking Member Scott, would
prohibit hospitals from billing (and prohibit group health
plans and issuers from paying) claims at a hospital outpatient
department (HOPD) unless such claim includes a separate unique
health identifier for the department where the item or service
was furnished. H.R. 4527, introduced by Representatives Lori
Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Takano, and Manning, would ensure that
group health plan fiduciaries may audit plan data to lower
costs and improve quality. Committee Democrats unanimously
voted to advance all four pieces of legislation.
On December 11, 2023, the House passed the bipartisan H.R.
5378, Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. The legislation
included key priorities from Committee Democrats to help ensure
that health care costs are driven by those who provide the
highest quality services, not those with the most market power.
The legislation included, in substantial part, the provisions
of H.R. 4507, H.R. 4508, and H.R. 4527. H.R. 5378 was not
considered by the Senate. Republican leadership declined
consideration of H.R. 4509 on the House floor.
On April 16, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee held a hearing
titled ERISA's 50th Anniversary: The Path to Higher Quality,
Lower Cost Health Care. Committee Democrats invited expert
testimony from Ms. Karen Handorf, Senior Counsel at Berger
Montague, who testified about the urgency of increasing
transparency and oversight of service providers, among other
reforms. Committee Democrats emphasized the importance of
transparency as a tool for reining in conflicts of interest
that raise costs for plan participants. Committee Democrats
also expressed concerns over increasing reports of practices of
plan service providers, such as those reported by the New York
Times in a recent investigation of MultiPlan, that charge
excessive fees and saddle consumers with, at times, exorbitant
out-of-pocket expenses.
On June 27, 2024, the HELP Subcommittee held a hearing
titled Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Employee
Benefits Security Administration during which the Subcommittee
heard testimony from DOL's Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA) Assistant Secretary Lisa Gomez regarding
the crucial investments proposed by the Biden Administration to
lower health care costs for working families, hold insurance
companies and their service providers accountable for nefarious
practices, and strengthen consumer protections in health
coverage. While Subcommittee Republicans advocated for the
proliferation of deficient health plan arrangements to raise
consumers' costs, Committee Democrats and Assistant Secretary
Gomez discussed the importance of increasing funding for EBSA
for robust enforcement, the disadvantages of ``junk'' health
plans, such as AHPs, and the necessity to safeguard parity in
coverage of mental health care and substance use disorder
services.
On September 11, 2024, the Committee held a markup of
health and education legislation, including H.R. 3120, the
Healthy Competition for Better Care Act, which would prohibit
certain contract provisions that restrict competition in health
care, and H.R. 9457, the Transparent Telehealth Bills Act of
2024, which would equalize payment for telehealth services
regardless of the site of care. Committee Democrats
dramatically improved H.R. 9457 through the adoption of a
critical amendment offered by Representative Hayes, which
ensured that the legislation achieved its intended purpose of
protecting consumers from facility fees for telehealth
providers. While both bills were reported out of Committee
favorably, Republican leadership declined to consider H.R. 3120
and H.R. 9457 on the House floor.
Promoting Mental Health and Realizing the Promise of Parity
Access to mental health and substance use disorder care
remains an urgent need for millions of people, including
individuals who get coverage through a job-based health plan.
Committee Democrats worked to support efforts taken by the
Biden Administration to strengthen access to behavioral health
care under the MHPAEA and by opposing efforts by Republicans to
erode important consumer protections.
On June 13, 2023, Committee Republicans held a markup of
H.R. 824, the Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of
2023. This bill would allow employers to provide standalone
telehealth policies as ``excepted benefits'' in the private
market, harming consumers by segmenting telehealth from in-
person care and encouraging employers to cut costs by removing
these services from their group health plans' benefit package.
This would completely exempt telehealth-only policies from
bedrock consumer protections under the ACA and MHPAEA,
permitting employers to evade the requirements to cover mental
health and substance use disorder services at parity by simply
carving those benefits out of their group health plan and
treating them as a standalone telehealth plan. During markup
debate, the bill was opposed by the majority of Committee
Democrats. While the bill was reported out of Committee
favorably over these objections, Republican leadership declined
to consider H.R. 824 on the House floor.
On October 17, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and HELP
Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier praised President
Biden's proposal to strengthen behavioral health parity through
landmark proposed rules issued under MHPAEA. The proposal would
dramatically strengthen existing regulations to improve
oversight of nonquantitative treatment limitations and help
ensure that plans and insurers provide coverage for behavioral
health care and medical and surgical care equally. When
finalized, on September 11, 2024, Ranking Member Scott and HELP
Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier spoke out in strong
support of the Biden Administration's final rules to expand
access to mental and behavioral health care under MHPAEA.
Consistent with the proposed rules, the final rules will
improve insurers and health plans' compliance with the law and
ensure that consumers have equivalent access to both behavioral
and physical health benefits.
On April 15, 2024, Ranking Member Scott and HELP
Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier urged the DOL to take
steps to address the recommendations of the Advisory Council on
Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans regarding
discriminatory limitations on disability benefits imposed on
workers with behavioral health conditions. Such restrictions
violate the spirit of MHPAEA and may discourage people from
seeking necessary behavioral health care.
Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care and Safeguarding Federal
Civil Rights for Pregnant Students
On February 3, 2023, Ranking Member Scott applauded the
Biden Administration for taking a key step to ensure that
individuals can access no-cost coverage for contraceptive
services under the ACA. The proposed rule seeks to protects
individuals covered by employer-sponsored plans and student
health insurance plans who could otherwise be denied coverage
for contraceptive services due to religious or ``moral''
objections.
On January 10, 2024, Committee Republicans advanced H.R.
6914, the Pregnant Students' Rights Act. The legislation would
purportedly educate pregnant students about their academic
rights and protections, but, in reality, would keep students in
the dark about all of their reproductive choices, protections,
and rights under federal civil rights law. Only students who
carry to term would receive supports under the legislation.
During consideration in Committee, Representative Haley Stevens
(D-MI) offered an amendment to ensure that pregnant students
would be informed of their full academic rights and available
accommodations, including when experiencing miscarriage and
other pregnancy related conditions, under federal civil rights
law. Representative Jayapal offered an amendment to ensure
pregnant students would have to receive information on how to
access federal programs that support the health and wellbeing
of pregnant women and children, including Medicaid,
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Title X
Family Planning Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). These and other
Democratic amendments offered were rejected by Committee
Republicans. On the House floor on January 18, 2024, in
addition to exposing H.R. 6914 as an anti-choice bill that
could unduly influence students, House Democrats drew a stark
contrast between their commitment to actually supporting
pregnant and parenting students and Republicans' extreme
agenda. H.R. 6914 was not taken up by the Senate.
Strengthening and Protecting Civil Rights in Social Services and Health
Care
Civil rights protections ensure that individuals can access
federally funded services, including health care, social
services, and other human services, without facing
discrimination. The Biden Administration took a number of steps
to strengthen anti-discrimination policies in regulations to
ensure that individuals do not face discrimination based on
their disability or religion when accessing services, including
federally funded ones.
Federal civil rights law, specifically Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) prohibits
discrimination on the basis of disability when receiving
taxpayer funding. On September 14, 2023, the Biden
Administration proposed a rule updating the regulations
promulgated under Section 504 to strengthening protections
against disability discrimination in programs funded by HHS a
significant update to HHS' regulations aimed at preventing
disability discrimination. On November 13, 2023, Ranking Member
Scott sent a letter to HHS supportive of the proposed rule,
specifically the inclusion of enforceable standards for
accessible medical equipment and the creation of clear
standards for web and mobile accessibility that are consistent
with those promulgated under the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (ADA). On May 3, 2024, Ranking Member Scott praised
HHS for finalization of this rule to protect individuals from
discrimination on the basis of disability.
For decades, federal regulations have outlined rules,
including available protections for beneficiaries, for faith-
based organizations that operate federal social service
programs.
On January 13, 2023, the Biden Administration released
proposed rules for nine federal agencies to restore key civil
rights protections for beneficiaries to ensure that these
individuals do not face religious discrimination or coercion
when accessing federally funded social service programs. On
March 4, 2024, Ranking Member Scott applauded the Biden
Administration for finalizing the rules to ensure that people
from all walks of life can receive federal social services
without fear of religious discrimination or coercion.
To address the increased use of religious claims by some to
undermine civil rights protections for others, Ranking Member
Scott introduced H.R. 2725, the Do No Harm Act, on April 19,
2023. This legislation would ensure that the exercise of
religious freedom by some individuals is not used to erode
civil rights protections and undermine access to health care
and social services for other individuals. H.R. 2725 was
referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, which
declined to mark up the bill.
SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES
Investments to ensure that all families' most basic needs
are met are often longer-term but yield dividends--
strengthening economic resilience, improving health outcomes,
breaking cycles of poverty, and improving standards of living.
By ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our society are
able to make ends meet, Committee Democrats are steadfast in
their commitment to expand access to opportunity and more fully
empower communities.
Protecting Vulnerable Children
During the February 6, 2024, ECESE Subcommittee hearing,
ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici commended the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for
its critical work to protect our nation's children against
abuse and exploitation. Committee Democrats also called for the
passage of bipartisan legislation, H.R. 5224, the Missing
Children's Reauthorization Act of 2023, to reauthorize NCMEC
and respond to the evolving threats to children's safety,
particularly online. On April 9, 2024, the House considered and
passed S. 2051, the Senate companion to H.R. 5224, with a House
amendment. On June 17, 2024, S. 2051 was signed into law.
Protecting Low Income Assistance
Committee Democrats remain committed to ensuring families
in need are able to meet their home energy needs through the
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). On
September 27, 2023, Ranking Member Scott urged the Biden
Administration to step in and ensure the provision of critical
social services in Florida following reports\5\ that the state
was not dispersing federal funds to low-income assistance
programs, including energy and water assistance programs.\6\
Low-income residents in Florida were cut-off from federal
program services, such as utility assistance, for weeks and
faced closures of some community action agencies, which provide
access to critical services such as food assistance, job
training, child care, and transportation assistance.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\Gray Rohrer, Florida Program to Help Low-Income Families with
Utilities Runs Out of Funds, Florida Politics (Apr. 20, 2023), https://
floridapolitics.com/archives/605260-florida-
program-to-help-low-income-families-with-utilities-runs-out-of-funds/;
Alex Harris, Florida froze program to help with power bills. Advocates
worry it could happen again, Miami Herald (Aug. 23, 2023), https://
www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article277473348.html.
\6\Committee on Education and the Workforce Democrats, (Sep 27,
2023), https://democrats-edworkforce.house.gov/imo/media/doc/
ranking_member_scott_letter_to_hhs_re_florida_csbg
_liheap_lihwap_funding.pdf.
\7\Alex Harris, Florida froze program to help with power bills.
Advocates worry it could happen again, Miami Herald (Aug. 23, 2023),
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/
article277473348.html; Margie Menzel, Budget snafu leaves agencies
serving Florida's poor without a safety net, WFSU News (Apr. 18, 2023),
https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/politics-issues/2023-04-18/budget-snafu-
leaves-agencies-serving-floridas-poor-without-a-safety-net.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, the situation became even more troubling. On
May 21, 2024, Ranking Member Scott responded to an alarming HHS
report\8\ that revealed how Florida's mismanagement of federal
funds jeopardized the economic security of vulnerable
Floridians and the operation of federal safety-net programs.\9\
According to the HHS report, Florida misspent roughly $700,000
and its management of the federal program caused significant
disruption of vital assistance programs and risked future
disruptions.\10\ ``People weren't getting their benefits,''
Ranking Member Scott underscored as he pressured Florida to fix
the underlying problems with LIHEAP and other federal safety-
net programs affected by service disruptions.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\U.S. Dep't of Health and Hum. Servs., Florida Monitoring Report,
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocs/
RPT_OCS_Joint-Monitoring-Final_FL_FY24.pdf (last visited Dec. 17,
2024).
\9\Press Release, Education and the Workforce Democrats, Ranking
Member Scott Calls Out Florida's Mismanagement of Taxpayer Dollars (May
21, 2024), https://democrats-edworkforce.house.gov/media/press-
releases/ranking-member-scott-calls-out-floridas-mismanagement-of-
taxpayer-dollars.
\10\U.S. Dep't of Health and Hum. Servs., supra note 8.
\11\Corina Cappabianca, Health and Human Services report claims
Florida misspent LIHEAP funding, Spectrum News (Jun. 6, 2024), https://
baynews9.com/fl/tampa/politics/2024/06/06/hhs-report-claims-florida-
misspent-liheap-funding_.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supporting Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Committee Democrats recognize the importance of continued
investments in services for all victims of intimate partner
violence. On September 19, 2024, Ranking Member Scott and
Representative Bonamici released a report from GAO on the
barriers faced by people with disabilities when accessing
domestic violence services.\12\ GAO reported that disabled
people experienced domestic violence at over five times the
rate of those without disabilities. Additionally, the report
highlights the need for expanded data collection on services
for people with disabilities in addition to systemic
improvements in how domestic violence services are delivered.
Democrats remain committed to ensuring critical domestic
violence services are accessible to people with disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\U.S. Gov't. Accountability Off., GAO-24-106366, Federal
Domestic Violence Assistance: HHS Should Assess Accessibility-Related
Technical Assistance for Local Centers (Sept. 2024), https://
www.gao.gov/assets/gao-24-106366.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supporting Older Individuals
In December 2024, Ranking Member Scott worked to
reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA) through the Older
Americans Act Reauthorization of 2024. The reauthorization
would build on the progress of the prior reauthorization--the
Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020, led by then-
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services Chair Bonamici.
The Older Americans Act Reauthorization of 2024 would take
important steps to ensure that services provided under OAA,
including nutrition services, senior centers, and home and
community-based supports, would continue to meet the needs of
seniors and help them continue to live independent, healthy,
and productive lives. It would strengthen the aging network to
meet the needs of older individuals and improve coordination
among programs in the aging network and the network's capacity
to meet the needs of older individuals, including individuals
with disabilities. The reauthorization did not advance through
the Committee.
CHILD NUTRITION AND WIC
Federal child nutrition programs play a critical role in
meeting the nutrition needs of children and families across the
country and have proven instrumental in reducing child hunger.
Committee Democrats have continuously fought to expand access
to free school meals, bolster summer feeding programs and
benefits, and ensure continued access to crucial nutrition
benefits and services for new parents and children. It is
imperative that nutrition standards continue to be based on an
unbiased and evidence-based process to ensure that children
receive the most nutritious meals possible, free from political
interests and interference. Additionally, Committee Democrats
continue to recognize the importance of continued investments
in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to support
children in a variety of settings including child care centers,
day care homes, emergency shelters, and afterschool programs.
Protecting and Expanding Access to Healthy Meals for Students
Committee Democrats are committed to protecting and
expanding healthy meals for students. There have been repeated
attempts to take away access to healthy meals by Republicans.
Conversely, the Biden Administration took proactive steps to
ensure healthy meals. On February 3, 2023, Ranking Member Scott
praised the Biden Administration for taking steps to improve
child nutrition standards, align them with the latest science,
and ensure that children have the nutrition they need to grow
and learn. On May 8, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and ECESE
Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici praised the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) proposal to amend the
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and thus expand access to
free school meals. The rule, which became effective on October
26, 2023, allows more schools to serve free school meals to all
students by building on the historic progress of CEP.
At a June 6, 2023, Committee markup, Ranking Member Scott
and other Committee Democrats spoke out against a Republican
bill, H.R. 1147, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, that
would undermine the latest science and evidence-based
recommendations by allowing whole milk to be served in school
meal programs. The bill creates a dangerous precedent of
Congress legislating the foods served in schools instead of
adhering to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). Then,
on December 13, 2023, Ranking Member Scott spoke out on the
House floor against the bill, reiterating that it disregards
evidence-based recommendations on the most nutritious milk
options and inserts politics into a science-based process. H.R.
1147 was not taken up by the Senate.
Committee Democrats are also concerned with food insecurity
on college campuses. On July 25, 2024, Ranking Member Scott
released a report from GAO on the prevalence of food insecurity
among college students and the barriers to accessing SNAP.\13\
Troublingly, GAO reported that 23 percent of college students
faced food insecurity in 2020 and only 41 percent of students
eligible for SNAP received benefits. Improving access to SNAP
benefits remains a central goal of Committee Democrats.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\U.S. Gov't. Accountability Off., GAO-24-107074, Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program: Estimated Eligibility and Receipt among
Food Insecure College Students (June 2024), https://www.gao.gov/assets/
gao-24-107074.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ensuring Access to Summer Feeding
Committee Democrats know that child hunger doesn't end when
the school year ends and have worked to expand access to summer
feeding opportunities, most recently through the creation of
the new nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (S EBT)
program, also known as SUN Bucks. On May 24, 2024, Ranking
Member Scott criticized Republicans' partisan proposal to cut
funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs by approximately
$30 billion, including roughly a half billion-dollar reduction
in the Summer-EBT program. This proposal would have worsened
food insecurity for vulnerable families and children across the
country.
On June 11, 2024, Ranking Member Scott released a timely
report on summer feeding programs and the potential impact of
SUN Bucks. The report highlighted how this new program aims to
bridge the nutrition gap between school years and improve
vulnerable students' health and ability to learn nationwide.
Additionally, the report underscored the importance of states
opting into a program that would help combat child hunger in
the summer months when children are not in school. At the time
of the report, 37 states, the District of Columbia, five
territories, and two Tribes signed up to offer SUN Bucks for
the summer of 2024, but unfortunately, over a dozen other
states declined to participate.
Supporting Families, Mothers, and Children
On February 17, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and ECESE
Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici applauded USDA for taking
steps to align the WIC food package with the latest nutritional
science. This effort is particularly important as the WIC
program is in a unique position to improve the health outcomes
of low-income families and communities of color that are often
disproportionally impacted by food insecurity and diet-related
chronic disease. The rule was finalized on April 12, 2024.
On September 23, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and ECESE
Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici urged House leadership and
appropriators to secure emergency funding for the WIC program.
Without the necessary funding, which was secured in the final
FY 2024 appropriations package, WIC participants could have
been forced onto waiting lists delaying crucial services. On
December 4, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and ECESE Subcommittee
Ranking Member Bonamici continued to underscore the need to
House leadership and appropriators to include full WIC funding
in the upcoming appropriations vehicle in order to help meet
the needs of young children and families across the country.
On December 13, 2023, Ranking Member Scott and Committee
Vice Ranking Member Hayes praised the Biden Administration's
final rule to codify provisions of the Access to Baby Formula
Act of 2022 and ensure that families relying on WIC can access
safe infant formula during times of crisis. Enacted last year
under Democratic leadership, the Access to Baby Formula Act of
2022 granted USDA permanent authority to waive certain program
requirements during emergencies, disasters, or supply chain
disruptions. Additionally, the legislation requires WIC state
agency infant formula cost containment contracts to include
specific remedies to protect against disruptions to the program
in the event of an infant formula recall. Since enactment, this
Democratic effort resulted in USDA's ability to respond more
quickly and appropriately in cases of emergency.
After repeated historic threats to the program's funding,
on January 17, 2024, Ranking Member Scott released a report
titled On the Brink: The Case for Permanently and Fully Funding
the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants &
Children (WIC). The report outlines the devastating
consequences for women and children if Congress fails to
provide the funding necessary to serve all families seeking WIC
services. On February 8, 2024, Ranking Member Scott and
Committee Democrats continued to urge House leadership and
appropriators to fully fund WIC and ensure that funding aligns
with projected participation and food costs. Without full
funding, new parents and children were at risk of being denied
crucial nutrition benefits and WIC services.
Part 2
CORRESPONDENCE INITIATED BY COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS
February 10, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, commenting on a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the Revised Pay As
You Earn (REPAYE) plan and make other reforms to the
Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) program.
February 10, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, commenting on the
Department's Request for Information regarding how to best
identify low-value postsecondary programs.
February 13, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Lisa Gomez,
Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA), U.S. Department of Labor, expressing
strong support for actions being taken to reverse rollbacks
of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) implemented during the
Trump Administration. The letter commends the inclusion of
a rulemaking in the Fall 2022 Regulatory Agenda to rescind
the 2018 Final Rule concerning the Definition of
``Employer'' Under Section 3(5) of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), which expanded the use
of Association Health Plans (AHPs) in a manner detrimental
to consumer protections. The letter urges EBSA to move
swiftly in the rulemaking process and to take a
comprehensive review of additional regulatory measures
necessary to protect consumers from health benefit
arrangements that may evade federal and state law
requirements. This was a joint letter with HELP
Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier.
February 17, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Tom Vilsack,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, expressing
strong support for the proposed rule revising the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC) food packages. The proposed rule aims to
permanently increase benefits, index them for inflation,
and expand the variety of food options to promote nutrition
security to its participants, especially for low-income
families and communities of color who are most affected by
food insecurity. This was a joint letter with ECESE
Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici.
February 22, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Andrea Lucas,
Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC), regarding the use of Commissioner's charges after
media reports indicated Commissioner Lucas filed three
Commissioner charges against companies that offer abortion
travel benefits to their employees. The letter sought data
on the use and prevalence of Commissioner charges.
Additionally, due to the timing of similar arguments
promoted by former EEOC General Counsel Sharon Fast
Gustafson, the letter requested any communication that
occurred between Commissioner Lucas and Ms. Gustafson
regarding pregnancy, abortion, abortion-travel related
benefits, and insurance coverage of reproductive health
services.
March 7, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in
support of a proposed rule titled Safeguarding the Rights
of Conscience as Protected by Federal Statutes that
proposes to rescind detrimental provisions of a 2019 rule
that would have allowed discrimination against health care
patients, including those seeking abortion and gender-
affirming care, in federally-funded programs. This was a
joint letter with House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Ranking Member Pallone and House Committee on Ways and
Means Ranking Member Neal.
March 8, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro,
Comptroller, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO),
requesting that GAO assess the impact that new state-level
abortion restrictions and bans may have on the U.S.
economy, the labor force, and households across different
demographic groups. This was a joint letter with Senators
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
March 14, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, the Honorable
Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, the Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the Honorable Marcia Fudge,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, the Honorable Merrick Garland, Attorney
General, U.S. Department of Justice, the Honorable Julie
Su, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, the
Honorable Denis McDonough,Secretary, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, and the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary,U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
applauding the Biden Administration's proposed rule titled
Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Organizations to restore key civil rights protections for
beneficiaries and employees of federally funded social
service programs. This was a joint letter with House
Committee on Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Takano, House
Committee on Oversight and Accountability Ranking Member
Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and House Committee on the Judiciary
Ranking Member Nadler.
March 27, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Virginia Foxx, Chair,
House Committee on Education and the Workforce, denouncing
the Chair's subpoena to the National Labor Relations Board
because the subpoena was issued in a manner that violated
the rules of the Committee and the standards of the House
Committee on Ethics.
April 3, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
the Honorable Janet Yellen, Secretary, U.S. Department of
the Treasury, and the Honorable Julie Su, Acting Secretary,
U.S. Department of Labor, providing comments on the
proposed rules issued by the Departments of Health and
Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury titled Coverage of
Certain Preventive Services Under the Affordable Care Act.
This was a joint letter with House Committee on Energy and
Commerce Ranking Member Pallone and House Committee on Ways
and Means Ranking Member Neal.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Mr. James Klein, President, American
Benefits Council, requesting information regarding the
organization's response to the Northern District of Texas's
decision in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra striking
down the Affordable Care Act requirement that most health
insurance plans and issuers cover many recommended
preventive services without cost-sharing. This was a joint
letter with House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking
Member Pallone, House Committee on Ways and Means Ranking
Member Neal, Senate Committee on Finance Chair Ron Wyden
(D-OR), and Senate HELP Committee Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Ms. Ceci Connolly, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Alliance of Community Health
Plans, requesting information regarding the organization's
response to the Northern District of Texas's decision in
Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra striking down the
Affordable Care Act requirement that most health insurance
plans and issuers cover many recommended preventive
services without cost-sharing. This was a joint letter with
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member
Pallone, House Committee on Ways and Means Ranking Member
Neal, Senate Committee on Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate
HELP Committee Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Mr. Matt Eyles, President and Chief
Executive Officer, America's Health Insurance Plans,
requesting information regarding the organization's
response to the Northern District of Texas's decision in
Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra striking down the
Affordable Care Act requirement that most health insurance
plans and issuers cover many recommended preventive
services without cost-sharing. This was a joint letter with
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member
Pallone, House Committee on Ways and Means Ranking Member
Neal, Senate Committee on Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate
HELP Committee Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Ms. Kim Keck, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association,
requesting information regarding the organization's
response to the Northern District of Texas's decision in
Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra striking down the
Affordable Care Act requirement that most health insurance
plans and issuers cover many recommended preventive
services without cost-sharing. This was a joint letter with
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member
Pallone, House Committee on Ways and Means Ranking Member
Neal, Senate Committee on Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate
HELP Committee Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Ms. Sarah M. London, Chief Executive
Officer, Centene Corporation, requesting information
regarding the organization's response to the Northern
District of Texas's decision in Braidwood Management Inc.
v. Becerra striking down the Affordable Care Act
requirement that most health insurance plans and issuers
cover many recommended preventive services without cost-
sharing. This was a joint letter with House Committee on
Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Pallone, House Committee
on Ways and Means Ranking Member Neal, Senate Committee on
Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate HELP Committee Chair
Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Mr. David Cordani, Chair and Chief
Executive Officer, Cigna, requesting information regarding
the organization's response to the Northern District of
Texas's decision in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra
striking down the Affordable Care Act requirement that most
health insurance plans and issuers cover many recommended
preventive services without cost-sharing. This was a joint
letter with House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking
Member Pallone, House Committee on Ways and Means Ranking
Member Neal, Senate Committee on Finance Chair Wyden, and
Senate HELP Committee Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Ms. Karen Lynch, President and Chief
Executive Officer, CVS Health, requesting information
regarding the organization's response to the Northern
District of Texas's decision in Braidwood Management Inc.
v. Becerra striking down the Affordable Care Act
requirement that most health insurance plans and issuers
cover many recommended preventive services without cost-
sharing. This was a joint letter with House Committee on
Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Pallone, House Committee
on Ways and Means Ranking Member Neal, Senate Committee on
Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate HELP Committee Chair
Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Ms. Gail Boudreaux, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Elevance Health, Inc., requesting
information regarding the organization's response to the
Northern District of Texas's decision in Braidwood
Management Inc. v. Becerra striking down the Affordable
Care Act requirement that most health insurance plans and
issuers cover many recommended preventive services without
cost-sharing. This was a joint letter with House Committee
on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Pallone, House
Committee on Ways and Means Ranking Member Neal, Senate
Committee on Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate HELP Committee
Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Ms. Annette Guarisco Fildes,
President and Chief Executive Officer, ERISA Industry
Committee, requesting information regarding the
organization's response to the Northern District of Texas's
decision in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra striking
down the Affordable Care Act requirement that most health
insurance plans and issuers cover many recommended
preventive services without cost-sharing. This was a joint
letter with House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking
Member Pallone, House Committee on Ways and Means Ranking
Member Neal, Senate Committee on Finance Chair Wyden, and
Senate HELP Committee Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Mr. Bruce Broussard, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Humana Inc., requesting
information regarding the organization's response to the
Northern District of Texas's decision in Braidwood
Management Inc. v. Becerra striking down the Affordable
Care Act requirement that most health insurance plans and
issuers cover many recommended preventive services without
cost-sharing. This was a joint letter with House Committee
on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Pallone, House
Committee on Ways and Means Ranking Member Neal, Senate
Committee on Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate HELP Committee
Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Ms. Elizabeth Mitchell, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Purchaser Business Group on
Health, requesting information regarding the organization's
response to the Northern District of Texas's decision in
Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra striking down the
Affordable Care Act requirement that most health insurance
plans and issuers cover many recommended preventive
services without cost-sharing. This was a joint letter with
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member
Pallone, House Committee on Ways and Means Ranking Member
Neal, Senate Committee on Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate
HELP Committee Chair Sanders.
April 12, 2023--Letter to Mr. Andrew Witty, Chief Executive
Officer, UnitedHealth Group, requesting information
regarding the organization's response to the Northern
District of Texas's decision in Braidwood Management Inc.
v. Becerra striking down the Affordable Care Act
requirement that most health insurance plans and issuers
cover many recommended preventive services without cost-
sharing. This was a joint letter with House Committee on
Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Pallone, House Committee
on Ways and Means Ranking Member Neal, Senate Committee on
Finance Chair Wyden, and Senate HELP Committee Chair
Sanders.
April 26, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, commenting on the
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs' proposed rule to
update requirements for coal operators that elect to self-
insure their black lung liabilities. This was a joint
letter with WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams.
May 1, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, in support of a proposed
rule titled Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal
Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. The proposed rule aims to ensure school meals
are nutritious and in line with the science by adding a
sugar limit, decreasing weekly sodium in meals, and
promoting fruit, vegetable, and whole grain consumption.
This was a joint letter with Poverty Task Force Chair
Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Vice Chairs James McGovern (D-MA),
Sara Jacobs (D-CA), and Cori Bush (D-MO).
May 1, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller
General of the United States, U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO), requesting that GAO conduct a
study to review employers' and labor relations consultants'
compliance with the reporting obligations under the Labor-
Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. This was a joint
letter with HELP Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier.
May 8, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, in support of a proposed
rule titled Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility
Provision--Increasing Options for Schools, that seeks to
provide additional options for schools and districts to
participate in the Community Eligibility Provision by
lowering the participation threshold from 40 to 25 percent,
in line with the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act. This was
a joint letter with ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member
Bonamici.
May 10, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, in support of a proposed
rule titled Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal
Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. The proposed rule aims to ensure school meals
are nutritious and in line with the science by adding a
sugar limit, decreasing weekly sodium in meals, and
promoting fruit, vegetable, and whole grain consumption.
This was a joint letter with Representatives Ral Grijalva
(D-AZ), Sablan, Bonamici, Takano, Adams, DeSaulnier,
Norcross, Jayapal, McBath, and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY).
May 15, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, commenting on a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled Nondiscrimination on
the Basis of Sex in Education Programs of Activities
receiving Federal Financial Assistance: Sex-Related
Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams,
issued by the Department on April 23, 2023.
June 6, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Virginia Foxx, Chair,
House Committee on Education and the Workforce, requesting
that the Majority schedule a hearing to examine the illegal
employment of children in unsafe conditions in violation of
both the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Occupational
Safety and Health Act. This was a joint letter with WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams.
June 8, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller
General of the United States, U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO), asking to be included as an
addressee on a GAO report that will detail the ways the
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and the schools it
supports have used their COVID-19 relief funds and the
extent to which the BIE has provided the schools with
guidance on use of these funds.
June 12, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Richard Revesz,
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, White House Office of Management and Budget,
requesting an update on the status of the Mine Safety and
Health Administration's proposed rule to bolster miners'
protections from silica dust.
June 20, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, commenting on a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding gainful employment,
financial transparency, financial responsibility, and
certification procedures.
July 21, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller
General of the United States, U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO), requesting that GAO assess the
scope of the problem of oppressive child labor, the
capacity of government agencies to enforce child labor
laws, and the effectiveness of current efforts to address
child labor. This was a joint letter with Senator Casey and
Representative Kildee.
August 1, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Catherine Lhamon,
Assistant Secretary, Office for Civil Rights, U.S.
Department of Education, urging the Department to take
steps to protect the civil rights of students following the
Supreme Court's ruling in the cases of Students for Fair
Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and
Students for Fair Admissions v. the University of North
Carolina.
August 14, 2023--Letter to Ms. Michele Hodge, Acting Director,
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP),
U.S. Department of Labor, requesting that OFCCP promptly
issue guidance to remind federal contractors of their
obligation to maintain affirmative action programs as a
condition of doing business with the federal government.
August 15, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro,
Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO), requesting that GAO examine issues related to return
to repayment of federal student loans, including issues
related to communication with borrowers and the challenges
faced by the U.S. Department of Education in
implementation.
August 28, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), expressing support for the Department's proposed
regulation to improve child care access, affordability, and
stability in the Child Care and Development Fund
(CCDF).This was a joint letter with Senate HELP Committee
Chair Sanders and 20 other members of the House and Senate.
August 28, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Richard Revesz,
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(OIRA), White House Office of Management and Budget,
requesting copies of all documents exchanged between OIRA
and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) during OIRA's review
of the DOL rulemaking on respirable silica.
August 31, 2023--Letter to the Honorable John Howard, Director,
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
requesting the production of documents prepared by NIOSH
and communicated to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
regarding NIOSH's review of the proposed rule titled
Lowering Miners' Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica
and Improving Respiratory Protection as well as any other
communications with DOL on silica exposure in mines.
September 8, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Tom Vilsack,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), thanking
the Departmentfor the timely guidance regarding
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work
requirement exemptions for people experiencing
homelessness, veterans, and youth who have aged out of
foster care. Additionally, the letter requested USDA
continue to provide additional clarity regarding who
qualifies for an exemption, promote best practices for
screening participants for these new exemptions, and
collaborate with other federal agencies and advocates. This
was a joint letter with Poverty Task Force Chair Barbara
Lee and Vice Chairs McGovern, Jacobs, Bush, Rosa DeLauro
(D-CT), and Sylvia Garcia. Additionally, the letter was
signed by numerous members of the Task Force.
September 11, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, commenting on the Mine
Safety and Health Administration's proposed rule to update
miners' protections from silica. This was a joint letter
with WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams.
September 13, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Virginia Foxx,
Chair, House Committee on Education and the Workforce,
requesting for the second time that the Majority schedule a
hearing to examine the illegal employment of children in
unsafe conditions, in violation of both the Fair Labor
Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
This was a joint letter with WP Subcommittee Ranking Member
Adams.
September 22, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Douglas Parker,
Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, requesting
that he include in his upcoming testimony in front of the
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections details on what a
government shutdown and returning to the smaller FY 2022
OSHA budget would mean for the Department's ability to
protect workers. This was a joint letter with WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams.
September 23, 2023--Letter tothe Honorable Kevin McCarthy,
Speaker of the House, the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries,
Democratic Leader of the House, the Honorable Kay Granger,
Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, and the
Honorable Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member of the House
Committee on Appropriations, underscoring the need for any
Continuing Resolution to include emergency funding for the
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants
and Children (WIC). The letter also highlights the
insufficient funding included in H.R. 4368, the Agriculture
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, which
jeopardizes access to food and critical services for low
income pregnant and postpartum women and children by
drastically underfunding the program and undermining
science-based WIC food benefits. This was a joint letter
with ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici.
September 27, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
requesting the Department provide continued oversight and
technical assistance to the state of Florida in its
administration of several crucial federal safety net
programs administered through the Office of Community
Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and
Families (ACF), including the Community Services Block
Grant (CSBG), the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP), and the Low Income Household Water Assistance
Program (LIHWAP) following significant service disruptions
earlier in the spring.
October 10, 2023--Letter to Raymond Windmiller, Executive
Officer, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in
support of the proposed rule titled Regulations to
Implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The proposed
rule aims to effectuate the important protections for
pregnant workers under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to
ensure that they are afforded accommodations in the
workplace. The letter supports the overall proposed rule to
ensure that pregnant workers are afforded accommodations in
the workplace and offers comments in several areas to
affirm, clarify, and strengthen the proposed regulation.
October 17, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, the Honorable Xavier
Becerra, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, and the Honorable Janet Yellen, Secretary, U.S.
Department of the Treasury, providing comments on the
proposed rules issued by the Departments of Labor, Health
and Human Services, and the Treasury titled Requirements
Related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity
Act. The proposed rules would enhance compliance with the
Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and
Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and remove barriers to
accessing behavioral health care. This was a joint letter
with HELP Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier.
November 7, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, expressing strong
support for the Department's proposed rulemaking to raise
the overtime salary threshold. This was a joint letter with
Representatives Takano, Adams, Delia Ramirez (D-IL),
Norcross, Bonamici, Omar, Jayapal, Frederica Wilson, and
Bowman.
November 13, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Bacerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
and Ms. Melanie Fontes Rainer, Director, Office for Civil
Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in
response to the proposed updates to the regulations
implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities
by recipients of federal funding.
November 13, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, commenting on the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA)
proposed rule allowing workers to have a representative of
their choosing accompany OSHA inspectors during
``walkarounds,'' or physical inspections of workplaces.
December 4, 2023--Letter to the Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker
of the House, the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic
Leader of the House, the Honorable Kay Granger, Chair of
the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Honorable
Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member of the House Committee on
Appropriations, underscoring the need for funding in any
upcoming appropriations vehicle to help meet the needs of
young children and families across the country. The letter
supports funding affordable child care as proposed in the
Biden Administration's domestic emergency package,
reinstating the expanded Child Tax Credit, and fully
funding the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This was a joint letter
with ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici.
December 26, 2023--Letter to Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director, U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
expressing concern about how the CDC's draft 2024
guidelines to Prevent Transmission of Pathogens in
Healthcare Settings will weaken existing protections for
health care workers. This was a joint letter with Senate
HELP Committee Chair Sanders.
January 2, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, expressing support for
the Department's proposed rule on retirement security that
prohibits unscrupulous financial professionals from
steering retirement savers into expensive or poorly
performing products that provide an incentive for the
advisor, even if it is not in the best interest of the
client. This was a joint letter with Senate HELP Committee
Chair Sanders.
January 2, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, thanking the
Department for its work on the comprehensive review of the
Section 14(c) certificate program, the first step towards
increasing competitive integrated employment and moving
away from paying people with disabilities less than minimum
wage. This was a joint letter with Senate Special Committee
on Aging Chair Casey, Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), and
Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).
January 11, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, expressing
concerns with the Department's implementation of the FAFSA
Simplification Act and requesting updates on how the
Department will communicate with various stakeholders.
January 16, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Phillip Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office (CBO), requesting
that CBO prepare a report that describes common options
available to small businesses seeking to offer health care
coverage to their employees to better understand the
barriers and opportunities to improving access to coverage
for small business employees.
January 19, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
regarding the proposed regulation to support and stabilize
the Head Start workforce and make other necessary
improvements to the Head Start program. This was a joint
letter with Senate HELP Chair Sanders, ECESE Subcommittee
Ranking Member Bonamici, and 43 other House and Senate
Members.
February 8, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker
of the House, the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic
Leader of the House, the Honorable Kay Granger, Chair of
the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Honorable
Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member of the House Committee on
Appropriations, underscoring the need to fully fund WIC and
ensure that funding aligns with projected participation and
food costs. As WIC remains underfunded, new parents and
children continue to be at risk of being put onto waiting
lists and denied crucial nutrition benefits and WIC
services. This was a joint letter signed by all Committee
Democrats.
February 12, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, expressing concern
for ongoing challenges with implementation of the new Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and requesting
information about how the Department is addressing the
challenges. This was a joint letter with Senate HELP
Committee Chair Sanders, HEWD Subcommittee Ranking Member
Wilson, and 105 other House and Senate Members.
February 20, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the
Honorable Lisa Gomez, Assistant Secretary, Employee
Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor,
in support of the proposed rule titled Definition of
Employer--Association Health Plans. This letter urges the
DOL to finalize its proposal to rescind the Trump
Administration's prior rulemaking in its entirety and to
consider additional future regulatory actions to protect
consumers. This was a joint letter with HELP Subcommittee
Ranking Member DeSaulnier.
April 15, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the
Honorable Lisa Gomez, Assistant Secretary, Employee
Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor,
regarding the recent report by DOL's Advisory Council on
Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans regarding Long-
Term Disability Benefits and Mental Health Disparity. The
letter encourages DOL to examine the recommendations of the
report to improve access to benefits and eliminate
disparities arising from discriminatory treatment of
behavioral health conditions. This was a joint letter with
HELP Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier.
April 17, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Virginia Foxx, Chair,
House Committee on Education and the Workforce, requesting
that the Committee hold a hearing on the state of school
integration to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the
Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
May 7, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona, Secretary,
U.S. Department of Education, commenting on the ongoing
challenges to the implementation of the new Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in a timely and
effective manner, resulting in delays in the college
enrollment process for millions of students. This was a
joint letter with bipartisan leaders of the House and
Senate authorizing and appropriating committees.
May 16, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, providing comments
on the Department's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related
to the implementation of targeted student debt relief under
the Higher Education Act.
May 23, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller
General, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO),
requesting that GAO conduct a study of the efforts of
states and localities to comply with Maintenance of Equity
requirements as provided for by the American Rescue Plan
Act of 2021 (ARPA).
May 30, 2024--Letter to Ms. Jennifer Abruzzo, General Counsel,
National Labor Relations Board, expressing concern
regarding alleged retaliation and other coercive actions
taken against organizing YouTube Music workers by Cognizant
Technology Solutions U.S. Corporation and Google, LLC. This
was a joint letter with 45 other Members of the House.
June 17, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie A. Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the
Honorable Lisa M. Gomez, Assistant Secretary, Employee
Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor,
encouraging DOL to strengthen disclosure requirements under
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) for
group health plans. The letter recommends improvements to
the Form 5500 annual report to increase collection of data
from all ERISA-covered health plans, including information
regarding claims denials. This was a joint letter with HELP
Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier.
July 9, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller
General of the United States, U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO), requesting that GAO conduct a
study on whether the use of intergovernmental support
agreements, a relatively new type of U.S. Department of
Defense agreement, uphold McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract
Act protections to ensure unionized firms are not
disadvantaged in competition for federal contracts and that
these contracts provide wages consistent with prevailing
local standards. This was a joint letter with
Representative McBath.
July 11, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, inquiring about
potential child labor and occupational safety and health
violations in programs authorized under the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act and school-based Work
Experience and Career Explorations Programs. This was a
joint letter with WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams.
August 2, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Gene Dodaro,
Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO), requesting that GAO assess the
work-related experiences of people who are induced to
perform work in various forms of productive economic
activity as a result of their involvement with the courts
or incarceration. This was a joint letter with WP
Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams.
August 7, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, commenting on the interim
final rule (IFR) titled Establishing the Summer EBT Program
and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal
Programs. The letter recommendedimprovements to the IFR,
including additional approaches to defining the age range
for children who can be streamlined certified for Summer-
EBT benefits using state or Indian Tribal Organization data
without requiring a match with school records.
Additionally, the IFR outlined how states should handle the
expungement clock and the replacement of skimmed benefits.
In response, the letter included recommendations to delay
the expungement clock and allow federal funds to be used to
replace skimmed benefits. This was a joint letter with
ECESE Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonamici.
August 13, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, commenting on a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Distance Education,
Return of Title IV Higher Education Act (HEA) Funds, and
Federal TRIO Programs.
August 20, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Lisa M. Gomez,
Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA), U.S. Department of Labor, requesting
information regarding efforts of EBSA to address troubling
practices of certain group health plan service providers.
The letter highlights recent reports regarding the
compensation practices of third-party administrators and
service providers such as MultiPlan and requests EBSA's
response to questions regarding its oversight and
enforcement efforts in this area. This was a joint letter
with HELP Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier.
August 20, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Julie Su, Acting
Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, inquiring about
possible child labor violations and employers providing
advance notice of Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) inspections. This was a joint letter
with WP Subcommittee Ranking Member Adams.
August 23, 2024--Open Letter to Higher Education Leaders
reminding them of their obligations under Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and highlighting federal resources
to help them maintain safe learning environments on campus.
November 21, 2024--Letter to the Honorable Miguel Cardona,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, urging the
Department to process debt relief for borrowers who have
already been approved for borrower defense discharges or
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and provide final
updates on these processes before the transition into the
next administration.
BRIEFINGS ORGANIZED FOR HOUSE AND COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS
May 11, 2023--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled
Repercussions of Students for Fair Admissions v. President and
Fellows of Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v.
University of North Carolina.
Purpose: To provide House Democratic Members and staff with
an opportunity to hear from experts about the implications the
Students for FairAdmissions(SFFA) cases against Harvard College
and the University of North Carolina could have for higher
education and federal policy generally.
Experts: Mr. Debo Adegbile, Partner, Wilmer Hale & Chair,
Anti-Discrimination Practice, New York, NY; Ms. Michaele
Turnage Young, Senior Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense &
Educational Fund,Inc., Washington, DC; and Jay Rosner,
Executive Director, The Princeton Review Foundation, Mill
Valley, CA.
Platform: Conducted entirely remotely via ZoomGov.
June 14, 2023--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled
Understanding Student Loan Repayment.
Purpose: To provide House Democratic Members and staff with
a briefing on the Federal student loan system and provide
information related to returning to student loan repayment.
Experts: Ms. Sarah Sattelmeyer, Project Director for
Education, Opportunity, and Mobility, Higher Education
Initiative, New America, Washington, DC; Mr. Scott Buchanan,
Executive Director, Student Loan Servicing Alliance,
Washington, DC; Reagan Fitzgerald, Manager, Project on Student
Borrower Success, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, DC;
and Ms. Victoria Jackson, Assistant Director of Higher
Education Policy, The Education Trust, Washington, DC.
Platform: Conducted entirely remotely via ZoomGov.
July 13, 2023--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled The
Resurgence of Child Labor.
Purpose: To provide House Democratic Members and staff with
an opportunity to hear from experts about the resurgence of
oppressive child labor in the U.S., longstanding challenges in
the regulation of child labor, and emerging legislative
solutions.
Experts: Ms. Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National
Consumers League, Washington, DC; and Ms. Margaret Wurth,
Senior Researcher, Children's Rights Division, Human Rights
Watch, New York, NY.
Platform: Conducted entirely remotely via ZoomGov.
July 27, 2023--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled
Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra and Beyond: How the Misuse
of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act Threatens Access to
Vital Services and Undermines Civil Rights.
Purpose: To provide House Democratic Members and staff with
an opportunity to hear from experts about the implications of
the Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra case and other legal
developments regarding the increasing misuse of the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act threatening access to health care and
undermining civil rights.
Experts: Ms. Maggie Garrett, Vice President of Public
Policy, Americans United for Separation of Church & State,
Washington, DC; and Ms. Elizabeth Reiner Platt, Director, The
Law, Rights, and Religion Project at Columbia Law School, New
York, NY.
Platform: Conducted entirely remotely via ZoomGov.
September 28, 2023--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled
AI in the Workplace: New Crisis or Longstanding Challenge?
Purpose: To provide House Democratic Members and staff with
a briefing on issues relating to artificial intelligence (AI)
in the workplace and implications on workers' rights and
privacy.
Experts: Dr. Emily Bender, Linguistics Professor and
Director of the Computational Linguistics Laboratory,
University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Dr. Ifeoma Ajunwa, AI
Humanity Professor of Law and Ethics and Founding Director of
the AI and the Law Program, Emory University School of Law,
Atlanta, GA; and Dr. Kathryn Edwards, Labor Economist,
Washington, DC.
Platform: Conducted entirely remotely via ZoomGov.
November 14, 2023--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled
Inequities in State Funding for 1890 Land Grant Universities.
Purpose: To provide House Democratic Members and staff with
a briefing on data released related to inequities in state
funding to land grant universities between 1890 and 1862.
Experts: Dr. Heidi Anderson, President, University of
Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD; Dr. Sarah Partridge,
Senior Policy Analyst, Center for American Progress,
Washington, DC; Dr. Dietra Trent, Director, White House
Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and
Economic Opportunity through HBCUs, U.S. Department of
Education, Washington, DC; and Dr. Jordan Matsudaira, Chief
Economist, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC.
Platform: Conducted entirely remotely via ZoomGov.
April 10, 2024--Committee Democrats and Staff Briefing on two Supreme
Court cases that may overturn or weaken the Chevron deference.
Purpose: To provide Committee Democrats and staff with an
opportunity to hear from experts about the implications of two
Supreme Court cases--Relentless Inc. v. U.S. Department of
Commerce and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo--that could
weaken or eliminate the Chevron doctrine established by the
Supreme Court's 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources
Defense Council.
Experts: Ms. Skye Perryman, President and CEO, Democracy
Forward, Washington, DC; and Mr. Devon Ombres, Senior Director
for Courts and Legal Policy, Center for American Progress,
Washington DC.
Platform: Conducted entirely remotely via ZoomGov.
May 16, 2024--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled Brown
v Board of Education: 70 Years Later.
Purpose: To serve as a thought-provoking discussion marking
70 years since the landmark Brown v. Board of Education
decision and the legacy of this pivotal ruling and to explore
its implications for educational equity today, including the
progress made and the challenges that remain in ensuring equal
access to quality education for all.
Experts: Ms. Kimberly Atkins Stohr, Senior Opinion Writer
and Columnist, Boston Globe, Boston, MA (Moderator); Ms. Saba
Bireda, Co-Founder and Chief Legal Counsel, Brown's Promise,
Washington, DC; Ms. Janel George, Associate Professor of Law
and founding Director of the Racial Equity in Education Law and
Policy Clinic, Georgetown Law, Washington, DC; Mr. David
Hinojosa, Director, Educational Opportunities Project, Lawyers'
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Washington, DC; and Ms.
Hamida Suad Labi, Policy Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and
Educational Fund, Inc., Washington, DC.
Platform: Held in person in 2325 Rayburn House Office
Building.
June 27, 2024--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled One
Year Later: SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action in the Students
for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. President & Fellows of Harvard
College and SFFA v. University of North Carolina decisions.
Purpose: To provide accurate information on the Supreme
Courts's actual findings and a better understanding of the
implications of the SFFA decisions on race-based consideration
in areas outside of higher education admissions.
Expert: Mr. Marc Minor, Senior Counsel, Columbus, OH.
Platform: Held in person in 2261 Rayburn House Office
Building.
September 24, 2024--House Democratic Members and Staff Briefing titled
Animus, Harassment and Discrimination on College Campuses.
Purpose: To provide House Democratic Members and staff with
additional perspectives related to incidents of animus on
college campuses in the wake of the October 7, 2023, massacre
in Israel.
Experts: Mr. Antonio Ingram, Senior Counsel, NAACP LDF,
Washington, DC; Ms. Nicole Fauster-Bradford, Community Advocacy
Director, CAIR, Washington, DC; Mr. Brian Dittmeier, Director
of Public Policy, GLSEN, Washington, DC; and the Honorable Mrs.
Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S.
Department of Education, Washington, DC.
Platform: Conducted entirely remotely via Zoom.gov.
STAFF REPORTS OF COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS
January 16, 2023--Report titled Religious Liberty? The History
of Religious Liberty in Federal Policy from 1993 to 2022.
The report summarizes the history of religious liberty
provisions in federal policy over nearly two decades and
details the potential harmful impacts those policies have
on civil rights and access to federal safety net programs
and health care services.
January 17, 2024--Report titled On the Brink: The Case for
Permanently and Fully Funding the Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC). The
report urges permanent, full funding of WIC, one of the
most effective federal nutrition programs, to ensure
accessibility of essential nutrition, improve public health
outcomes, and provide consistent support for vulnerable
families.
April 30, 2024--Report titled A Slap on the Wrist: How It Pays
for Unscrupulous Employers to Take Advantage of Workers.
The report highlights how civil monetary penalties for
violations of employment laws are nonexistent for certain
statutes and are too low to hold unscrupulous employers
accountable and deter future violations for other statutes,
and it calls on Congress to responsibly raise civil
monetary penalties in order for them to be meaningful and
effective.
June 11, 2024--Report titled Fighting Summer Hunger Pangs: How
Summer Feeding Programs Bridge the Nutrition Gap. The
report highlights the importance of summer nutrition
programs to adhere to the nation's commitment of addressing
child hunger and combat food insecurity among low-income
families during months where school-provided lunch is
unavailable.
Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,
Ranking Member.
Raul M. Grijalva,
Joe Courtney,
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
Frederica S. Wilson,
Suzanne Bonamici,
Mark Takano,
Alma S. Adams,
Mark DeSaulnier,
Donald Norcross,
Pramila Jayapal,
Jahana Hayes,
Teresa Leger Fernandez,
Frank J. Mrvan,
Members of Congress.
[all]