MR. GOODLING, from the Committee on Education and the Workforce, submitted to the Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on House Administration the following.

1. House Rule X 2(d)(1)

Each standing committee of the House is required to adopt formally an oversight plan at the beginning of each year. Specifically, Rule X, 2(d)(1)states in part:

2. Jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Rule X of the Rules of the House vests in the Committee on Education and the Workforce (Committee) with jurisdiction over issues dealing with students, education, workers, and workplace policy.

1. Child Labor.
2. Gallaudet University and Howard University and Hospital.
3. Convict labor and the entry of goods made by convicts into interstate commerce.
4. Food programs for children in schools.
5. Labor standards and statistics.
6. Education or labor generally.
7. Mediation and arbitration of labor disputes.
8. Regulation or prevention of importation of foreign laborers under contract.
9. Workers’ compensation.
10. Vocational rehabilitation.
11. Wages and hours of labor.
12. Welfare of miners.
13. Work incentive program.

Accordingly, the Committee is responsible for overseeing approximately 24,000 federal employees and more than $125 billion in annual spending. More importantly, it is charged with evaluating whether federal education programs are contributing favorably to our children’s education, whether we are creating a process of life-long learning, and whether we are developing workplace policies that encourage the most productive and competitive workplaces in the world.

3. General Oversight Responsibilities

According to House Rule X 2(a):

4. Exercise of Oversight Responsibilities

The Committee takes seriously its responsibility to conduct oversight and investigations. The Committee is therefore committed to ensuring that government agencies, departments and programs within in its jurisdiction:

• Focus on an appropriate federal mission;
• Work in an effective and efficient manner; and,
• Consistently follow Congressional intent in their respective activities and operations.

Accordingly and in keeping with the Rules of the House and the principles of oversight and investigations, the Committee has identified five major projects for the 106^th Congress. These projects are:

• Education reform in elementary and secondary schools;
• Implementation of the reauthorized Higher Education Act;
• The Corporation for National Service;
• The American Workforce; and,
• Year 2000 conversion problems.

During the 105^th Congress, the Committee issued Education at a Crossroads, a comprehensive report analyzing the components of successful schools and the effectiveness of federal education programs funded by taxpayer dollars. In the 106^th Congress, the Committee plans to continue its oversight of education reform efforts and to monitor progress in conjunction with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Committee will also continue to highlight innovative and effective practices at the local level, including but not limited to charter schools, accountability mechanisms, and innovative teacher programs. As part of the reauthorization of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, the Committee will examine how federal research dollars are spent, including OERI's evaluation of educational challenges faced by different communities. The Committee will also examine the Department of Education’s discretionary grant and peer review processes to ensure that applications are reviewed as efficiently as possible.

The Committee will monitor the implementation of the Higher Education Act as reauthorized in the 105^th Congress, including the establishment of a Performance-Based Organization (PBO) to administer student financial aid programs at the Department of Education. The PBO will be critical in resolving the student financial aid problems which have caused the General Accounting Office (GAO) to keep those programs on its High Risk list, which was updated in January 1999. The department’s Inspector General also expressed concerns in December 1998 about the programs and the importance of implementing an effective PBO. 

During the 105^th Congress, the Committee examined the Corporation for National Service and its premier program, AmeriCorps (Corporation). The Committee found numerous weaknesses in accounting and financial management practices. The Committee plans to continue to monitor the program in order to protect taxpayers’ interests.

The Committee plans to issue two reports of projects conducted in the 105^th Congress: the report on its investigation of the 1996 failed election of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and related matters, and a report on the American Worker at a Crossroads, which examined the impact of the federal government on the American worker. The Committee will continue to monitor the rights of the rank-and-file membership in labor unions, as well as the actions of employers in the garment industry. The Committee will continue oversight of proposed federal regulations and standards in the workplace, and will examine the effectiveness of the Department of Labor’s reporting requirements and its enforcement procedures.

The departments of Education and Labor have made progress but remain at risk due to potential computer problems with the Year 2000. The Committee held hearings in the 105^th Congress and will continue to monitor both agencies to ensure that adequate steps are taken to avoid disruption in critical programs. These include data sharing components that enable 8.5 million postsecondary students to receive financial assistance. Year 2000 conversion was listed in December 1998 among the top 10 problems at both Education and Labor by each agency’s Inspector General. The matter also remains at the top of GAO’s list of High Risk government operations released last month.

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