More students than ever before are receiving Pell Grants to help pay for college and that number is on the rise, according to a new report released today by the College Board. The study also shows that, with college costs rising, students are continuing to access the federal student loans for which they are eligible. Over the past year, the average tuition and fees for in-state students at four-year public colleges and universities increased by 6.4 percent to $6,585 for the 2008-2009 school year.
"With college costs still rising and families facing growing uncertainty in today's economy, federal student aid is more important than ever," Chairman George Miller said. "Over the past two years, the Democratic Congress has made college affordability a top priority -- providing historic investments in federal student aid and safeguarding federal student loans from the turbulence in the nation's financial markets. This study reinforces that these efforts are critically needed to help make college more affordable and accessible for students and their families.
"This report also shows that the Pell Grant scholarship -- which Congress has significantly boosted in the past two years -- is playing an increasingly important role in expanding college access, especially for low- and middle-income students. As we work to get our economy back on the road to recovery, it is vital to make sure that students are aware of all their student aid options and are fully maximizing their federal student loans before turning to more expensive private loans."
According to the report, the number of students receiving almost all federal grants and loans have increased over the last ten years and the number of students receiving Pell Grant scholarships has increased from 3.7 million in 1997-98 to 5.4 million in 2007-2008.
Last year, Congress enacted the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which provides the largest increase in student financial aid since the GI bill. The law increases the maximum Pell Grant scholarship by more than $1,000, cuts interest rates on need-based student loans in half, creates income based repayment programs for students graduating with college debt and gives loan forgiveness incentive programs for public service workers.
Congress also recently enacted the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act to ensure that students and families can continue to have access to all the federal college loans they are eligible for.
In August, Congress enacted the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the first reauthorization of the nation's primary higher education laws in a decade. The law addresses rising college tuition prices, makes textbook costs more manageable, simplifies the federal student aid application process, makes the Pell Grant scholarship available year-round for the first time, provides new consumer protections for federal and private student loan borrowers, and much more.
The U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s investment losses now total almost $5 billion in fiscal year 2008, according to information released at a Committee hearing today.
Earlier this week, the PBGC reported a $3.1 billion loss in equity investment in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2008. The September loss of $1.7 billion in stocks increased PBGC’s total losses for the fiscal year to $4.8 billion.
The dramatic loss comes at a time when the PBGC is beginning to implement a new controversial investment policy approved in February. The new policy would significantly shift PBGC assets from fixed-income securities, such as U.S. Treasuries, into more risky securities like real estate, emerging market debt, junk bonds and venture equities.
“With the current market turmoil, we have to ask the question whether it is wise to invest our nation’s pension backstop in volatile equities,” Chairman George Miller said.
The head of the PBGC, Charles Millard, appeared before the Committee today regarding the agency's financial problems that may threaten the retirement security of millions of Americans. The PBGC is a government agency that insures traditional private-sector pension plans, manages failed pension plans and pays benefits to workers of those plans.
The American economy could slip into a deeper recession unless immediate action is taken to stem the tide of rising unemployment and falling family incomes, witnesses told the Committee in a hearing today.
Economists predicted that, based on past recession trends unemployment could soon reach eight percent or higher, and middle-class families’ incomes could drop by more than $2,000 this year.
“It is urgent that we prepare now to take the next steps to rescue the economy by creating jobs, providing immediate relief to the states and small businesses, and by making real investments in energy, technology and education,” Chairman George Miller said. “We must have a plan that speaks directly to the needs of American families and workers today.”
The number of out-of-work Americans has increased by 2.2 million in the last year. They join more than 2 million workers who have been unemployed longer than 27 months. In October, many workers began exhausting their unemployment insurance benefits. By the end of this month, an estimated 775,000 workers will be left without a safety net, and a total of 1.1 million workers will be in the same straits by the end of the year.
In a letter to Chairman Miller released at the hearing, economist Alan Blinder of Princeton University predicted that “unemployment will top out in the 8-8.5 percent range” if the coming recession is as severe as the recessions of 1981-82 and 1973-75. “My worry,” wrote Blinder, “is that we may be heading in that direction.”
“We are clearly in the early stages of a potentially very serious recession that will likely be as deep as anything we have experienced in a generation,” said Ron Blackwell, chief economist of the AFL-CIO. “Just how deep and protracted this recession will be depends on a timely, aggressive and well-focused economic recovery package.”
To help families make ends meet while they look for a new job, the Democratic Congress voted to extend unemployment benefits in early October. Unfortunately, that effort was blocked by Senate Republicans. The Bush administration threatened to veto the extension claiming it would encourage out of work Americans not to find a new job.
“There is nothing enjoyable about being up at night worrying about how you are going to make ends meet,” said Dana Stevens, an unemployed worker from Thorofare, NJ. “For anyone to suggest that receiving unemployment is like getting a free vacation is insulting and degrading to the millions like myself who are desperately trying to get back to work.”
Millions of workers not only lose their jobs during a recession, but household incomes for those with a job also decline on an average of four percent. Jared Bernstein, director of the Living Standards Program at the Economic Policy Institute, said that if past trends repeat themselves this time around, middle-class families’ who earn around $60,000 will see their income fall about $2,500 this year.
“Due to factors regarding job loss, fewer hours, and the slower wage growth driven by the weaker job market, incomes usually fall in recessions,” said Bernstein.
In September, the House of Representatives also approved an economic rescue and job creation package to help head off a deeper recession. It would have created good-paying jobs by investing in new energy technology and infrastructure. The bill would have also provided access to job training and helped working families with grocery and health care bills. Senate Republicans and the Bush administration also opposed this effort.
Many economists say that making infrastructure investments are some of the most effective uses of federal dollars that create jobs in both the short-term and the long-term.
Robert Pollin, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, said a $150 billion job creation program will create 2.9 million jobs in the short-term alone.
“In the midst of the severe financial crisis and deepening recession, it is imperative that the federal government take action as soon as possible to counteract the downturn,” said Pollin.
Pollin’s latest research also reveals that infrastructure investment produces a second wave of private sector job creation within two years, pushing the 2.9 million new jobs up to 3.3 million new jobs in a two-year time frame.
To encourage long-term job creation, investments are needed to build the nation’s technological backbone that will help foster growth in the emerging high-tech industry and green economy.
“Advanced networks will allow increased opportunities for the creation of even more highly skilled technology jobs to invent new products and improve existing ones in the vital areas of energy, health care, education, public safety and services,” said Christopher Hansen, president and CEO of AeA. “These are the jobs of the future.”
On Friday, October 24 at 10:00 a.m., the Committee will hold a hearing examining strategies – including investments in rebuilding crumbling infrastructure – to create good-paying jobs in order to put the nation’s stalled economy on the road to recovery. More than 2.2 million American workers have lost their jobs in the past 12 months and millions more are still looking for permanent employment.
“Building an Economic Recovery Package: Creating and Preserving Jobs in America” Scheduled on October 24, 2008 at 10 a.m. in room 2175 Rayburn H.O.B.
Witnesses:
Panel 1:
Hon. Charles E. F. Millard Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Panel 2:
Jared Bernstein Director of the Living Standards Program Economic Policy Institute
Ron Blackwell Chief Economist AFL-CIO
Christopher Hansen President and CEO AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association)
Robert Pollin Professor of Economics Founding Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Dana Stevens Unemployed Worker Thorofare, New Jersey
William W. Beach Director Center for Data Analysis The Heritage Foundation
Chairman George Miller announced at a hearing today in San Francisco that the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation lost at least $3 billion in stock investments during the last fiscal year through August, and invested a significant portion of its funds in mortgage-backed securities. The losses were only partially offset by modest gains in other investment classes. It is likely that losses will be substantially worse after September results are reported.
The PBGC is a government agency that insures private-sector pension plans, manages failed pension plans and pays benefits to workers of those plans.
The head of the PBGC, Charles Millard, will testify before the House Education and Labor Committee on Friday regarding the agency's financial problems that may threaten the retirement security of millions of Americans.
"At a time when Americans' anxiety about their economic future is escalating, Millard's testimony is vital to better understand the financial situation of the nation's pension guarantor," said Chairman Miller. "Now is the time to gather all the information we need in order to rescue the economy and help workers and retirees."
According to a document obtained by the Education and Labor Committee and based on preliminary unaudited figures, the PBGC lost more than $3.1 billion in its trust fund related to the agency's stock investments for the first 11 months of its 2008 fiscal year. The PBGC trust fund invests pension assets in order to pay out benefits to workers whose pension plans were turned over to the agency.
The recent dramatic loss also comes in light of a new controversial investment policy the agency recently approved. The new policy would significantly shift PBGC assets from fixed-income securities, such as U.S. Treasuries, into more risky securities like real estate.
Millard recently testified before Congress recently that the new investment policy would not add any additional risk to the long-term stability of the trust fund.
The invitation to answer questions from Congress comes after the Millard rebuffed a committee subpoena in July that demanded the agency turn over documents regarding a report into the agency's mismanagement and lax governance practices.
On Wednesday, October 22, the Committee will hold a field hearing in San Francisco, California to further examine how the current financial crisis is impacting Americans’ retirement security, including pension funds and workers’ directed retirement accounts like 401(k) plans. The Committee held a hearing on this topic on October 7 as part of a series of hearings House Democrats are conducting to look at the causes of the financial crisis and appropriate responses to it.
"The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Workers’ Retirement Security" Scheduled on at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 in the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Legislative Chamber, Room 250, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. Chairman George Miller will lead the hearing.
Witnesses:
Shlomo Benartzi, Ph.D. Professor UCLA Anderson School of Management Los Angeles, CA
Mark Davis Partner Kravitz Davis Sansone Encino, CA
Jacob S. Hacker, Ph.D. Professor University of California at Berkeley
In December 2006, Rep. George Miller, the new Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, announced that the Committee would be dedicated to the mission of strengthening America’s middle class. And over the past two years, the Committee has delivered on its promise. America's students, workers, and families need help more than ever during the current financial crisis, and the Committee will continue its work to strengthen the middle class. Below is an overview of the Committee’s legislative milestones in the 110th Congress.
Affordable colleges » The Committee has enacted three laws that together will make college more affordable and accessible for middle class students, create a more efficient, consumer-friendly, and fair American higher education system, and protect federal student loans from turmoil in the economy.
High quality education » The Committee enacted legislation to strengthen the nation’s premiere early childhood program, giving more young children the skills they need to succeed in school and in life. The Committee also helped enact emergency aid to help Gulf Coast schools and colleges still working to recover from Katrina and Rita. In addition, the Committee took a key step toward improving learning conditions for schoolchildren by passing legislation to help schools modernize their facilities and become more energy-efficient.
A competitive workforce » The Committee has enacted legislation that builds on the principles Democrats first laid out in their “Innovation Agenda – A Commitment to Competitiveness to Keep America Number One.” These new laws will help prepare more Americans for jobs in emerging, high-tech industries that will keep our nation more competitive and create more good-paying jobs here at home.
Fairness in the workplace » During the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress, the House passed the first increase in the minimum wage in ten years. Since then, Committee has passed a series of key measures to strengthen workers’ rights, improve workplace safety, end discriminatory practices that have unfairly eroded workers’ pay and other benefits, and help workers balance demands of work and family.
Retirement security » While roughly 50 million American workers now have 401(k) style retirement plans, studies show that the vast majority of these workers don’t know how much they are paying in fees to the companies that service their 401(k) plans – fees that could be eating away at their retirement savings. The Committee passed legislation to help workers better understand these hidden fees and strengthen their retirement security.
Safe children and youth » The Committee enacted laws to protect America's children and youth, including runaway, homeless and missing children, and to increase penalties when employers violate child labor laws. The House also passed legislation to protect teens in public and private residential programs.
Accountability and responsibility » The Committee conducted oversight over government agencies in its jurisdiction, shining a light on the Bush administration’s failures to safeguard taxpayer dollars used to fund education programs and its efforts to weaken protections for workers. In some cases, the Committee’s investigations paved the way for legislation and spurred the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue a criminal investigation.
By the numbers...» The Committee has held 113 hearings and heard from 683 witnesses in its efforts to grow and strengthen the nation’s middle class. In the next Congress, the Committee will continue to build on this record by working to improve the lives of children, students, workers and families.
Though the Department is required to conduct audits of applications submitted to ensure against fraud, the OIG found that the Department actually discontinued some types of audits nearly three years ago. Additionally, the OIG found that the Department did not even audit many applications which had been selected for either random or targeted audits.
The OIG concluded: “The effect of [the DOL] not auditing applications selected for audit is that fraudulent or non-meritorious applications may have been certified. Certifying non-eligible foreign workers could negatively affect the U.S. workforce by reducing the amount of jobs available for U.S. workers.”
Chairman Miller's letter to Secretary Chao states: “The OIG report demonstrates that your Department has failed to properly implement the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM), a program that is similar to one you propose in the H-2A and H-2B regulations. Thus, we worry that the Bush Administration scheme for the H-2A and H-2B programs could lead to more fraudulent or non-meritorious requests for temporary foreign guest workers, at the expense of U.S. workers, with little risk of detection.”
Note: Sensitive information has been redacted from the OIG report.
Following an urgent meeting held by Democratic leaders and top economists in Washington on October 13, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that House Democrats will begin laying the groundwork for a comprehensive economic recovery and job creation program, including a hearing to be held by the House Education and Labor Committee. Chairman George Miller said the hearing will focus on the nation’s severe unemployment outlook and strategies to spur job growth.
“The credit crisis and stock market crash is making an already dire unemployment situation worse,” Chairman Miller said. “The top economists who have briefed the Democratic leadership today and over the last few weeks all agree that unemployment is going to continue to rise. We are going to examine the best ways to get Americans back to work and put our economy on the road to recovery.
“The emergency financial bill we approved late last month was one important step toward rescuing the economy, but we knew then that additional, comprehensive measures would be needed to help stabilize and heal our broken economy. We need a longer-term economic recovery plan that will create jobs, grow the economy, and protect Main Street. These hearings will be vital to our efforts to develop a plan that rebuilds our economy while protecting taxpayers and helping workers and their families seize the opportunities that our 21st century economy presents.”
American workers have lost as much as $2 trillion in retirement savings over the last year – highlighting the devastating toll that the nation’s financial crisis is taking on their retirement plans, witnesses told the Committee today. Today’s hearing was one of several that House Democrats scheduled to investigate the causes of the financial crisis and what additional steps should be taken to protect taxpayers, homeowners, workers, and families.
“Unlike Wall Street executives, American families don’t have a golden parachute to fall back on,” said Chairman George Miller. “It’s clear that Americans’ retirement security may be one of the greatest casualties of this financial crisis.”
According to the Congressional Budget Office, this multi-trillion dollar loss in workers’ retirement wealth could further slow the ailing economy.
“To the extent households view balances in defined-contribution plans as part of their overall portfolio of wealth, a decline in those balances could lead people to reduce or delay purchases of goods and services,” said Peter Orszag, director of the CBO. “It could also lead some workers to delay their retirement.”
According to a survey released today by the AARP, in the last year 20 percent of baby boomers stopped contributing to their retirement plans because they have had trouble making ends meet. As several witnesses explained, workers closest to retirement may suffer the biggest hit from the financial meltdown.
“The current financial crisis has certainly highlighted the fact that 401(k) participants—whose 401(k) account represent their sole retirement savings—bear all the investment risk,” said Jerry Bramlett, president and CEO of BenefitStreet, Inc., an independent retirement plan administration firm. “The pain is particularly acute for those participants closer to retirement whose retirement income expectations have been significantly impaired possibly resulting in the need to postpone retirement.”
The AARP also found that a third of workers surveyed are considering delaying retirement as a result of the financial and housing crises.
“In the last few weeks, we’ve been confronted with older worker and retirees’ lives being turned upside down; their panic tops-off an already existing state of chronic anxiety about retirement futures,” said Teresa Ghilarducci, professor of economic policy analysis at The New School for Social Research.
Witnesses also said that while the current financial crisis is reducing workers' savings today, retirement insecurity had been steadily growing over the past decade.
“While the events that have taken place over the past several weeks have shone a spotlight on how affected Americans’ retirement plans can be by such volatility in the financial markets, it is important to keep in mind that Americans’ retirement security has been in distress for much longer than the past few weeks,” said Christian Weller, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress “In fact, retirement security has been a growing concern for Americans for many years due to limited retirement plan coverage, little retirement wealth, and increasing risk exposure of the individual.”
Chairman Miller said that greater transparency in retirement plans and the fees workers pay is needed, especially when workers are losing money and looking for the best deal.
“401(k) holders lack critical information about how their money is managed and what fees they pay. I’m here to say right now, those days are over,” said Chairman Miller. “We must have more transparency in 401(k) investment practices. The Wall Street veil of secrecy must end.”
The Committee today will hold a hearing to examine how the current financial crisis is impacting pension funds and workers’ directed retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans. According to a recent poll by the Associated Press, more than half of all Americans are worried that the ongoing financial crisis will force them to postpone retirement.
"The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Workers' Retirement Security" Scheduled at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7, 2008, in room 2175 Rayburn H.O.B.
Witnesses:
Jerry Bramlett CEO BenefitStreet, Inc.
Dr. Teresa Ghilarducci Professor of Economic Policy Analysis The New School for Social Research
Dr. Peter Orszag Director Congressional Budget Office
Jack VanDerhei Research Director Employee Benefit Research Institute
Dr. Christian Weller Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of Massachusetts-Boston Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
On September 26, the House of Representatives approved final bipartisan legislation to strengthen protections and support for America’s runaway and homeless children. The measure, the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act (S.2982), builds on legislation authored by Rep. John Yarmuth, which the House overwhelmingly passed on June 9, 2008. It now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.
The bill reauthorizes the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Among other things, it would significantly improve the quality of services available to help disconnected youth and would expand access to those programs – so that fewer runaway and homeless children are turned away from shelters. More than a million children experience homelessness each year; in many cases these children flee because of situations of abuse and neglect. Studies show that runaway and homeless youth are at greater risk of behavioral and mental health problems.
In addition, the bill would also increase transparency at the Department of Health and Human Services and provide funding for local community programs that help homeless and runaway youth. In 2005, these programs served more than 500,000 homeless and runaway children.
“We must protect our nation’s most vulnerable children, especially those who have been pushed out and are living on the streets. This legislation will give them the physical shelter and emotional support they need to start rebuilding their lives. I commend Rep. Yarmuth for his leadership and dedication to providing runaway and homeless children across the country with the attention, stability, and hope they deserve.” -- Chairman George Miller
“This legislation will bring us significantly closer to ensuring that, in America, no child ever has to grow up without a home. For more than a million children each year, this legislation could mean the difference between continuing to live on the streets without hope and finding a path to successful adulthood.” -- Rep. Yarmuth
“I would like to congratulate Rep. Yarmuth on this bill and commend him for his commitment to helping our nation’s runaway and homeless youth. It is crucial that we do everything in our power to help the thousands of vulnerable young people in this country that are without a home. The programs that are reauthorized in this bill will give runaway and homeless children a real chance at getting a new start in life and help them get on track to a better future.” -- Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities
Stronger protections in federal law are needed to ensure that companies deliver on their promise to provide health care to retired workers, witnesses told the full committee today. With insurance premiums skyrocketing and companies looking to cut expenses, an increasing number of companies have been rolling back or eliminating promised retiree health benefits. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that the share of large firms offering retiree health coverage fell by half between 1988 and 2005, from 66 percent to 33 percent.
“Through the years, millions of workers have retired believing that they would be provided with the health care benefits that they were promised by their employer, benefits that they earned. What many of those workers found was their former employer eventually made a cost-cutting decision to renege on that promise and cut or reduce those health care benefits,” said Rep. John Tierney.
One of those companies was Raytheon Missile Systems, a defense contractor. Despite guaranteeing lifetime heath coverage to its retirees in the 1990s, in 2004 the company notified retirees that they would be have to pay several hundred dollars a month to continue coverage. “Retirees have been forced to sell a large part of their retirement dreams in order to afford the premiums they now have to pay,” said David Lillie, a Raytheon retiree. “More than a few retirees have had to mortgage their homes that were paid off in order to pay medical expenses that were not covered under a cheaper insurance plan.”
Employees have few protections when trying to prevent employers from shrinking or eliminating health benefits. Employer-sponsored health insurance for both retirees and current employees is voluntary. If an employer chooses to provide these benefits, employers are generally allowed to modify or terminate benefits, as long as they disclose it in the fine print. “The law is hostile to reasonable employee expectations about retiree health benefits – expectations created by the employer and from which the employer benefited in terms of increased employee loyalty and productivity,” said Norman Stein, a University of Alabama law professor and pension expert at the Pension Rights Center. “We know that in a real work environment, rather than the imagined work environment conjured up by the judge, employees tend to believe communications – oral and written – that they receive from their managers.”
The trend of scaling back or canceling promised health benefits accelerated in the 1990s when, as a result of an accounting rule change, companies were forced to disclose future health care obligations as a part of their balance sheet. By rolling back promised benefits, companies could result in a healthier bottom line to shareholders.
Historically, employer-sponsored retirement health benefits have been an essential source of health care coverage for retired workers and were a common benefit among larger institutions. As a part of their compensation package, loyal and dedicated employees were promised health benefits when they retired. “When most of the current retirees were in the workforce, larger American companies universally offered retiree health care to their employees and retirees as an incentive to retain trained employees,” said C. William Jones, chairman of ProtectSeniors.org, an advocacy group founded to protect retiree health care. “The workers accepted the IOU for retirement health care and other benefits in exchange for lower wages, and fewer vacations and holidays.”
On Thursday, September 25, the full committee will hold a hearing to explore options to safeguard promised retiree health benefits. With insurance premiums skyrocketing and companies looking to cut expenses, an increasing number of companies have been rolling back or eliminating promised retiree health benefits.
“Safeguarding Retiree Health Benefits” Thursday, September 25, 2008, 10:00 a.m. ET
The bill requires group health insurance plans that cover mental and addiction health benefits to put those benefits on equal footing with physical ailments. Private health insurers generally provide less coverage for mental illnesses than for other medical conditions. H.R. 6983 prohibits employer group health plans from imposing limitations on coverage for mental illnesses that they do not impose on physical illnesses. For example, the legislation would require that group health plans offer the same terms for deductibles, limits on hospital stays and outpatient visits, and co-payments. The measure will allow employers to offer more comprehensive mental health coverage without significant additional cost, while significantly reducing out-of-pocket costs for plan participants.
Some states already have strong requirements for the coverage and treatment of mental illness. H.R. 6983 would not affect state laws that offer stronger consumer protections.
The bill is named after the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and current Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM), both longtime advocate of mental health awareness and parity.
"Today, approximately forty-four million Americans suffer from mental illness, but only one-third receive treatment. One reason is that private health insurers generally provide less coverage for mental illnesses and substance abuse than for other medical conditions. This bill is an important step towards ending the stigma attached to mental illness and providing fair coverage to those in need.” -- Chairman George Miller
The U.S. Department of Labor is failing to effectively enforce the nation’s child labor laws, witnesses told the Workforce Protection Subcommittee today. According to a study by the National Consumers League, the number of child labor investigations decreased dramatically during the Bush administration: The number of child labor investigations conducted by the Labor Department in 2006 was at the lowest in at least a decade. Meanwhile, research by the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, a coalition of migrant and seasonal agricultural nonprofit and public agencies, indicates that approximately 400,000 children under the age of 18 work in the fields to help support their families. While there are numerous restrictions on what dangerous job functions underage workers may perform, there are few protections if those children happen to work in agriculture. Agricultural child labor rules have remained largely unchanged since signed into law in 1938. At that time, a quarter of all American lived on farms and the majority of the agricultural work was performed on the family farm. Unlike counterparts in other industries, minors working in agriculture are still permitted to log in more than 40 hours a week without overtime pay.
“Children at age 12 [are] not allowed to work making copies in an air-conditioned office or cleaning floors at a local store. Yet today in America, children can legally work in harsh conditions out in the farm fields for wages sometimes below minimum wage. Exploitation of children, regardless if it’s done legally or illegally, needs to stop today.” -- Norma Flores, a former migrant farmer who began working when she was 12 years old.
“Unfortunately, all the laws and labor protections in the world won’t help if we do not adequately enforce our child labor laws. It is clear that the Bush administration is not focused on enforcing the laws already on the books.” -- Rep. Lynn Woolsey, chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.
“Much more can and must be done to better protect our young people from hazards and dangers they confront in the workplace. Child labor law is no longer a high priority for the Department of Labor.” -- Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League.
The House is expected to vote today, September 23, on the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. This measure will help ensure better access to treatment for people suffering from mental illness by requiring group health insurance plans that cover mental and addiction health benefits to put those benefits on equal footing with physical ailments. More »
The House of Representatives gave final approval today for legislation to stop discrimination against individuals with disabilities by restoring the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act. By a voice vote, the House passed the ADA Amendments Act (S. 3406) to reverse several U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have undermined the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the ADA’s enactment nearly two decades ago, courts have dramatically reduced the numbers of workers who are protected from employment discrimination under the law. The bill now goes to President Bush for his signature.
In a series of rulings beginning in 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the definition of who is protected under the ADA. The court held that workers with disabilities who are able to mitigate their impairments, such as by wearing hearing aids or taking medication, should not be considered disabled. In such cases, these workers would have no remedy under the law when they are discriminated against on the basis of disability. In other words, an employer could fire or refuse to hire a fully qualified worker simply on the basis of a physical or mental impairment, while contending in court that the worker is not “disabled enough” to qualify for protection under the law.
The ADA Amendments Act will reverse these court decisions and restore the original Congressional intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act by:
Prohibiting the consideration of measures that reduce or mitigate the impact of impairment – such as medication, prosthetics, and assistive technology – in determining whether an individual has a disability.
Covering workers whose employers discriminate against them based on a perception that the worker is impaired, regardless of whether the worker has a disability.
Making it clear that the Americans with Disabilities Act provides broad coverage to protect anyone who faces discrimination on the basis of disability.
A similar House bill, H.R. 3195, introduced by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), passed the House in June.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act guaranteed that workers with disabilities would be judged on their merits and not on an employer’s prejudices. But, court rulings since the law’s enactment have dramatically limited the ability of people with disabilities to seek justice under the law. Today we make it absolutely clear that the Americans with Disabilities Act protects anyone who faces discrimination on the basis of a disability.” -- Chairman George Miller
“This victory today will restore the commonsense, meaningful definition of disability and overturn the Supreme Court’s misinterpretation of our Congressional intent.” -- Rep. Rob Andrews, chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
A last-minute Department of Labor proposal could undermine future health and safety protections for American workers, witnesses told the Workforce Protections Subcommittee today. The Washington Post recently reported that the proposal was developed by political appointees in secret with little consultation with career agency health and safety experts. The proposal only gives 30 days for comment and provides for no public hearings. Critics say that the Department of Labor proposal would add additional layers of red tape to an already slow regulatory process, even for those initiatives being considered. The Bush administration has only issued one health-related standard over the past eight years, which it was forced to complete under a court-ordered deadline.
“I am troubled by the Department of Labor’s attempt to rush through this rule without a full consideration of its effect on the health and safety of American workers. This proposed rule has without explanation leapfrogged ahead of many other worker protection standards that OSHA should have been working on for the last 8 years.” -- Subcommittee Chair Lynn Woolsey
“Our nation’s system for protecting workers from harmful substances that cause injuries, illnesses, and deaths is paralyzed. Thousands of workers are exposed every day to chemical compounds and physical hazards that are known to be harmful, yet these exposures are permitted by outdated or non-existent OSHA and MSHA standards.” -- Dr. Celeste Monforton, a lecturer at the department of environmental and occupational health at The George Washington University
“The proposed risk assessment rule has been developed in secret by political appointees…with little involvement by OSHA and MSHA and with no public notice prior to its publication. The department is trying to rush the proposal through and is depriving the public of an opportunity to meaningfully participate in this rulemaking process.” -- Peg Seminario, director of safety and health at the AFL-CIO
On Wednesday, September 17, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee will hold a hearing examining the Department of Labor's last-minute proposal that would dramatically weaken future workplace health standards and further slow their enactment. The department has allowed only 30 days for comment on the proposal and will not hold public hearings.
"Secret Rule: Impact of the Department of Labor’s Worker Health Risk Assessment Proposal" Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 10:00 a.m. EDT
The House overwhelmingly passed the bill, H.R. 6889, by a vote of 368 to 4. Specifically, the legislation would extend provisions that provide the U.S. Secretary of Education with the additional tools needed to safeguard federal student loans by purchasing loans from lenders in the federal student loan programs in the event that those lenders were unable to access the capital needed to finance their lending activity. Like the original legislation, this bill carries no new cost for taxpayers.
H.R. 6889 would extend, for one year:
The temporary authority given to the U.S. Education Secretary to purchase loans from lenders in the federally guaranteed loan program, ensuring that lenders continue to have access to capital to originate new loans, if there was a determination that lenders were unable to meet demand for loans. The Education Department would be authorized to purchase loans only if doing so would not result in a net cost for the federal government; and
The authority to allow guaranty agencies to carry out the functions of lenders of last resort on a school-wide basis. Under existing law, these guaranty agencies are obligated to serve as lenders of last resort to prevent any possible problem in access to student loans.
“At a time when our rough economy is already dealing a huge blow to American families, we can’t allow trouble in the credit markets to further price students out of a college degree. With market turbulence showing no signs of letting up, it’s only prudent to make sure that students have every assurance that the federal student loans they need will be there next year.” -- Chairman George Miller
“Come spring, students and families will be making their plans for the next academic year. It is critical that we extend the authority for the Secretary to purchase student loans to avoid any uncertainty about the access to this critical source of student financial aid. “It would be a tragedy for a student to decide to forgo or postpone college because of a fear of not being able to get a federal student loan.” -- Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness
Chairman George Miller sent a letter Friday to Colombia’s President Álvaro Uribe, asking his government to address concerns that Colombia has failed to adequately address the nearly 2,700 murders of labor union leaders in his country. President Uribe will meet with Miller and other members of Congress this week in Washington.
“Our two ally nations should work together to help Colombia improve its labor laws, decrease the ongoing violence, and finally put an end to the impunity enjoyed by those who have perpetrated thousands of anti-labor killings,” Chairman Miller wrote. “These challenges have taken on heightened significance this year as the violence in Colombia has escalated over 2007 levels.”
According to the Escuela Nacional Sindical, an independent Colombian think-tank, nearly 2,700 Colombian union leaders or union members have been murdered since 1986. The overwhelming majority of these killings remain uninvestigated by the Colombian Attorney General’s Office. In addition, ENS statistics show that so far this year, more union leaders have been assassinated than during all of 2007.
Last year Congress approved $39 million to assist the Colombian government in improving the rule of law and human rights. This funding included $5 million for Colombian prosecutors to address the backlog of murder investigations. However, the Bush administration has delayed the distribution of these funds.
“Many members of Congress are very disappointed that the Bush administration has not transferred the funds that we appropriated last year to the Colombian Attorney General’s Office,” said Chairman Miller. “If the Bush administration had not created these inexplicable delays, the Government of Colombia could have already hired even more investigators and prosecutors, and Colombia might by now be several steps closer to creating an effective and sustainable system of justice to address the grave problem of anti-labor violence.”
Chairman Miller traveled to Bogotá earlier this year to meet with Colombian government officials, judges, prosecutors, human rights advocates and labor union leaders. Since then the committee’s staff have continued to conduct additional fact-finding on Colombia’s efforts to improve its judicial system and the need for further labor law reforms.
“One advantage stemming from our Congress’ decision to postpone the vote regarding the proposed Colombia Free Trade Agreement is that it has given my colleagues and me additional time needed to assess whether or not Colombia has in fact created an effective and sustainable system of justice to combat anti-labor violence,” wrote Chairman Miller. “I hope that this ongoing fact-finding work will allow Congress to provide helpful recommendations to the next administration in the United States over how we can further strengthen our nation’s relationship with Colombia in such a way that promotes increased trade and higher labor standards.”
Congress delayed the consideration of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement in April.
Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert testifies on September 9, 2008.
The administration should do more to improve academic standards for schoolchildren who attend Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education at a hearing on Tuesday. Specifically, they said the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Education must work more closely with tribal organizations to develop accountability systems under the No Child Left Behind Act. The federal government provides elementary and secondary education and educational assistance to Indian children directly through federally-funded schools or through assistance to public schools. Ninety percent of Indian students attend public schools operated by local school districts. However, 10 percent attend BIE schools, which are schools funded by the Department of the Interior. BIE schools are subject to NCLB with limited exceptions.
"Our success in the 21st century economy is directly tied to our ability to produce a high quality labor force. And that ability is, of course, directly tied to our ability to meet the challenge of providing every child – including every Indian child – with a world-class education. We must ensure that Indian tribes – which are sovereign entities who best understand their children’s needs – are full partners in that process." -- Subcommittee Chairman Dale Kildee.
"Recognizing and validating the cultural, social and linguistic needs of American Indians is critical to guaranteeing the continuity of their communities... We believe with good faith collaboration that we can provide our children with an education that honors their Native identities while simultaneously preparing them for successful futures by providing them with opportunities to incorporate into the curriculum their rich cultural heritages, languages, and traditions." -- Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert, President of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), who testified that the BIE should expand upon the culturally based instruction currently taking place in Indian schools by promoting stronger integration of Native culture and languages into the curriculum.
"The frustration with this situation is NCLB provides opportunities for tribes to have a significant voice on assessing the quality of education for their children and making changes to their educational programs based on those assessments... The manner in which the BIE has chosen to implement NCLB has left tribes with no voice in educating their own children." -- Ted Hamilton, Executive Director of the Oceti Sakowin Education Consortium, who testified about the need to develop strong accountability systems tailored to BIE schools under NCLB.
On Thursday, September 11, 2008, the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee will hold a hearing on "Examining the Role of Museums and Libraries in Strengthening Communities," scheduled at 10:00 a.m. in room 2175 Rayburn H.O.B.
The House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act today, by a vote of 247-178. This bill will help end the discriminatory practice of paying a woman less than a man for performing the same job by strengthening the landmark Equal Pay Act and closing the loopholes that have allowed some employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.
This action comes a year after the House addressed another discriminatory pay issue with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The House approved that measure last year to rectify a Supreme Court decision that made it harder for workers to pursue pay discrimination claims.
The House passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (H.R. 4137) today, by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 380-49. This vote gave final approval to an overhaul of our nation's higher education laws, advancing key reforms that would address the soaring price of college and remove other obstacles that make it harder for qualified students to go to college. The Higher Education Act was last reauthorized in 1998. The current law expired in 2003. The bill now moves to the Senate for final clearance before being sent to the President for his signature.
Tuition and fees have increased across the board over the last five years, at public and private colleges and at two-year and four-year colleges. These increases have consistently outpaced increases in the rate of inflation and in families’ ability to pay, creating a college cost crisis that threatens to prevent qualified students from pursuing a higher education. This measure addresses these affordability challenges by encouraging colleges to rein in price increases, ensuring that states maintain their commitments to higher education funding, and providing students and families with consumer-friendly information on college pricing and the factors driving tuition increases. It also strengthens provisions previously approved by the House to avoid conflicts of interest in the student loan programs. The bill’s new provisions include requiring better consumer disclosures and protections on private student loans.
In addition, the Higher Education Opportunity Act would:
Streamline the federal student financial aid application process;
Make textbook costs more manageable for students by, among other things, helping them plan for textbook expenses in advance of each semester;
Allow students to receive year-round Pell Grant scholarships;
Strengthen college readiness programs;
Increase college aid and support programs for veterans and military families;
Improve safety on college campuses and help schools recover and rebuild after a disaster;
Ensure equal college opportunities and fair learning environments for students with disabilities; and
Strengthen our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness by boosting science, technology, and foreign language educational opportunities.
“Today’s students face daunting obstacles on the path to college, from skyrocketing tuition prices to predatory student lending tactics. This landmark bipartisan legislation will address these challenges and create a higher education system that is more consumer-friendly, fairer, and easier-to-navigate. Already, this Congress has taken historic steps to make college more affordable and accessible. With today’s vote, we are saying that in our nation’s higher education programs, the needs of students and families must always come first.” -- Chairman George Miller
“This bill is crucial to the health of our economy and will ensure that more students graduate prepared for the 21st century workplace. It puts smart strategies in place to improve our student aid process, restore confidence in our student loan programs, and provide more low-income, first-generation, and minority students the chance to pursue a college education.” -- Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness
Chairman George Miller and other House Democrats introduced legislation last night to prevent the Department of Labor from finalizing a last minute rule that could dramatically weaken future workplace health and safety regulations and slow their enactment. The “Prohibiting the Department of Labor’s Secret Rule Act” (H.R. 6660) will forbid the Department of Labor from issuing, administering or enforcing any rule, regulation, or requirement derived from the proposal submitted to the Office of Management and Budget on July 7. Chairman Miller and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy first requested information regarding the draft rule on July 10, when it was revealed that the department was working on a last-minute change to the regulatory process that may significantly inhibit the implementation of critical health and safety regulations. On July 23, Miller and Kennedy requested that the Department withdraw the rule.
“Congress will not stand for any backdoor effort by the political appointees to further cripple our nation’s ability to respond to vital health and safety concerns. This entire effort is the product of a flawed, politicized process that has failed to properly consider the views of experts or the consequences for workplace health.” -- Chairman George Miller
The House is expected to vote today on the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Committee passed the measure on July 24 to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job. Loopholes created by courts and weak sanctions in the law have allowed many employers to avoid liability for engaging in gender-based pay discrimination. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.
Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages.
As a result of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, enacted into law last year, historically black colleges and universities across America will begin to receive record increases in new funding for the coming school year. The U.S. Department of Education will start awarding the grants to schools tomorrow.
The law provides $170 million in new funding for HBCUs over the next two years to help expand college access, strengthen support services that focus on helping low-income and minority students stay in school and graduate, and renovate campuses in need of improvement. The grants provided under the law are mandatory funding, meaning schools will receive them in addition to any funding that is appropriated annually by the Congress. All 99 HBCUs that currently receive federal funds will benefit from this increase.
HBCUs play a significant role in helping African American students succeed in college and the workforce. Although they represent only 3 percent of all colleges and universities, they enroll close to a third of all African-American students. Forty percent of their students pursue four-year degrees in science, technology, engineering and math, and about half of all African-American students in teaching fields attend HBCUs. Despite this progress, HBCUs continue to face a unique set of financial challenges, including balancing limited resources and endowments with a deep commitment to serving students with fewer financial resources. Many schools are in dire need of repair, especially Gulf Coast schools that are still feeling the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Sadly, federal support for HBCUs and other minority-serving schools has dwindled under the Bush administration. In his most recent budget for the fiscal year 2009, President Bush proposed cutting funding for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions by $85 million, a 35 percent decrease from the previous year’s budget.
In addition to the funding provided by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, Democrats are also working to boost support for HBCUs by enacting the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which would strengthen and reauthorize the nation’s higher education programs. That bill, which Congress is working to finalize this week, would increase the amount of funding HBCUs could receive for capital projects, expand funding eligibility for graduate student programs at HBCUs and other minority serving-institutions and would address the challenges of starting and growing endowments at these schools.
“This landmark investment in HBCUs will strengthen college opportunities for millions of talented students. HBCUs are a vital part of America’s higher education and economic framework, and have a long history of producing some of our nation’s greatest leaders, innovators, and thinkers. By providing HBCUs with these much-needed federal resources, we are saying that the needs of these vital institutions and their students can no longer go ignored.” -- Chairman George Miller, author of the law
“HBCUs have played and continue to play an integral role in furthering the education of Black students in America. Unfortunately, these institutions face increasing challenges and have limited resources. I am very pleased with the historical investment to HBCUs that the College Cost Reduction and Access Act will provide. It is a much-needed step in the right direction and will go a long way toward helping HBCUs continue to provide a quality education to our nation's youth.” -- Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Education Taskforce
“As a graduate of the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, I and my brothers, sisters, nephews, cousins and friends know firsthand the opportunities provided by HBCUs, especially to low-income African American students. Chairman George Miller and the Committee on Education and Labor are to be commended for this outstanding bill.” -- Rep. Danny K. Davis, Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Education Taskforce
On Thursday, July 31, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the growing income equality and its effects on the middle class. Stagnant wages have contributed to income inequality. The rapidly rising costs of food and energy have put additional pressures on families already struggling to make ends meet. Income inequality has been rising since the late 1970’s when the top 1 percent of wage earners earned less than 10 percent of all income. But since then, these top earners have increasingly accounted for a larger portion of the income pie: By 2006, the top 1 percent earned more than 20 percent of our nation’s wealth.
“The Growing Income Gap in the American Middle Class” Thursday, July 31, 2008, 10:00 a.m. EDT
The House is expected to vote tomorrow, July 31, on the Higher Education Opportunity Act (H.R. 4137). This measure is the conference report on the Higher Education Act reauthorization; conferees adopted the conference report last night.
This would be the first time the Higher Education Act was reauthorized since 1998. The current law expired in 2003. This Congress has already passed two major pieces of legislation to make college more affordable and accessible. Last September, Congress enacted the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which provides more than $20 billion in federal college aid for students over five years – and at no new cost to taxpayers. This spring, Congress also enacted the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act, which safeguards students’ access to federal financial aid from turmoil in the U.S. credit markets. That law also carried no cost for taxpayers.
A college education continues to be the best path to the middle class. But more and more, high college prices and other obstacles are putting a college degree further out of reach for America’s students. In addition to rising tuition, students and their families face an overly complex federal student aid application process and a student loan industry mired in conflicts of interest and corrupt lending practices. The Higher Education Opportunity Act will continue this Congress’ effort to make college more affordable and accessible. This bill would reform our higher education system so that it operates in the best interests of students and families, while boosting our competitiveness and strengthening our future.
Witnesses today told the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee that the field of social work affects the lives of Americans from all walks of life on a daily basis, and though the field faces some challenges, it is expected to grow in the coming years.
Social workers provide critical services across rural, urban and suburban areas. They work with a wide variety of people, from children, families and the elderly, to those with mental health problems or substance abuse issues, to those who are incarcerated. As baby boomers age, they will increasingly require more social work services, said Gary Bailey, associate professor at the Graduate School of Social Work at Simmons College in Boston, MA.
A master's degree in social work or a related field is now standard for many positions. Dr. Robin Mama, dean of the School of Social Work at Monmouth University in Monmouth, NJ, said recruitment is the biggest challenge facing undergraduate social work programs, in part because of negative associations. Mama also said there is a need for bilingual and trilingual social workers and cultural awareness and sensitivity. More »
On Wednesday, July 30, the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the proposed merger of Delta and Northwest Airlines and the merger’s potential impact on workers of those airlines.
"The Proposed Delta/Northwest Airlines Merger: The Impact on Workers” Wednesday, July 30, 2008, 10:30 a.m. EDT
In light of the recent economic downturn and the nation’s aging population, the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, July 29 to examine how social workers can best meet the changing needs of American families.
Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee Hearing on “Caring for the Vulnerable: The State of Social Work in America” Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 3:00 p.m. EDT
Witnesses told the Committee at today's hearing on physical education in America's schools that expanding and improving physical education in the nation’s schools is key to fighting child obesity. Studies show that more than a third of U.S. schoolchildren are now obese, that the physical activity of American children is dramatically decreasing as they move into their teenage years, and that overweight children are now more vulnerable to serious diseases that were once a rarity among young kids, including cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, and certain types of cancer.
U.S. schools have drastically reduced their physical education programs in recent years; fewer than ten percent of all public schools now offer daily physical education classes. Although the National Association for Sport and Physical Activity recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise a week for elementary students and 225 minutes a week for middle and high school students, most schools offer far less.
The Committee passed the Paycheck Fairness Act today to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job, by a 26 to 17 vote. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay. Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a significant problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research concluded that this wage disparity will cost a woman anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over her lifetime in lost wages.
“This is a historic day in the fight for equal rights for women. If we are serious about closing the gender pay gap, we must get serious about punishing those who would otherwise scoff at the weak sanctions under current law. Any wage gap based on gender is unacceptable, especially during these tough economic times. By allowing wage discrimination to continue, we hold down women and their families while harming the American economy as a whole.” -- Chairman George Miller
“It’s completely unacceptable that women continue to be discriminated against in the workplace, receiving a fraction of the pay of men. We must confront such discrimination head on and ensure that all Americans, regardless of gender, receive an equal paycheck for equal pay for equal work.” -- Rep. Lynn Woolsey, chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
On Thursday, July 24, the Committee will vote on legislation to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women differently for performing the same job. The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338), introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility of discriminatory pay. Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages.
Markup on "H.R. 1338, Paycheck Fairness Act" Thursday, July 24, 2008, 1:00 p.m. EDT
With the U.S. facing staggering rates of child obesity, the Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday, July 24 at 10 a.m., to examine how to improve physical education in the nation’s schools and strengthen efforts to fight childhood obesity.
“The Benefits of Physical and Health Education for Our Nation’s Children” Witnesses: U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) Richard Simmons, Fitness Expert and Advocate Tim Brown, former Oakland Raider wide receiver and nine time Pro-Bowler Dr. Russell Pate, Associate Vice President for Health Sciences and Professor, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina Lori Rose Benson, Director of Fitness and Physical Education, New York City Department of Education Robert M. Keiser, Student Advisor to Governor Charlie Crist, Council on Physical Fitness, Florida
Improving the teaching and learning of mathematics and science in U.S. schools is vital to maintaining America’s global leadership, witnesses told the Committee in yesterday's hearing. A report released in March by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel found that the nation’s system teaching math is “broken and must be fixed” if the U.S. wants to maintain its competitive edge. Among other things, the panel called for a comprehensive, systemic effort to strengthen math education, including improving teacher training and professional development. The panel of experts, which included business leaders, a teacher, and the first American woman to travel in space, recommended expanding partnerships between the business and education communities that focus on bolstering STEM education, and increasing training and support programs for teachers. The witnesses also urged lawmakers to fully fund the America COMPETES Act, a law enacted by the Democratic Congress last year to provide education and job training for students and workers in math, science, technology, and engineering fields. Last year, Congress approved $193 million in funding for math and science education in the COMPETES Act, but President Bush vetoed that legislation.
“America won’t be able to maintain our great legacy of innovation and discovery, let alone compete in today’s global economy, unless we make investing in math and science education a top priority,” said Chairman George Miller. “Last year, Congress took a critical first step by enacting legislation to provide workers with the training and skills needed to compete in 21st century jobs. Now we must build on that down payment by working with business leaders and key stakeholders to help arm students with an excellent foundation in math, science, and other cutting-edge fields.” More »
Tomorrow, July 22 at 2 p.m., the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how business-education partnerships can help drive innovation and strengthen math and science education in America’s schools. A report released by the National Math Panel in March found that the nation’s system for teaching math is “broken and must be fixed” if the U.S. wants to maintain its competitive edge. In May, the Committee first examined the report’s findings and recommendations; Tuesday’s hearing will follow up on that hearing. Phil Mickelson, professional golfer and co-founder of the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, will be among the witnesses to testify.
On June 25, the House passed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 by a vote of 402-17 to stop discrimination against individuals with disabilities by restoring the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This bipartisan legislation will reverse several U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have undermined the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the ADA’s enactment nearly two decades ago, courts have dramatically reduced the numbers of workers who are protected from employment discrimination under the law.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act was signed into law on May 21, preventing health insurers and employers from using Americans’ personal genetic information to discriminate against them. The law prohibits employers from using individuals' genetic information when making hiring, firing, job placement or promotion decisions. It also makes it illegal for group health plans and health insurers to deny coverage to healthy individuals or charge them higher premiums based solely on a genetic predisposition to a specific disease.
Employers in the U.S. who violate child labor laws will face stiffer fines under a measure signed into law on May 21. The Child Labor Protection Act, first introduced in 2007 by U.S. Reps. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Joe Wilson (R-SC), increases penalties from $11,000 to $50,000 for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act that cause the death or serious injury of a child.
On May 20, the House passed the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act by a vote of 402-9, clarifying that flight attendants and pilots are entitled to take unpaid family and medical leave to care for themselves, newborn children, and sick or injured family members. The bill would close a loophole which, because of the unique way many air crews’ hours are calculated, effectively excludes more than 200,000 flight attendants and pilots from coverage under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
On April 30, the House passed the Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fires Act to help prevent combustible dust explosions like the one at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, on February 7 that killed 13 workers and injured more than 60 others. The measure would require the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue rules regulating combustible industrial dusts, like sugar dust, that can build up to hazardous levels and explode. OSHA has known about these dangers for years, but has failed to act.
Setting high standards, ensuring that all children have access to outstanding teachers, holding educators accountable for their schools’ progress, and restructuring chronically struggling schools, are vital to creating a world-class public education system, mayors and superintendents of major U.S. cities told the Committee at yesterday's hearing.
Each of the four cities represented at the hearing -– New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Atlanta -– have made impressive gains in recent years in boosting student proficiency in reading and math and narrowing the achievement gap between groups of students. As the witnesses explained, many of these gains are the result of the innovative reforms being pursued through mayor-superintendent partnerships, including performance pay initiatives for teachers and principals, increased accountability, and community-wide partnerships that can help strengthen schools and provide better support for teachers. More »
On Thursday, July 17 at 10:00 a.m., the Committee will hear from mayors and school superintendents of major U.S. cities, including New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Atlanta, at a hearing on their challenges and successes in working to improve public schools.
“Mayor and Superintendent Partnerships in Education: Closing the Achievement Gap" Witnesses: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City Chancellor Joel I. Klein, New York City Public Schools Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, District of Columbia Chancellor Michelle Rhee, DC Public Schools Arne Duncan, Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Public Schools Beverly L. Hall, Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), testified at a hearing today that findings from two separate investigations indicate that the U.S. Department of Labor is failing to effectively enforce the nation’s wage and hour laws. The two investigations found that the Wage and Hour Division of the Labor Department -– the agency responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations -– is failing to fully investigate and properly address violations of the law. The GAO calculated that actions initiated by the Department on wage and hour violations have dropped from approximately 47,000 in 1997 to fewer than 30,000 in 2007. Also, the use of fines that punish repeat or egregious offenders declined by nearly 50 percent from 2001 to 2007.
Other findings:
- Thousands of cases may have been mishandled by the agency over the past decade, which may have resulted in workers receiving reduced or no back pay at all. In one case, the GAO uncovered that the Wage and Hour Division dropped investigations when employers refused to pay or claimed no funds to pay back wages, even though the business was still in operation. Although the agency has the ability to take employers to court in order to force recalcitrant employers to issue back pay, the agency refused to do so in most cases.
- Hundreds of cases where the agency did not assign an investigator for more than a year after the initial complaint. It cited one example where a truck driver who was not paid for overtime had to wait for 17 months to be assigned an investigator. The case against the truck driver’s employer was dropped because the agency could no longer locate the truck driver.
The investigations were conducted by the GAO at the request of Chairman George Miller.
On May 7, the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 was signed into law. This measure provides new protections to ensure that families can continue to access the loans they need to pay for college. Chairman Miller said: "Today we have taken another big step in the right direction for students and families working hard to pay for college in a very tough economy."
On June 3, the "Protecting Our Children Comes First Act" was signed into law, reauthorizing and funding federal missing and exploited children programs, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Chairman Miller and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy said in a joint statement: "Nothing matters more than keeping our children out of harm’s way, and this law is a fundamental part of our efforts to do just that."
The House passed the bipartisan Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008 on June 25 by a vote of 318-103. The bill would stop child abuse in teen residential programs attended by tens of thousands of U.S. teenagers, including therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness camps, boot camps, and behavior modification facilities. Depending on the state where they are located, some of these programs are regulated; some are not. As a result of this loose patchwork of regulations, reports of child abuse at the programs have frequently gone unchecked. The Government Accountability Office found thousands of allegations of child abuse and neglect at residential programs for teens between 1994 and 2007. Tragically, in a number of cases, this abuse and neglect led to the death of a child.
Public school buildings around the country would receive much-needed renovations and modernization under the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, passed by the House on June 4 by a vote of 250 to 164. The measure would provide funding to states and school districts to help ensure that school facilities and learning environments are safe, healthy, energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and technologically up-to-date. The bill would also provide additional support for Gulf Coast schools still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
On June 26, the Committee passed the Providing Resources Early for Kids Act, by a vote of 31-11, to improve the quality of state pre-school programs, which collectively serve more than 1 million young children. Research increasingly demonstrates that the first years of children’s lives have a much greater and more lasting impact on their future growth and learning than was previously understood. H.R. 3289 establishes a federal-state partnership to expand high-quality early childhood educational opportunities to more children. It provides incentives to states to ensure that their pre-k programs meet children’s developmental and educational needs.
On June 18, the Committee passed the No Child Left Inside Act by a vote of 37-8. This measure would improve environmental education for schoolchildren both inside and outside of the classroom.
Also on June 18, the Committee passed the Education Begins at Home Act, a bill to provide critical support services to families, reduce child abuse, and help more children arrive at school ready to succeed by expanding access to early childhood home visitation programs for parents and children.
The Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, July 15 to examine the U.S. Department of Labor’s record of enforcing the nation’s wage and hour laws. The Government Accountability Office will highlight the results of two separate investigations requested by Chairman George Miller into the Labor Department’s failures to fully investigate and properly address violations of the law. Seventy years ago last month, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the landmark Fair Labor Standards Act into law. The law has provided generations of Americans with basic rights to minimum wages, overtime pay, and a ban on oppressive child labor. However, critics say that the Bush administration has failed to protect workers from a growing problem of “wage theft” by adopting weak approaches to enforcement and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division, the agency responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations.
With food prices continuing to soar, the Committee will hold a hearing at 10am tomorrow, July 9, to examine how rising food costs are making it harder for the nation’s child nutrition and school meal programs to provide healthy, low-cost meals for children. Nationwide, nearly 50 million children are served by federal child nutrition programs, which include school lunch programs, childcare programs, and summer food programs. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whole grain breads, milk, and cheese prices increased by as much as 17 percent in 2007, and the costs of fresh fruits and vegetables are also up. Committee Schedule »
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