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Posts from July 2008 House Passes Paycheck Fairness ActBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-31-2008, 07:35 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting House Passes Higher Education Opportunity Act, Sets Stage for Higher Education Renewal for First Time in a DecadeBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-31-2008, 03:30 PM
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.
“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 Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting House Democrats Introduce Legislation to Stop Labor Department's 'Secret Rule'By Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-31-2008, 10:37 AM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting House Expected to Vote Today on Paycheck Fairness ActBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-31-2008, 10:32 AM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Historic Funding Increases for Historically Black Colleges and Universities This FallBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-30-2008, 06:17 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Upcoming Hearing: Subcommittee Hearing on the Growing Middle Class Income GapBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-30-2008, 05:45 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting House Expected to Vote on Higher Education Measure Tomorrow, July 31By Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-30-2008, 04:03 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Social Work Is An Essential Safety Net for Americans From All Walks of Life, Witnesses SayBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-29-2008, 07:08 PM
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 » Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Upcoming Hearing: Subcommittee Hearing on Worker Impact of Proposed Merger of Delta and Northwest AirlinesBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-29-2008, 12:16 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Upcoming Hearing: Role of Social Work in a Changing AmericaBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-28-2008, 06:30 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting OSHA's $8.77 Million Citation of Imperial Sugar Highlights Need for Rules to Prevent Similar ExplosionsBy Chairman George Miller on 07-25-2008, 02:10 PM
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today issued an $8.77 million citation to Imperial Sugar for the fatal February explosion that killed 13 workers and seriously injured dozens of others at the company’s sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting MSHA Report Confirms Committee's Conclusion That Murray Energy Recklessly Endangered Miners' LivesBy Chairman George Miller on 07-24-2008, 07:05 PM
Today, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) fined the operator of Utah's Crandall Canyon Mine $1.85 million for the disaster that was the site of the worst coal mining tragedy of 2007. Pillars of coal supporting a roof burst, sending coal flying and creating enough force to register a 3.9 on the Richter scale. Rubble blocked every exit, entombing six miners somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 feet underground. Three courageous rescuers who attempted to reach them also died in the rescue effort. Crandall Canyon Mine is operated by Genwal Resources Inc., whose parent company is Murray Energy Corp. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Improving Physical Education in U.S. Schools is Key to Fighting Child Obesity EpidemicBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-24-2008, 05:23 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Committee Passes Bill to Help Close Gender Wage GapBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-24-2008, 04:23 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Minimum Wage Increases Today, Helping Millions of America's Lowest-Paid WorkersBy Chairman George Miller on 07-24-2008, 10:25 AM
Today, the national minimum wage increases by 70 cents, from $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour. I am proud to say that this is the second of three increases due to take effect under the Fair Minimum Wage Act, enacted by this Democratic Congress and signed into law on May 25, 2007. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Elaine Chao Must Withdraw 'Secret Rule'By Chairman George Miller on 07-23-2008, 04:06 PM
This morning, the Washington Post exposed the Bush administration’s latest ploy that could radically change the way health and safety regulations are issued. This secret regulation is a clear attempt by the Bush administration and the business community to fundamentally weaken the scientific process for enacting new regulations that protect American workers. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Upcoming Markup: Committee to Vote on Paycheck Fairness ActBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-23-2008, 01:48 PM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Upcoming Hearing: Improving Physical Education in America's SchoolsBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-23-2008, 01:44 PM
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. Posted in | 1 Comments | View Full Posting Stronger Math and Science Education Key to Boosting U.S. CompetitivenessBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-23-2008, 11:04 AM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Upcoming Hearing: How Business-Education Partnerships Can Bolster Math and Science EducationBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-21-2008, 10:21 AM 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. See the Committee Schedule for more information » Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Recent Labor Legislative VictoriesBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-18-2008, 01:52 PM
Several labor measures have been signed into law or passed through the House recently, thanks to the Committee's hard work. ADA Amendments Act: Signed Into Law 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. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act: Signed Into 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. Child Labor Protection Act: Signed Into Law 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. Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act: Passed by House 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. Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fires Act: Passed by House 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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Witnesses Tell Committee That High Standards and Outstanding Teachers Will Close the Achievement GapBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-18-2008, 09:30 AM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Upcoming Hearing: Challenges and Successes in Urban Education ReformBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-16-2008, 11:19 AM
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. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Labor Department Not Effectively Fighting Wage TheftBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-15-2008, 05:50 PM
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.
Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Recent Education Legislative VictoriesBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-15-2008, 02:45 PM
In the past few weeks, the Committee has been hard at work pushing forward many key education measures. Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Upcoming Hearing on Department of Labor's Failure to Effectively Enforce Basic Wage and Hour Protections: Tomorrow, July 15By Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-14-2008, 04:49 PM
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. See the Committee schedule for more information » Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Hearing on the Effects of Rising Food Prices on Child Nutrition Programs: Tomorrow, July 9By Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-08-2008, 06:43 PM 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 » Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting Welcome to the EdLabor JournalBy Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-08-2008, 02:41 PM Welcome to the new Education & Labor Committee blog, the EdLabor Journal! The Committee has had a busy year and a half, getting measures ranging from the College Cost Reduction & Access Act to the Fair Minimum Wage Act signed into law, and working to pass many others through Committee and the House. (To catch up on what we've been doing, take a look at our Education & Labor Legislative Victories pamphlet.) Posted in | 0 Comments | View Full Posting |
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