House Education & Workforce Committee Issues Report on Activities for 114th Congress (Part 3 of 4)
MINORITY VIEWS
Early Childhood. Research is clear on both the short- and long-term positive outcomes of quality preschool programs, including reduction of achievement gaps in elementary and secondary education and significant returns on investment through reduced criminal activity, reliance on federal benefits, and other outcomes. Furthermore, state and local elected officials, business, school, law enforcement, military, and economic leaders have all expressed broad agreement that increasing such strategic investments in early childhood education are critical to our country's economic growth and military readiness. Committee
During the first session of the 114th
Large percentages of eligible children, however, continue to lack access to quality early learning programs. Many of these children live in under-resourced communities that are not able to help provide a nurturing environment. The disaster in
K-12 Education. During the 1st session of the 114th
Committee
Most importantly, Committee Democrats successfully fought to preserve the full regulatory, oversight, and enforcement authority of the
Committee
In addition to the Committee's legislative agenda, Committee Democrats worked with the
To support states and school districts in tackling the teacher shortage, Committee Democrats introduced the Innovations to Recruit and Retain Excellent Teachers Act, H.R. 6236, in November of 2016. Because issues of teacher recruitment and retention impact students' current and future socioeconomic outcomes, H.R. 6236 seeks to empower states and school districts to develop innovative, tailored strategies to ensure that students (especially those from low-income families) are taught by a well-supported and diverse workforce of excellent teachers. The bill would build on the recruitment and retention initiatives funded through ESEA Title II, as updated by ESSA. Committee
Students with Disabilities. Committee
Committee
In the 115th
Child Nutrition. The Committee plays a critical role in the fight against hunger and the childhood obesity epidemic. In the 111th
1Donna Johnson,
2USDA. School Meal Certification Data, (
Over the four Committee hearings held in the 114th
Further, H.R. 5003 proposed drastic changes to a successful provision in the 2010 reauthorization that provides access to free, nutritious meals to millions of students from low-income families. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allowed more than 18,000 schools across the country to serve free, universal, healthy school meals to 8.5 million children in school year 2015-2016 without the stigma or burden of paperwork.3 CEP has proven to be a powerful tool that allows school districts to provide easier access to nutritious meals for children in high-poverty schools and high-poverty areas by simplifying program eligibility and eliminating unnecessary and redundant school meal applications. Despite its demonstrated efficacy and popularity, H.R. 5003 would make it harder for schools and children to qualify for CEP, again, rolling back the progress of the 2010 reauthorization.
3Food
Committee
Child Safety. The safety of all children must be the highest priority for this Committee. In 2016, Committee Republicans and Committee Democrats collaborated on a bipartisan child welfare bill that unanimously passed the House to support children who are born dependent on opioids, known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, due to the parent's addiction to illegal or prescription drugs. The Infant Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act, H.R. 4843, amended the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to strengthen requirements for the state to ensure the safety of the infant and well-being of the caregiver following the child's release from a healthcare provider. The bill became law on
Committee
Additionally, Committee Democrats reintroduced legislation this
Student Data Privacy. Protecting student privacy is a priority that transcends party lines. In July of 2015 Committee Democrats and Committee Republicans worked to introduce the bipartisan Student Privacy Protection Act, H.R. 3157, a bill to modernize the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. Recognizing advances in the delivery of educational programs and services since the law's enactment, including use of modern technology, the legislation would update federal student data privacy protections to align with the evolving use of 21st century technology in kindergarten through postsecondary education. Committee
Juvenile Justice. In the 114th
In too many communities in America, an ineffective educational system converges with an unresponsive juvenile justice system to create a "Cradle to Prison Pipeline." According to estimates from the
Committee
In June of 2015, Ranking Member Scott introduced H.R. 2728, the Youth Justice Act of 2015, a comprehensive reauthorization of the JJDPA. The bill raised authorization levels for juvenile justice programs considerably and strengthened all of the core protections for juveniles in the system. Committee
As a result of this bipartisan work, on
H.R. 5587 embodied Committee Democrats' commitments to reauthorize the law to increase alignment between CTE programs and careers; ensure opportunity for participation in CTE for underserved students; improve collaboration between secondary and postsecondary programs, industry, employers, and community partners; promote innovation in CTE programs; improve outcomes for students, employers, and communities; and strengthen the federal commitment to support delivery of high-quality CTE programs. Committee
Higher Education. Throughout the 114th
While there are marked policy differences between Committee Democrats and
While Committee Democrats are proud of this bipartisan collaboration, these bills are not a substitute for a comprehensive rewriting of the Higher Education Act. We remain focused on evidence-based, results driven higher education policies to improve access, affordability, and completion for all.
All members of the
Evidence shows that many low-income students and parents are deterred from even applying to college due to exorbitant college costs and general unawareness of federal financial aid that can make college more affordable. Because a college degree remains the greatest driver of socioeconomic mobility in America, Ranking Member Scott introduced H.R. 2962, the America's College Promise Act of 2015 to make two years of community college free and provide an affordable pathway to a four-year college degree for low-income students. Committee
Committee
Led by Committee Democrats, Democratic Members of
While protecting Pell Grant program funding is a worthy starting point,
Improved access to higher education provided by a robust investment in the Pell Grant program is meaningless if government and institutions fail to adequately support low- income and first generation students to complete their degree programs. Research shows that one of every 10 Pell Grant recipients fails to refile his or her FAFSA when returning for their second year. A recent report found that Pell-eligible students were more than twice as likely as non-Pell-eligible students to experience difficulty obtaining their parents financial information. Additionally, due to the filing of both student and parent financial information, dependent students take twice as long to refile the FAFSA than independent students, who must provide only their own financial data. Financial information is useful for calculating aid eligibility the first time a FAFSA is filed, but because data demonstrates consistency in Pell award amounts for dependent students upon refiling, there is no need to collect this information year after year. To simplify the FAFSA for dependent low-income students, Ranking Member Scott introduced H.R. 5784, the File Once FAFSA Act of 2016. The legislation would allow dependent Pell Grant recipients to file just once before going to college and forgo burdensome refiling in subsequent years. This legislation would make it easier for nearly 3.5 million low- income students to obtain critical Pell Grant aid.
State disinvestment in higher education is a chief cause of rising college costs. Low-income students are increasingly forced to rely on loan rather than grant aid. This is why Committee Democrats have fought to ensure that all students have access to affordable loan repayment plans. More than 8 million student borrowers are in default on their student loans, many of whom would have qualified for a lower payment in an existing income-driven repayment plan. In September of 2016,
In many cases, borrowers who default are actually those who are having a difficult time finding a job that allows them to repay their loans. According to a national survey administered through the
Committee
Lastly, Committee Democrats remain committed to safe and supportive learning environments for all postsecondary students. In a
Committee
Throughout the 114th
Economic Security. Even with the longest stretch of private sector job growth on record, during which the private sector added 15.6 million jobs, many American families continue to struggle to make ends meet. During the 114th
Committee
4Brady Meixell and
In May of 2016, the
5Ross Eisenbrey and
The final rule raises the salary threshold to the 40th percentile of full-time weekly salaried earnings in the lowest wage Census region (the South)--
Despite the evidence that millions of working people will now be guaranteed access to overtime pay, the Committee Republicans held hearings, as well as introduced and called votes on legislation that would undermine the overtime rule. On
H.R. 2150, the Raise the Wage Act, is a key priority for Committee Democrats. This legislation raises the minimum wage to
Committee
Committee
6Ben Olinsky and
The LEARNS Act will support a closer alignment between registered apprenticeship programs, employers and other program sponsors offering good jobs, increase the attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials by program participants, create national standards for registered apprenticeship programs, and establish a permanent advisory council at the
Workers' Rights. Since the Majority took control in the 112th
Taken together, these bills undermine workers' rights while doing nothing to improve workers' lives, give them a voice at work, or increase their economic security. Moreover, these bills and resolutions represent a frontal assault on the key purposes of the NLRA, which include:
Encouraging the practice and procedures of collective bargaining, and
Protecting the exercise by workers of full freedom of association, self-organization and designation of representatives of their own choosing, for the purposes of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment or other mutual aid or protection.
As an alternative, Committee Democrats proposed the WAGE Act, H.R. 3514, a bill to strengthen workers' right to organize unions by establishing meaningful deterrents for violations of labor law. It does so by establishing civil monetary penalties for violations, authorizing treble damages for lost wages, and providing a private right of action for workers who face workplace discrimination for exercising their rights under NLRA. Committee
By contrast, Committee Republicans have stalled for the past 6 years, stating that they wanted to wait for all of the UBB accident investigation reports to be completed before taking action. Six investigation reports have long been finalized; the last report was released nearly five years ago in
Rather than work to protect miner safety, Committee Republicans have challenged the feasibility of MSHA's long- overdue respirable dust rule, which is aimed at ending the scourge of black lung disease. In the two years since it was issued, this rule has reduced average coal dust levels and improved compliance by requiring real time exposure monitoring through new technology. Committee
Occupational Safety and Health. According to the
Supported a rule issued by the
Called upon
7Government Accountability Office. Workplace Safety and Health: Additional Efforts Needed to
Supported an
8Government Accountability Office. Workplace Safety and Health: Additional Data Needed to Address Continued Hazards in the Meat and Poultry Industry (GAO 16-337), (
Rather than enacting pro-worker safety laws, Committee Republicans used its hearings to object to
Workers' Compensation Programs. The Committee has held no hearings on the Black Lung Benefits Act since 1991, despite the revelations over the past several years of unfair tactics being used by coal operators and their law firms to defeat black lung claims by miners and their survivors. A Pulitzer Prize winning investigation revealed how coal operators have defeated black lung claims by hiring doctors at prestigious medical centers who systematically misread lung x-rays that clearly showed the most advanced stages of black lung disease. This investigation showed that defense law firms also withheld medical evidence from miners, surviving spouses, and judges that would have proven the claimants' eligibility for benefits. One medical center shut down its x-ray reading program, but has yet to release its internal investigation report.
Hearings are also needed to assess the future solvency of the
To gather information, Committee Democrats have hosted two roundtables with coal miners and black lung experts who examined how the claims process has been tilted against claimants by a disparity in medical and legal resources between coal miners and well-financed coal companies. Miners also expressed concern about delay in the claims adjudication process. To help level the playing field, Committee Democrats, in conjunction with Representative
Continues with Part 4 of 4
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House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Issues Report on Activities for 114th Congress (Part 2 of 8)
House Budget Committee Issues Summary Report, Activities for 114th Congress (Part 1 of 2)
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