Democrats -Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives

Ensuring Decent Pay – Not Lower Pay – Key to Economic Recovery, House Labor Subcommittee Learns

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:03:05 +0000

WASHINGTON – Democrats on the Education and Workforce Committee vigorously defended the benefits of the Davis-Bacon act to workers in a hearing designed by the GOP to undermine the nation’s historic wage protection law.

“For the last eight decades, the Davis-Bacon Act has provided millions of hard working Americans fair wages for the their hard work. During all these years, the Davis-Bacon Act has done exactly what it was intended to do – prevent federal projects from driving down local wage rates,” said Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), the senior Democratic member on the subcommittee. “To be sitting here today debating bureaucratic churning about Davis-Bacon misses the point. The problem is more work. For people who are in the construction trades today, this law is not the issue.”

Davis-Bacon is a federal law that ensures that workers are paid local prevailing wages on federal construction projects so that government projects do not drive down local wages. A witness called by the Republican majority advocated repeal of the Davis-Bacon law and even agreed that workers’ wages would fall under repeal. House Republicans have tried to repeal the Davis-Bacon protections nine times over the last two years in a number of federal agency contracts. Despite these efforts, the House has repeatedly voted to retain these protections on a bipartisan basis.

“By protecting the wages of higher-skilled workers from low-wage, less-skilled competition, Davis-Bacon raises employee productivity and offsets the cost of paying higher hourly rates,” said Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Economic Policy Institute. “Better-managed firms and more skilled employees also tend to work more safely, reducing the number of accidents, lowering workers compensation costs, and preventing damage to materials and equipment.”

Eisenbrey agreed with committee Democrats that efforts to increase working families’ pay – like increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, strengthening equal pay protections, among others – are vital to increasing consumer demand and economic growth.

“I can’t think of anything more fundamental to protecting our workforce than seeing to it that they are paid a fair wage. I don’t think you need to be a Nobel laureate in economics to figure out that if you pay people less, they are going to spend less. If 70 percent of our economy is rooted in what people spend, if we pay them less, that’s going to hurt our economy,” said Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.). “What I want this committee to look at is how we can protect wages.”

However, a Republican bill proposed in Congress would move Davis-Bacon wage determinations from the Wage and Hour Division in the Department of Labor to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eisenbrey said that this move would seriously undermine worker wages.

“Any determination that ignores 20 percent or more of the typical construction worker’s compensation would obviously not protect the locally prevailing compensation, would undermine the local labor market, and would make it easier for migrant contractors to underbid local firms,” said Eisenbrey.

New Survey Shows Majority of Americans want Congress to Keep Student Loan Interest Rates at 3.4 Percent or Lower

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:40:59 +0000

WASHINGTON – 83 percent of Americans want Congress to keep interest rates on student loans at 3.4 percent or lower according to the results of a new poll released today.

“The survey responses confirm what House Democrats have known for some time: Congress needs to keep interest rates low and a not add more debt onto students and families,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “With just days to act before interest rates double for millions of borrowers, it is my hope that House Republicans will reverse their vote to increase student debt and support legislation that doesn’t harm students, families, and our economy. Time is running out.”

Unless Congress acts by July 1, interest rates on subsidized education loans will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent for millions of the neediest students. This year, and every year that Congress doesn’t act will cost a student borrower $1,000.

With less than seven legislative days remaining in June, House Democrats filed a discharge petition that would require a straightforward, up-or-down vote on a bill (H.R. 1595) authored by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) to extend current low interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans for two years. Rep. Courtney’s bill would allow Congress time to consider long-term, comprehensive solutions, to address both rising college costs and affordability, during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. So far, 187 members of the House have signed onto that effort but no one from the Republican majority has signed the petition.

Failure to act now will add $4.3 billion to students’ debt burden for next year’s loans alone. In addition, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), the GOP bill pushed through the House last month would leave students even worse off than if these interest rates were allowed to double on July 1.

The survey released today was conducted by Public Policy Polling on behalf of MoveOn.org and surveyed 700 voters from June 11 – 12, 2013. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.7 percent.

For complete results of the MoveOn.org survey, click here.

For more information on the impending interest rate hike, click here.

Miller asks GAO to Expand Investigation into Child Abuse Reporting Laws to Include Athletics, Extracurricular Activities

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:08:22 +0000

WASHINGTON – In light of recent reports of sex abuse of student athletes at the hands of coaches, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate youth athletic clubs’ handling of child abuse allegations. This would be part of an ongoing investigation by GAO, launched at Miller’s request last year, into the weaknesses in reporting laws and policies in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandal at Pennsylvania State University and abuse scandals at other schools.

“Recent reports about the abuse of student athletes participating in public and private swim clubs have raised a number of new concerns about whether we have adequate laws and policies in place to prevent and address such abuse,” wrote Miller. “Accordingly, I write today to supplement my July 2012 request to include information about the prevalence of abuse among student athletes and the manner in which such abuse cases are reported, investigated and resolved.”

Last year, Rep. Miller asked the GAO to investigate whether existing laws and policies adequately prevent abuse of children in schools or on school campuses. GAO has previously identified many instances of the negligent and abusive use of seclusion and restraint techniques in our nation’s schools, which in some instances resulted in the death of a child. Also, GAO has reported to the committee on disturbing practices by some schools whereby school employees with histories of sexual misconduct have been passed from one school to another where they were free to continue abusing other children.

In May, Rep. Miller focused the entire month on the safety needs of our children as a national priority. During the month, Miller introduced three pieces of legislation – the Keeping All Students Safe Act, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act, and the Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act – aimed at supporting the rights of all children to be free from abuse and neglect in specific out-of-home settings.

The full text of the letter to GAO can be found here.

The full text of the letter to GAO is below:

The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro Comptroller General U.S. Government Accountability Office 441 G Street NW Washington DC 20548-0001

Dear Mr. Dodaro:

In July of last year, I asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine a number of issues concerning existing laws that seek to prevent and address the abuse of children in schools. At that time, sexual abuse scandals on the campuses of the Pennsylvania State University and the Citadel brought to light the possibility such laws specifically designed and intended to keep children safe required closer scrutiny.

Recent reports about the abuse of student athletes participating in public and private swim clubs have raised a number of new concerns about whether we have adequate laws and policies in place to prevent and address such abuse. Accordingly, I write today to supplement my July 2012 request to include information about the prevalence of abuse among student athletes and the manner in which such abuse cases are reported, investigated and resolved.

Because federal child protection laws are not specifically directed toward student athletes and their participation in athletic clubs—as well as the coaches and staff who run them—existing state laws vary in what they require when allegations of abuse arise. The reports last month about the decades-old case of sexual abuse of a child swimmer by her adult coach Rick Curl raise significant questions around who is effectively overseeing the adults with whom we entrust the care of our student athletes.

In light of the troubling facts emerging from the Rick Curl and other abuse cases, and my long-standing commitment to protect our nation’s children, I respectfully request that GAO address the following questions:

What is the prevalence of sexual and other abuse among student athletes participating in athletic clubs?
When incidences of abuse occur on school property or institutions of post-secondary education, how are such incidents reported, investigated and resolved?
How do athletic clubs report, investigate and resolve incidents of alleged sexual or other abuse? What roles, responsibilities and duties apply to the club’s leadership as well as the coaches and staff who run these clubs?
What policies and procedures are in place to prevent and deter sexual and other abuse among student athletes?
How are conflicts between existing mandatory child abuse reporting laws and the rules and regulations governing athletic clubs identified and resolved?

I appreciate your assistance with this request. Please direct your staff to coordinate GAO’s response with Scott Groginsky of the Committee’s Democratic staff at (202) 225-3725.

Sincerely,

George Miller Senior Democratic Member

cc: Chairman John Kline

House Approves Bill Containing Amendment Regarding Bangladesh Safety Accord and Military-Branded & Licensed Apparel

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:43:54 +0000

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives approved a defense authorization bill today containing a measure that will require that military-branded garments made in Bangladesh and sold at base retail stores owned by the Department of Defense, known as exchanges, comply with an enforceable fire and building safety accord that will improve conditions in Bangladesh ready-made garment factories. The amendment was authored by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and George Miller (D-Calif.).

“We thank Chairman Buck McKeon and Ranking Member Adam Smith of Armed Services Committee for working with us to ensure that it was considered by the full House of Representatives,” said Miller and Schakowsky in a joint statement. “Military-branded garments made for sale at base retail stores operated by the Department of Defense should uphold our nation’s core values and meet international labor standards.”

A number of garments and documents with Marine insignias were found in the rubble of the November 2012 Bangladesh Tazreen Fashions fire that killed 112 workers and reported by ABC News. Survivors have stated that the building’s exits were locked, forcing many to jump from the 3rd or 4th floor windows. Public data indicates that the Army-Air Force Exchange imported 124,000 pounds of garments last year from several garment factories in Bangladesh.

Garment worker safety in Bangladesh came to international attention after the April collapse of the Rana Plaza complex, which housed several garment factories. More than 1,100 workers died and more than 2,500 were injured making it one of the deadliest industrial tragedies in history. So far, 50 international retail and fashion brands – mostly based in Europe and Canada – have signed onto the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. While three U.S. brands have signed onto the accord, most other major U.S. companies like Wal-Mart and GAP have declined to participate in the international effort to improve building safety.

Specifically, the amendment says:

Military exchanges that sell their own branded garments which are made in Bangladesh must join or abide by the conditions of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh; and
Military exchanges that license production of their own brands or sell at retail other branded garments shall provide a preference in selection of vendors to those which are signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

Rep. Miller recently returned from a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh. Read more about his trip.

Congress Must Ensure Accreditation Systems Provide Students with a High Quality Education

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:03:28 +0000

WASHINGTON – As the committee looks to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, Congress must ensure that accreditation systems support high-quality education programs worthy of student and taxpayer investment, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training today.

“The Higher Education Act recognizes the critical role that these actors play in providing a framework for shared responsibility and for ensuring that the ‘gate’ to student financial aid programs opens only to those institutions that provide students with a high quality education,” said U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), the senior on the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. “As Congress works to reauthorize the Higher Education Act in a bipartisan manner, Congress must ensure that the accreditation process provides for high quality education programs that are worthy of student and taxpayer investment and lead to good family-sustaining jobs and careers.”

The practice of accreditation arose as a way of evaluating educational institutions and programs to ensure a consistent level of quality. Accrediting agencies devise standards for colleges and employ a system of self-study and peer review to determine whether the schools operate at basic levels of quality. As Congress considers improving accreditation systems through the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, one focus may be on supporting innovative models of learning that provide high-quality, low-cost education.

“Without major reforms to the accreditation system, the American higher education system is doomed to more of the same: rising prices, declining quality, missed opportunities for upward mobility, and a diminishment of the nation’s human capital in a time when education is the key to economic prosperity and civic life,” said Kevin Carey, the director of education policy at the New America Foundation.

With more federal funds available in the form of loans and grants, there have been calls for additional metrics of quality and accountability with accreditation systems. In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for tying available student aid to college tuition. President Obama has also called for changes to the accreditation system that would provide pathways for higher-education programs to receive student aid based on performance and results.

House Dems Move to Force Vote on Student Loan Interest Rate Relief

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:15:24 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC — With Congress facing just fewer than 10 legislative days to act before a looming increase on student loan interest rates hits more than 7 million students and families, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) joined his Democratic colleagues today, led by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), in an effort to force a vote in the House to provide student debt relief to millions of student loan borrowers.

“Across the country today, rapidly-accumulating student loan debt threatens not just individual families but the underpinnings of our economic recovery,” said Congressman Courtney. “Rather than confronting the problem head-on, House Republicans offered a bill the Hartford Courant calls ‘Orwellian’ for claiming to help students, but, in fact, making the situation worse. We now have just 17 days to prevent this senseless rate increase. We owe it to our young people and the next generation of workers to get the job done.”

Democrats filed a discharge petition on H.R. 1595, a procedural motion that frees up a bill that has been blocked in a congressional committee. Last month, House Republicans pushed through legislation to make college more expensive for students and families, forcing them into loans with skyrocketing interest rates that fluctuate year by year, further compounding the student debt crisis. The discharge petition would require a straightforward, up-or-down vote the bill authored by Rep. Courtney to extend current low interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans for two years and allow Congress time to consider long-term, comprehensive solutions, to address both rising college costs and affordability, during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. At every corner, Republicans have blocked consideration of any bill that would provide student loan debt relief, insisting that students be taxed higher interest rates to pay down the deficit.

“House Democrats are doing everything we can to stand up for America’s students and families today,” said Rep. Miller. “The Republicans’ failure to act in a responsible way that protects students and families is inexcusable. Their bill is so bad that students would still be better off if rates were allowed to double in July. They aren’t solving the problem; they’re making it worse. I urge my colleagues to allow an up-or-down vote right away on a bill that stops the interest rate hike without harming students and their families. Time is short.”

If Congress fails to act by July 1, interest rates on subsidized students’ loans will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent for millions of the neediest students. This year, and every year, Congress doesn’t act will cost a student borrower $1,000. Failure to act now will add $4.3 billion to students’ debt burden for next year’s loans alone. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), the bill that Republicans pushed through the House last month would increase student debt and leave students worse off than if these interest rates were allowed to double on July 1.

Rep. Courtney’s bill, the Student Loan Relief Act (H.R. 1595), would lock in the 3.4-percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford student loans until July 1, 2015, buying time for Congress to develop a long-term solution on student loan debt.

Congress Must Work to Stabilize Multiemployer Retirement Plans to Protect Beneficiaries & Taxpayers, House Panel Learns

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:46:30 +0000

WASHINGTON – Congress will need to work together to fix the nation’s multiemployer retirement pension system in order to ensure that the retirement benefits workers earned will be there when they need and expect them, a House retirement subcommittee learned today. An association of multiemployer pension plans represented by businesses and unions that operate these plans testified about their recent legislative proposals for Congress to consider.

“I think there is broad consensus that we want to protect our pensioners, so that their pensions are sound, that we want to help small businesses compete fairly in the marketplace so they can prosper, and we want to protect taxpayers, so that we can minimize risk to them,” said Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.), said the ranking member of the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee.

Currently, 10 million Americans in approximately 1,500 plans rely on a multiemployer pension plan as a component of their retirement security. However, while most pension plans are recovering from the recent downturn, a small number remain under stress as a result of the economy and industry-wide structural shifts.

“Generally speaking, the majority of plans have been slowly, but surely recovering from the back-to-back economic shocks of the past ten years, despite the continuing sluggish economic recovery, with more than 60 percent of plans having once again attained ‘green zone status,’” said Randy DeFrehn, the executive director of the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans. “For the small, but significant minority of plans and participants whose plans are facing ultimate insolvency, these predictions only underscore the need for bold and decisive Congressional action sooner, rather than later.”

Multiemployer pension plans are backed by the federal government through the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) that is funded by insurance premiums paid by pension plans. If action is not taken, witnesses explained, a number of plans may become insolvent and turned over to the PBGC, which is already facing a funding deficit. The PBGC only insures benefits for retirees up to $12,870 a year.

“Congress should ensure that retiree protections are sufficiently protective. Insolvency hurts everyone, especially retirees who risk taking a large cut in current benefits to the PBGC maximum or, worse, obtaining nothing if the PBGC depletes its assets,” said Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor of economics at The New School for Social Research. “Cutting benefits for current workers are justified only when benefits will keep the plan solvent and maintain lifetime benefits and other protections are in place.”

Military-Branded & Licensed Apparel Sold at Base Stores Must Comply with Bangladesh Fire & Safety Accord, House Dem Amendment Says

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:26:25 +0000

WASHINGTON – An amendment filed by two House Democrats to a defense authorization bill would require that garments made in Bangladesh and sold at base retail stores owned by the Department of Defense, known as exchanges, comply with an enforceable fire and building safety accord that will improve conditions in Bangladesh ready-made garment factories.

A number of garments and documents with Marine insignias were found in the rubble of the November 2012 Bangladesh Tazreen Fashions fire that killed 112 workers and reported by ABC News. Survivors have stated that the building’s exits were locked, forcing many to jump from the 3rd or 4th floor windows. Public data indicates that the Army-Air Force Exchange imported 124,000 pounds of garments last year from several garment factories in Bangladesh.

“Workers that manufacture clothing embossed with our nation’s military slogans and insignias shouldn’t have to face blocked fire exits and threats of being fired for refusing to work in unsafe conditions,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.). “Likewise, clothing licensed and sold in military exchanges owned by the Department of Defense are made in conditions that uphold our nation’s core values and internationally recognized labor standards.”

“It is not only unjust but inhumane that garment workers barely make ends meet and are subjected to working in unsafe buildings, many of which don't have fire escapes or potable water. As a huge purchaser of garments, the U.S. military should not be complicit in putting the lives of Bangladesh's workers in grave danger,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). “Even the clothing sold to our servicemen and women, some bearing the proud word Marines, should reflect the values they are bravely protecting. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this amendment which would make a difference in the lives of garment workers and improve conditions in Bangladesh's garment factories."

Garment worker safety in Bangladesh came to international attention after the April collapse of the Rana Plaza complex, which housed several garment factories. More than 1,100 workers died and more than 2,500 were injured making it one of the deadliest industrial tragedies in history. So far, 50 international retail and fashion brands – mostly based in Europe and Canada – have signed onto the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. Major U.S. companies like Wal-Mart and GAP have declined to participate in the international effort to improve building safety.

Specifically, the amendment says:

Military exchanges that sell their own branded garments which are made in Bangladesh must join or abide by the conditions of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh; and
Military exchanges that license production of their own brands or sell at retail other branded garments shall provide a preference in selection of vendors to those which are signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

Rep. Miller recently returned from a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh. Read more about his trip.

Miller Applauds Gainful Employment Rule-making Process Moving Forward

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:21:15 +0000

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced a new negotiated rule-making process specifically for gainful employment.

“I applaud the administration for moving forward to define minimum standards that protect students and taxpayers from the most predatory academic programs that over-promise, over-charge and under-deliver. With student loan debt posing serious consequences to our economy, it is completely appropriate to ensure students have access to career programs that will get them ahead. Going to college should not be a game of roulette. We can make going to college a little bit easier by holding programs accountable for outcomes that prepare students to succeed after graduation.”

GAO: Students Need More Affordable Textbook Options to Keep College Costs Low

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:44:42 +0000

WASHINGTON – In a new report released yesterday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that more affordable textbook options can help students keep college costs low.

“Textbook prices play a major part in the cost of a college education,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in a joint statement today. “While we are pleased that publishers and schools are complying with federal transparency requirements, more needs to be done to provide more affordable textbook options. As the GAO report suggests, transparency alone isn’t enough. Students need more access to high-quality, affordable options that challenge the current price structure set by a handful of publishers. Open Educational Resources, which include high-quality open textbooks that are free for faculty to adopt and students to use, offer a promising step forward. With many recent technology advancements it will be important for Congress to continue to learn more about the textbook sector to ensure that there are accountability mechanisms in place to protect students and taxpayers.”

GAO found that since 2002 textbook prices have risen three times faster than inflation. According to the College Board, books and supplies now average $1,129 per year, almost 40 percent of the cost of tuition and fees for community college students. Additionally, the GAO noted that faculty are taking into consideration affordability when making decisions on the best textbook selection for their class.

In 2008, the Democratic Congress took decisive action to ensure that parents and students would have access to the information they need about the cost of college, including the cost of textbooks. Textbook laws were established after learning of troubling practices by the publishing industry to hide the cost of textbooks from students and faculty, create new textbook editions with little new content to drive up costs, and bundle additional and often unwanted materials to required texts at students’ expense. The 2008 law, among other things, included provisions backed by Senator Durbin and Representative Miller which required textbook publishers to disclose the costs of textbooks to faculty, required schools to publish textbook information in course catalogues when practicable, and required publishers to offer unbundled supplemental materials so students had choices. The provisions took effect on July 1, 2010.

This GAO report, mandated by the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), comes as the House Education and the Workforce committee takes next steps to reauthorize the Higher Education Act this summer.

Read the full GAO report.