On Thursday, July 24, 2008, at 2:00p.m. in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia will hold a hearing entitled, "The Three R's of the Postal Network Plan: Realignment, Right-Sizing, and Responsiveness." The hearing will examine the Network Plan's potential impact on the public, the postal workforce, the mailing industry and the future economic health of the Postal Service. For further information regarding the hearing, please contact the Subcommittee Clerk, Marcus A. Williams, at ext – 65845.

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. 

Today, Senator Kennedy and I demanded that Labor Secretary Elaine Chao withdraw this rule immediately and turn over all communications with outside special interests and other documents relating to proposed rule. You can read the letter here.

As we state in our letter, it is disturbing that the Department of Labor is moving this proposal over the objections of career staff in the relevant health and safety agencies. Such career staff have the objective, technical expertise and experience to fully understand the proposal’s implications for workers.   

The Bush administration will stop at nothing to rush through a secret rule that will tie the hands of health and safety experts when responding to our nation’s critical health and safety threats.

But, that’s really no surprise at all. For nearly eight years, this administration has consistently failed to respond in a meaningful way to the real health and safety threats workers face while on the job. We’ve seen it when it comes to failing to protect workers who handle a dangerous artificial butter flavoring, ensuring that underground miners are sufficiently protected, and making sure construction workers are able to return home safe after their shift.

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Notice of Action: H. Res. 1367 - Providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules
H. Res. 1368 - Relating to the House procedures contained in section 803 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003

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

See the Committee's schedule page for more information and potential updates »
 

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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

See the Committee's schedule page for more information and potential updates »
 

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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 »

Chairman Miller


Phil Mickelson


Sally Ride

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The Committee held a business meeting in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building, on July 23, 2008.

Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing to review the short- and long-term costs of hunger in the United States. Congressman Joe Baca of California is Chairman of the Subcommittee.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today called on U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao to withdraw a last minute rule proposed by U.S. Department of Labor that could dramatically slow the enactment of future health and safety regulations that protect American workers.

 

The chairmen are also seeking documents relating to meetings and communications with outside groups regarding the development of the rule.

 

“This secret regulation is an attempt by the Bush administration and the business community to fundamentally weaken the scientific process for enacting new regulations that protect American workers,” said Miller. “For nearly eight years, this administration has consistently failed to respond in a meaningful way to the real health and safety threats workers face while on the job. But, now they will stop at nothing to rush through a secret rule that will tie the hands of health and safety experts when responding to our nation’s critical health and safety threats.”

 

“Senator Kennedy strongly opposes this move,” said Anthony Coley, a spokesperson for Sen. Kennedy. “It’s outrageous that after spending seven and a half years refusing to respond to known workplace hazards, the Bush administration is now rushing to make it more difficult to protect workers from these dangers. It’s just the latest example of the Bush administration’s anti-worker, anti-science bias. America’s working men and women deserve far better.”

 

Miller and Kennedy first requested information regarding the proposed rule on July 10, when it was revealed that the department was working on a last-minute change to the regulatory process that would significantly inhibit the implementation of vital health and safety regulations.

 

The text of the letter sent by Miller and Kennedy today is below.

 

To read the original July 10 request, click here.

 

To read the July 17 response from the Department of Labor, click here.

 

***

 

The Honorable Elaine L. Chao

Secretary of Labor

U.S. Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue, NW

Room S-2018

Washington, DC 20210

 

Dear Secretary Chao:

 

We are deeply disappointed that the Department of Labor is working to slip through a rule that may have a profound negative impact on the health and safety of American workers. It is equally disturbing, according to today’s Washington Post, that the Department is moving this proposal over the objections of career staff in the relevant health and safety agencies.  Such career staff have the objective, technical expertise and experience to fully understand the proposal’s implications for workers.   

 

We therefore ask that the Department immediately withdraw the proposal entitled Requirements for DOL Agencies’ Assessment of Occupational Health Risks (RIN: 1290-AA23).

 

There are long-established directives to ensure that the Administration acts in a transparent manner so that the public has the time and ability to properly consider all proposals. It appears that the Department may be violating those rules.

 

We are likewise concerned that the Department would seek a rule change in near total secrecy to this point – a change that will have a detrimental impact on the health and safety of American workers. We reiterate our interest in receiving the text of the proposed rule and respectfully remind you of our Constitutional prerogative and obligation to oversee the Department’s regulatory actions.  In addition, we request that the Department provide the following documents and information to the Committee no later than July 29th, 2008:

 

A list of all meetings concerning the development of this proposed regulation at which anyone not employed by the Department attended, including the dates of any such meetings, the names of those attending the meetings, and the agenda and minutes of those meetings.

 

All documents related to the development of this regulatory proposal.

 

A list of all oral communications, telephonic, electronic, in-person or otherwise, with external parties relating to the development of this proposed regulation, including the date of each such communications and the names of the individuals involved.

 

Please direct any questions about this request to Jordan Barab, Senior Labor Policy Advisor, House Education and Labor Committee at (202) XXX-XXXX, or Sharon Block, Labor and Employment Counsel or Portia Wu, Chief Labor and Pensions Counsel, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee staff at (202) XXX-XXXX. We look forward to your prompt response to this request.

 

Sincerely,

 

George Miller, Chairman

 

Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman

 

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FOR PRESS INQUIRIES
Contact: Aaron Albright / Rachel Racusen
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-226-0853