Labor

President Bush’s trade policies continue to set new records for futility.

Bush has pushed the U.S. trade deficit to historic highs. “Staying the course Read more...

The Democrats don't want to talk about their would-be agenda - and for good reason.  From undermining welfare reform to resurrecting 'Hillary-care,' a Pelosi majority would take the Education & the Workforce Committee on a sharp turn leftward.  Even more troubling is the fact that this dangerous policy shift won't be unique to our Committee, and the American people need to hear about what a Pelosi majority may have in store for them.

In one bold and unjust stroke, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) appointed by President Bush has invited employers to rob workers of their freedom to have a union by simply reclassifying them as “supervisors. Read more...

As Chairman of the HELP Committee for the last two years, my goal has been clear – securing a lifetime of opportunity at school, at work, and at home for American families. I have worked to improve health care quality and expand access to care, ensure lifelong opportunities for education and training, promote a workplace environment that encourages responsibility and safety, and ensure that Americans are secure in their retirements.

With the help of very active and knowledgeable Committee members, we compiled an impressive list of accomplishments in the 109th Congress: 57 oversight hearings held, 37 bills and 352 nominations reported favorably out of Committee, 23 bills approved by the Senate, and 14 bills signed into law by President Bush.

Despite a period of intense partisan wrangling, we made progress on critical legislation, much of which had been stalling for years:
- We secured the retirements of millions of Americans by passing the Pension Protection Act into law – the first major revision to pension laws in 30 years.
- We passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act into law to promote the use of new technologies to improve mine safety and save lives – the first revision to mine safety laws in 28 years. Read more...

This year began with the tragic deaths of miners at Sago and Alma Mines. Our entire nation mourned with those families. And we in Congress committed to passing laws to prevent such terrible incidents in the future.

I am proud of the bipartisan mine safety legislation that we passed this year. But these laws need strong leadership and enforcement. Richard Stickler has neither the record nor the vision to meet this challenge. That's why mineworkers and their families oppose him and have asked President Bush to withdraw his nomination.

Majority Leader Frist promised that this crucial position would not be filled without a vote. A recess appointment would mean the Republican leadership is breaking its word to the Senate, the American public, and to miners' families.

Our miners have already seen too many broken promises. President Bush should send the Senate someone who is worthy of this job.

When this Do-Less-Than-Do-Nothing Republican Congress adjourns shortly, it will have succeeded in completely ignoring the priorities of the American people, including raising the minimum wage. Republicans played a cynical political game with the minimum wage this session, by holding a long overdue increase in the hostage to a virtual repeal of the estate tax for the wealthiest few Americans.

A group of moderate Republicans wrote a letter earlier this year to Leader Boehner calling for an increase in the minimum wage, yet sat idly by while their leadership tried to hoodwink the American people on this issue. If these members truly believed in raising the minimum wage, they would join Democrats in signing Rep. John Barrow's discharge petition to force a fair up-or-down vote on a wage increase. Their refusal to do so shows that they were really just fighing for political cover for themselves, not for an increase in the minimum wage.

Despite a determined effort by House Republicans and leaders, it appears the sweeping border security legislation we passed will not be signed into law this Congress.  Attempts to enact comprehensive legislation including amnesty or guest worker programs have stalled the debate and produced zero tangible results.  Since the large bills are proving too controversial or unwieldy, now is a good time to revisit practical and focused legislation such as H.R. 4360, the Border Law Enforcement Act.

Last year I introduced H.R. 4360, the Border Law Enforcement Act with my colleague, Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX).  It would provide authority and direct federal funding for border county Sheriffs to support Border Patrol agents in securing our southern border.  The bill would implement a plan called “Operation Linebacker,

Congress’ inability to complete immigration reform and border security measures this year is a colossal failure on the part of Washington.

We could have immediately passed a border security bill – we could be making progress right now to secure the borders. Instead we have a political food fight – intra-party squabbling and extreme disappointment. Unfortunately, my prediction has come true and another year has passed, hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings have occurred, and the "do everything" approach has done nothing.

Last fall, I set out to change the way Washington approached illegal immigration by introducing a bipartisan border security first bill that separates the issues and makes it possible to move forward on securing the border.

Border security is a national security imperative. We cannot allow the borders to remain open indefinitely and we must act to avoid failing for the eleventh year in a row to secure our border.

We spotted an item in the local Nevada news yesterday, Sen. Reid calling for an increase in the minimum wage on Labor Day, almost a rite of passage for anyone who seeks union support. It is after all a year divisible by 2, thereby guaranteeing that a minimum wage debate will be upon us. Best estimates are that about 1.5 percent of the total workforce of 150 million workers in the United States earn the minimum wage. We have a better idea, one that would put more money in the pockets of all workers.

When Congress comes back today, they will find some unfinished business. Among the issues left to be resolved is the bill that passed both the House and Senate prior to the Labor Day break allowing us to tap our own resources in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). As our annual Labor Day Report showed, both health care and energy costs are taking a bigger bite out of workers' paychecks, making them feel like they are falling behind. Members from both parties well appreciate the fact that there are no silver bullets to fix the health care issue.

However, when it comes to energy, anyone who has taken Economics 101 ought to be able to see their way clear. We are the only nation in the world that restricts access to its own natural resources, a fairly astonishing fact. We call all those other countries, "competitors." They are busy pulling all the energy they can from all sources in order to compete more effectively with us. In France alone, they get 80% of their energy from nuclear power. Cuba is drilling for oil some 45 miles off our coast and is getting ready to work with China to allow them to do the same. Yet we sit on massive -- and untouchable -- oil, coal and natural gas reserves. And American workers are quite literally paying the price.

The power to put more money in workers' pockets is in Congress' hands. Finishing work on the OCS bill will open up domestic supplies of energy and will begin to bring down the cost of energy for all workers. It really is that easy. Of course, we need alternative sources, efficiency and conservation. Manufacturers are on the leading edge of all three. But this is not an either/or proposition. We need to be about the business of boosting domestic supply.

Then Members can go back to the District and say they've truly done something to enhance the well-being of all American workers.

Yesterday I attended a Labor Day picnic in Hapeville, Georgia, where I met with local labor leaders and working families to celebrate the American worker and share concerns regarding the future of American labor.

American workers face unprecedented competition from abroad, a domestic economy in flux, and an Administration and Congress that have been wholly unsympathetic to their needs. Working families, who are the backbone and keystone of our economy, are pinched by high gas prices, exorbitant healthcare expenses, and stagnant wages.

As we navigate these complicated times, we must not neglect the very real and pressing needs of the American worker and working families. I hope you'll join me in honoring them. As we move forward, we must remember to defend and stand with those upon whom we – and the whole world – rely.