No Jobs Bill, Kids Programs Under Assault, Ending Medicare Missing from GOP’s Activities Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved a partisan report today that ignored the majority’s lack of jobs legislation, omitted their efforts to reduce support for children, and failed to explore the impact the Republican plan to end Medicare would have on workers’ retirement security.
“The report omits a great deal about what the committee has learned over the last six months, including the devastating impact the Republican agenda would have on the middle class,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat of the committee. “This committee has the opportunity to move aggressively on the agenda of America’s middle class. We do this by protecting workers paychecks and retirement security. And we do this by taking care that our children have the tools they need to succeed.”
Specifically, the activity report failed to mention:
- Republicans' lack of jobs legislation. While Republicans have called 31 hearings and voted on four pieces of legislation this year, not one was devoted to legislation to create jobs. Instead, they have voted to roll back funding for job training and unemployment assistance.
- How Republican efforts to end Medicare will undermine Americans’ retirement security. This plan would force 54-year-olds to save an additional $182,000 beyond what they may already need for retirement. Those younger would have to save much more. Half of all workers have no retirement savings whatsoever. For those that do, the median balance is $32,000, making a secure retirement unachievable for most Americans.
- Repeated attempts by Republicans to dramatically roll back funding for children’s programs. So far, they have put forth efforts to eliminate more than a hundred thousand children from Head Start, deny access to literacy programs, and attacked nutrition programs that millions of families rely on for access to healthy meals
“It is inconceivable that our nation’s economy will be better off with fewer job-training opportunities, fewer Head Start spots for children, fewer rights in the workplace, less worker safety, no Medicare, and reduced support for our nation’s schools,” said Miller. “To the contrary, the American people’s priorities are clear: They want us to put the divisive politics of the past behind us. And they want us to work together to grow and strengthen the middle class.”
Democrats offered three amendments to provide balance to the lopsided Republican report. Under the three amendments, the committee would:
- Work to strengthen and protect the retirement security of workers and oppose proposals that add to the retirement savings burden of workers age 54 and younger, such as the elimination of Medicare that would require workers under 54 to save at least an additional $182,000. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) offered this amendment.
- Maintain or increase funding for job creation and training programs under the Workforce Investment Act that create jobs or improve job opportunities for the over 24 million Americans who are unemployed. Reps. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Don Payne (D-NJ) and John Tierney (D-MA) offered this amendment.
- Reject efforts to roll back nutritional standards for children, that reduce food assistance to mothers and their children, or that reduce access to Head Start programs or IDEA services, including services for children of military families. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) offered this amendment.
Committee Republicans voted “no” on all three amendments.
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