The Honorable John Boehner, Chairman
Committee on Education and the Workforce
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington D.C., 20515

Dear Chairman Boehner:

As we build on the bipartisan success of H.R. 1, I would like on behalf of the Committee’s 22 Democratic members to urge that we hold hearings on critical issues facing America’s working families and children. This letter identifies a number of topics that deserve the Committee’s urgent attention, many of them proposed by Committee members and possessing substantial – and often bipartisan -- support. I look forward to discussing with you a timetable for hearings on these and other requests by members of the Committee.

Helping Americans Succeed at Work

Workers in the new economy face tremendous challenges to ensure they have access to the training and preparation necessary to prosper in the rapidly changing workplace. Employers continue to face challenges in finding qualified workers, and look to the federal government to continue to help prepare a new generation of workers. Millions of working parents struggle daily with the lack of affordable, high quality childcare, which is critical to their jobs and to their family’s economic security. As we prepare for the reauthorization of welfare reform, child care and job training programs, special emphasis must be placed on those workers who lack vital basic skills, or need retooling to succeed at work. Hearings should include:

Strategies for addressing shortages in the workforce through intensive job training, especially in the high-technology fields, nursing, and child care occupations. Special focus should include retraining and upgrading for the existing workforce, and efforts to enhance apprenticeship and training for new workers.

Successful welfare-to-work models, including an emphasis on the support, education and training necessary to help TANF workers succeed. The hearings would also focus on efforts to reach the hard-to-serve populations, especially in light of time limits imposed on TANF recipients.

Making high quality child care available and affordable for all Americans. The bi-partisan Miller-Gilman FOCUS Act (H.R. 1650), which has 37 co-sponsors, would help increase the overall quality of child care by elevating the skills and pay of child care workers. It would provide stipends and scholarships to qualified child care providers to help increase retention and skill level of current workers and to attract new qualified providers to the field.

Strategies for allowing more workers to utilize family and medical leave.

Fairness in the Workplace

In addition to supporting immediate action to increase the minimum wage and enacting a strong patient’s bill of rights’ bill, the Committee should convene a hearing that would assure that all employees work in a safe and secure workplace by addressing the most broadly recognized types of workplace injury and disease. In addition, the growing use of “contingent workers” has left many families without access to basic health and retirement benefits, or workplace protections. At the same time, many employers are cutting back on post-retirement benefits, jeopardizing the financial security of retired workers. Hearings should include the following topics:

Reducing preventable ergonomic injuries, including a review of substantial scientific evidence that supports prompt federal action to reduce ergonomic injuries.

Review of a substantial backlog of discrimination claims pending at the EEOC, and the importance of resolving such claims in a timely manner.

Enforcement of the Equal Pay Act. There is evidence that a substantial percent of the pay gap in America is attributed to discrimination against women in the workplace, which has substantial economic impact on millions of families that are either largely or totally dependent on women for their incomes.

Retiree Health Benefits. Some employers have engaged in post-retirement benefit cuts to workers, which destroys their financial independence. Rep. Tierney has introduced H.R. 1322, the Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act of 2001, to address these cuts in benefits.

Contingent Workers. Many “contingent workers” are denied basic health and retirement benefits, relegating them to second-class workers. We should review wage, health, retirement, and other workplace provisions that disadvantage such workers.

Prohibiting Genetic Discrimination in the Workplace. President Bush recently announced support for legislation to prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s genetic information. Representative Slaughter has introduced legislation (H.R. 602) that would prohibit health plans, insurers, and employers from discriminating based on such genetic information of an employee or insured.

Ongoing Labor and Human Rights Violations in the Garment Industry of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (US/CNMI). During the three-year period that ended on June 1, 2001, nearly 60% of the garment factories inspected by the Wage and Hour division of the Department of Labor had wage violations, and in one case, a US/CNMI corporation owed more than $1 million dollars in back-wages to its employees.

Legislation introduced by Mr. Kucinich (H.R. 2282) and jointly referred to this Committee and the Judiciary Committee, concerns the mandatory arbitration of employment disputes. Recent decisions of the Supreme Court culminating in Circuit City Stores, Inc. v. Adams seriously threaten enforcement of civil rights in the workplace. The decision allows employers to impose a one-sided arbitration process on employees to resolve employment discrimination disputes, thus avoiding the objective procedures and fair remedies under federal anti-discrimination laws.

Forced Child Labor. A substantial number of products imported into America are made through forced child labor in China and other nations with which we conduct extensive trade. Efforts by the Department of Labor to comply with rules that prohibit all federal agencies from buying products made with forced or indentured child labor should be reviewed.

Expanding Higher Education Opportunities for all Americans

Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges have provided millions of Americans from all backgrounds with rich and enduring higher education opportunities. They have developed innovative academic strategies, supported cutting edge research, and have launched the careers of millions of today’s leaders including scientists, doctors, teachers, lawyers, artists, entrepreneurs, and community and religious leaders. Today, these institutions face new challenges as they help prepare a new generation of Americans for the 21st century.

Despite record levels of college enrollment, however, students from poor families who graduate from high school attend college at half the rate of students from affluent families, a disparity we must all find unacceptable. Student loan debt has more than doubled over the last seven years, leading graduates to think twice before entering public service, to postpone the purchase of their first home, and to make it more likely that they default on their loans.

I propose that the Committee hold hearings specifically on H.R. 1162, which implements sustainable dropout prevention strategies at high school, doubles funding for TRIO and GEAR UP, encourages universal access to AP classes, and strengthens college remedial programs. This legislation, along with H.R. 1622, provides powerful new assistance to disadvantaged students by restoring the purchasing power of Pell grants, increasing Supplement Equal Opportunity Grants, increasing Federal work-study, and repealing hundreds of millions of student loan fees currently required by law. I also suggest we also hold hearings on the mounting debt students must incur to attend college.

Healthy, Well-Educated Children

Today, 12 million children live in poverty, and 10.8 million children lack health insurance. Too many children regularly face violence, abuse and neglect—and millions of children attend unsafe and crumbling schools. The Committee should hold hearings to prepare us to take action on behalf of America’s at-risk children.

Younger Americans Act (H.R 17). This bi-partisan proposal sets forth a national youth policy to assure that all youth have access to the full array of core resources, including: (1) ongoing relationships with caring adults; (2) safe places with structured activities in which to grow and learn; (3) services that promote healthy lifestyles; (4) opportunities to acquire marketable skills and competencies; and (5) opportunities for community service and civic participation.

Leave No Child Behind Act (H.R 1990), which expands child care, Head Start, preschool programs, protects children from neglect and abuse, provides all children with quality after-school and summer programs, provides comprehensive health insurance, and addresses child hunger. An additional focus should include a review of Head Start and preschool programs generally to insure they facilitate a positive transition for children as the move to the first years of elementary school.

Providing children with modern, safe schools. One in three schools across the country are in serious disrepair or suffering from extreme overcrowding. The billions of dollars unmet school construction projects nationally are beyond the resources of many local communities to address on their own.

Early Childhood Education. Groundbreaking research on the effect of early environments on child development and learning, and expanding early childhood education should be a priority for the committee. We should examine successful efforts to provide quality early learning environments for children so when they begin kindergarten they are ready to learn. Reps. Andrews, Kind, and Castle have taken leadership on this critical issue. With the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), better understanding of early learning environments and the strengths and weaknesses of the childcare market will be essential for the committee.

Adoption/Foster Care. With the upcoming reauthorization of CAPTA, we need to examine successful strategies for prevention of child maltreatment as well as programs that are facilitating safety, permanence, and adoption. The hearing should review successful programs providing services, treatment and intervention as well as how the current system is failing to reach the goals set forth by the Adoption and Safe Families Act.

Preventing Teen Pregnancy. Successful strategies for reducing teen pregnancy should be explored, and strategies for replicating and expanding them should be considered.

Individuals With Disabilities Act. We should examine the adequacy of resources of schools to deal with disruptive students, with emphasis on pre-service and in-service training for teachers. We should examine the looming increase in the need for special education services as a result of the growing survivability of at-risk infants who frequently require special services. Hearings would also include an examination of the effect of inadequate IDEA funding, and a review of compliance with the Act.

Child Safety Locks. President Bush recommended in his budget request to Congress the creation of a voluntary federal matching program to provide child safety locks for all guns. Congresswoman McCarthy has proposed legislation to authorize the President’s proposal.

Institutionalized child abuse. In light of the recent tragedy of yet another child's death in a boot camp reported in Arizona (7/1/01), there is an urgent need to examine the operation of private and state supported boot camps. There is evidence from across the country that in some camps, youth are subjected to abusive behavior that jeopardizes their physical and mental health. Too often these facilities are unlicensed or unsupervised by state and local officials.

I look forward to working with you to address these urgent priorities.

Sincerely,

GEORGE MILLER
Member of Congress, 7th District