“We’ve all seen how Washington’s involvement in rate-setting is a recipe for uncertainty and confusion. Students deserve better. The Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act, much like the House’s Smarter Solutions for Students Act, ends the temporary fixes that have failed to strengthen our nation’s student loan system and offers long-term simplicity, rate caps, and an assurance that interest rates are immediately in line with the free market. It’s a shame that it took Senate Democrats this long to join us and correct the problem, but it’s better they complete the assignment late than never.” Read more »
Rep. Foxx said, “Students and institutions stand to be unfairly burdened by the Obama administration’s ill-conceived program integrity regulations. The Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory Relief Act will remove the barrier three of those regulations put in the way of schools working to innovate, grow, and meet the changing demands of an increasingly diverse American student body. I hope to see the House of Representatives act soon to remove these barriers as well so issues of affordability, accountability, and transparency can be carefully addressed during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.” Read more »
Transparency and accountability are not partisan issues. Democrats and Republicans who worked together to pass UMRA in 1995 believed the American people would be served better if government issued regulations only when the cost of those regulations was fully understood. My colleagues and I still think that’s the case. And while UMRA is good, it needs to be strengthened. The Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act builds off of UMRA and goes even further to make sure government is held accountable for considering how prospective regulatory will impact small businesses and local governments.
The legislation is purely about making government work better for the American people by requiring openness and honesty from Washington about the true cost of regulations, whether those costs come in dollars or in lost jobs. It is my hope the strong bipartisan support with which it was introduced will pave the way for its swift passage from the House of Representatives. Read more »
“As a grandmother, educator and former school board member, I know students are best served when those at the local level are the driving force behind improving education. Washington red tape, duplicative programs and coercive standards compound the negative effects of flawed federal education laws on American schools. I will not allow Washington policy to compromise education quality, and the Student Success Act begins the process of getting Washington out of the way.” Read more »
Obamacare is a bad law, but it is a bad law President Obama asked for. And it’s a bad law he, as mastermind and chief enforcer, must obey – unless Congress authorizes a change. Today House Republicans voted to give the President the authority to delay the implementation of Obamacare’s employer mandate – something his Administration wants to do. But House Republicans went a step further. If businesses are getting a break from the President’s law, individual Americans should too. Read more »
The 2013 Farm Bill is certainly imperfect, but with the inclusion of three taxpayer-centric amendments I authored, overall cost savings and long-overdue reforms to ‘Soviet-style’ milk subsidy programs, it is a definite improvement from the untenable status quo. This legislation finally lays the groundwork to repeal the 1949 law that has been the problematic backstop of American agriculture policy for more than sixty years. And farmers as well as taxpayers will benefit from a modernized bill that cuts spending roughly $20 billion dollars. This legislation is just one step in the right direction, not the end of conservative reform efforts to eliminate wasteful crop subsidies and restore integrity to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Read more »
Rep. Foxx said, “These regulations are stifling pioneering institutions at a time when forward-thinking solutions are desperately needed. The Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory Relief Act will remove the threat gainful employment, state authorization, and federal credit hour regulations pose to student choice, innovative schools, and an American economy that stands to benefit from responsive higher learning institutions. Republicans and Democrats should toss these bad ideas aside and work together to strengthen higher education for students and taxpayers while maintaining the flexibility and choice that set American colleges and universities apart.” Read more »
“It’s obvious the White House’s apparent choice to lead from behind on this issue isn’t working. Though House Republicans voted more than a month ago to approve a long-term solution to protect student borrowers from an arbitrary doubling of interest rates, Senate Democrats haven’t been able to agree on a solution of their own. The policy differences between the House’s Smarter Solutions for Students Act and the President’s original budget proposal are minor. The President should direct his Senate to build off of those commonalities and not waste the opportunity we have to strengthen America’s student loan system together. Preserving the politics of this annual fight would be a real disservice to students and taxpayers.” Read more »
“Employers need more than a one year delay of ObamaCare’s coming train wreck. The President’s flawed legislation must be repealed in its entirety. ObamaCare is already increasing health care costs, depressing hiring and destroying full-time work. Waiting a year to implement some of its confusing, wrong-headed policies will not stop the damage or provide job creators with the certainty they need to figure out whether they can afford to keep their employees. That will come only when ObamaCare is replaced by competitive, patient-centered health care reforms. The American people and the American economy deserve better than excuses for unworkable laws. They deserve health care policies that are transparent, responsive and focused on them.”
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“Fear or professional intimidation should never come between a victim and the justice they deserve,” Congresswoman Foxx stated. “Increases in sexual assault within our military cannot be tolerated. Some of the finest men and women I know have served in our armed forces, and their good work must not be tarnished by the recent rise of sexual assault. The problem must be dealt with now. I praise Representative Jackie Walorski for introducing this legislation. Ensuring all military personnel are able to report crimes without fear of reprisal is critical to stopping future assaults.” Read more »
