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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 »

“These regulations are stifling pioneering institutions at a time when forward-thinking solutions are desperately needed,” Foxx said in a written statement. Read more »

At issue is the Supporting Academic Freedom Through Regulatory Relief Act (HR 2637), a bill introduced this month by Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Rep. John P. Kline Jr. of Minnesota, both Republicans, and Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, a Florida Democrat. Mr. Kline is chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Ms. Foxx is chair of its subcommittee on higher education. ... The bill takes aim at three controversial rules: the gainful-employment regulation, the state-authorization rule, and the regulations that define credit hours in connection with the awarding of federal student aid. Read more »

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) on Monday criticized President Obama's plan to focus on jobs and the economy over the next few weeks as a plan to give more speeches about jobs, but not to deregulate or take other steps that would help boost job creation. Read more »

The House Oversight Committee will soon begin markup of H.R. 899, the “Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2013.” Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) originally introduced the bill in 2011 (then as H.R. 373). The American Action Forum (AAF) originally reviewed the bill here. The current iteration is substantively similar to the version from the 112th Congress. In addition, it maintains a bipartisan set of cosponsors. Read more »

“We have sought to recalibrate the federal role, undoing the excesses of the past,” said Kline, whose bill is supported by the National School Boards Association. Several Republicans said they would have liked to delete the federal government’s involvement altogether. “Many of my Republican colleagues and I feel the federal government should be out of education,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), adding that the bill was “a step in the right direction.” Read more »

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC5), who co-sponsored the legislation, said “North Carolina teachers, parents and administrators – not Washington bureaucrats – should be in charge of making education decisions in our state. The Student Success Act I cosponsored centers around the theme of empowering the people closest to students with the authority to make education choices in their respective states and communities. By scaling back Washington’s one-size-fits-all micromanagement of classrooms, this legislation takes positive steps toward ensuring local educators have the flexibility required to meet the diverse needs of their students." Read more »

“I have the attitude that there is no role for the federal government in education. If I had my way about it, we would have gone a lot further with this legislation,” said North Carolina Representative Virginia Foxx. 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 »

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said many would like to eliminate the federal government's role in education, but the bill was "a reasonable first step in empowering the people closest to the students to make decisions for those students." Control from Washington has not brought educational improvements, she said. Read more »