|
|
| |
| Foxx Report |
|
|
This week the House Republican Steering Committee selected me as the chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in the 115th Congress.
My colleagues have entrusted me with a significant responsibility, and I look forward to building on the foundation established by leaders such as John Kline and John Boehner and continuing their legacy of honest, dogged work confronting the challenges facing America’s schools and workplaces. The committee will continue to work towards fostering the best opportunities for students to learn, workers to succeed and employers to grow.
At all times, we will strive in our service to hold government institutions to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, with a constant eye towards eliminating waste and inefficiency. Our creative, ambitious pursuit of good policy will be guided by the Constitution with solutions centered on securing and protecting access to high quality education and safe and productive workplaces for all Americans.
Supporting Medical Research and Modernizing the Health Care System
This week I voted in favor of bipartisan legislation that seeks better, faster, safer and more innovative approaches to treat diseases and medical conditions that currently lack effective therapies. H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, modernizes clinical trials to expedite the development of new drugs and devices, remove regulatory uncertainty in the development of new medical apps and break down barriers to facilitate increased research collaboration.
It currently takes 15 years for a new drug to move from the lab to the local pharmacy. Great strides have been made in research and treatment of many diseases, but there is still much we have to learn. By accelerating the discovery, development and delivery of life saving and life improving therapies, we can transform the search for faster cures.
I'm pleased the language restricting federal funding for children placed in congregate care programs such as Baptist Children’s Home or the Crossnore School was dropped from the legislation. As I stated in the House Rules Committee hearing earlier this week, I have done a lot of volunteer work with one of these facilities, and I know how hard they work to get foster homes established. Now these congregate care facilities have time to make their case to legislators for why a one-size-fits-all system doesn’t apply.
Providing for the Common Defense of the United States of America
Providing for the common defense of the United States of America is the federal government’s primary responsibility. This week the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which maintains the nation’s defense readiness and ensures the continued success of our military personnel by providing them with the best equipment, skills development and compensation.
The legislation boosts base funding over the administration’s request to close the readiness gap, rebuild our military and ensure our troops have the tools necessary to carry out their missions. It also provides our troops with the largest pay raise they’ve seen in six years at 2.1 percent as well as reforms our acquisition process to spend hardworking taxpayer dollars more wisely and get our troops cutting-edge technology quickly and efficiently.
What’s Coming Up
Next week the House will consider the Transparent Insurance Standards Act and legislation continuing funding for the federal government into 2017. The House may consider a Water Resources Development Act conference report negotiated by the House and Senate as well.
Sincerely,
|
|
|
|
NOTE: Please DO NOT respond to this email as this inbox is unattended. To contact my office please click here
|
|
|
