Bradley Byrne named Chairman of Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (NC-5) announced on Friday that Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne has been selected to serve as Chairman for the House Education and the Workforce Committee Subcommittee on Workforce Protections for the 115th Congress. “I appreciate Chairwoman Foxx giving me the opportunity to serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections,” said Byrne. “Over the last eight years, there has been an effort to fundamentally change the way we deal with labor and employment issues. These changes have largely reduced opportunities for advancement and weakened the standing of American workers. My goal will be to right the ship in favor of policies that benefit workers across our country and empower them to succeed.” Foxx said Byrne is part of a strong team of leaders chosen to advance “commonsense solutions.” “We have assembled a strong team to advance the commonsense solutions our nation’s workers, students, families, and small businesses urgently need,” Foxx said in a statement. “This committee will play a central role in Congress’s broader efforts to grow the economy, advance patient-centered health care, and promote greater prosperity for all Americans. Working closely with our members, subcommittee leaders, and all our colleagues, the committee will do its part to move the country in a better direction.” The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections has jurisdiction over wages and hours of workers, workers’ compensation, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988, trade and immigration issues as they impact employers and workers; workers’ safety and health, and all matters related to equal employment opportunity and civil rights in employment.
Bradley Byrne: local schools are making a difference
There is something really fun and exciting about visiting with students in our local schools. From the elementary student who just wants you to read a book with them to the high school student looking for college advice, the visits are always special. With the House out of session for the month of October, I had the pleasure to spend quality time in a number of our local schools. I visited Clarke County High School in Grove Hill to talk with students and learn more about their new workforce training center. At Saraland High School, I attended the induction ceremony for students joining career and technical education student organizations. I also visited the Chickasaw School System in Mobile County, where the students welcomed me with impressive handmade signs. I spent time at Magnolia School in Foley and Robertsdale Elementary School in Baldwin County to share some stories with some of the students. I believe it is important we all find time to volunteer and support our local school systems, and reading to students is a great way to make a difference. At each of my school visits, I have been blown away by the work our teachers and administrators are doing. Their job is certainly not easy. Due to budget issues at the state level, many teachers are facing unique challenges. For example, I talked with teachers who spent personal money in their classrooms in order to support students’ needs. Teachers wear many different hats. Teachers are more than just instructors. They often serve as mentors and friends to the students they teach. For some students, they provide much needed stability for what may be a very complicated home life. Education in Alabama is making important progress, and that is a testament to our teachers and administrators. For example, the high school graduation rate in Alabama is now at 89%, a new record high. However, more challenges remain. As a parent, former member of the Alabama State School Board, and education advocate, I am committed to doing everything I can to support our students, teachers, and local schools. In the House of Representatives, I serve as a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. This is the committee responsible for both K-12 and higher education policy. There are obvious ways elected officials in Washington can help our local schools. First, we need to cut down on the red tape and paperwork that tie up teachers and keep them from doing their job. We need to also stop trying to push national academic standards. What works for students in Alabama may be different than what works for students in California or Michigan. We should allow states to set their own academic standards that best fit their students. Most importantly, we need to ensure that any federal education funding is actually making its way to the classrooms instead of getting stuck in the bureaucracy. The money that Washington sends to our local schools should be spent in the classrooms helping students and teachers. Ultimately, we need to empower our local teachers and stop getting in their way. Visiting with our teachers, I see firsthand their passion for helping students succeed. Education is not a field you can work in unless you have an unyielding passion for helping students. Of course, I want to see our local schools continue to improve and grow, but we should never take for granted the job our teachers and administrators do on a daily basis. They are real difference makers in our society, and they deserve our praise. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Bradley Byrne votes to boost career and technical education
Alabama 1st District U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne, a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, on Tuesday voted in favor of legislation to boost and reform America’s career and technical education (CTE) programs. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5587 — the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act — which limits the federal government’s role and empowers states and local community leaders by giving them greater flexibility over how they use federal funds for career and technical education. As an original co-sponsor, Byrne helped write and introduce the legislation, which passed by a vote of 405 to 5 with the support of the entire Alabama delegation, excluding Rep. Terri Sewell, who did not vote. During debate on the bill, Byrne spoke on the House floor about the importance of career and technical education, and he also highlighted important CTE programs in Southwest Alabama. “You see, for too long, we have devalued the importance of career and technical education here in America,” said Byrne on the House floor. “The programs were seen as some sort of second-rate option for students who couldn’t make it otherwise.” “That simply isn’t the case,” Byrne continued, “Instead, CTE programs offer real opportunities to students of all ages and from all backgrounds. And, with this bill, we are making it clear that career and technical education is a critical educational option that leads to good-paying jobs.” Among the many reforms included in the bill, H.R. 5587 would: Empower state and local community leaders; Improve alignment with in-demand jobs; Increase transparency and accountability; and Ensure a limited federal role. The legislation is supported by a range of organizations including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Alabama Association of School Boards, the School Superintendents Association, the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Alabama’s 1st District U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne reached across the aisle to North Carolina’s 12th District Congressman Alma Adams and introduced the bipartisan H.R.5530: HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act last month. The bill will help improve infrastructure for our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) by improving access to and oversight of an existing program that enables HBCUs to improve their campuses to better serve their students. The bill quickly made it out of House Education and the Workforce Committee and made it to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Monday, where by a unanimous voice vote it was approved. “An important part of helping students succeed is making sure schools and institutions have what they need to serve them well. That’s exactly what H.R. 5530 will do,” said Rep. Byrne, a co-chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. “The bill reforms a program known as the HBCU Capital Financing Program. Congress created this program to provide Historically Black Colleges and Universities with low-cost capital they can use to make infrastructure improvements. It acts as a loan guarantee program so that these institutions can finance or refinance repairs, renovations, and construction on their campuses.” According to the Republican Policy Committee, H.R. 5530 would improve access to and allow for financial counseling in the Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) Capital Financing Program by: Requiring institutions to pay into a “bond insurance fund,” rather than a pooled escrow account as in current law, to better reflect the purpose of the withheld funds; Authorizing the Secretary of Education to provide financial counseling to eligible institutions to prepare them to qualify, apply for, and maintain a capital improvement loan; and Requiring the program’s Advisory Board to provide an annual report to Congress, giving an overview of all the loans awarded by the program, the status and financial condition of at least 10 institutions participating in the program, and any administrative and legislative recommendations they may have for improving the program.
Bradley Byrne says new Department of Labor rule will restrict access to retirement advice
The U.S. Department of Labor announced new rules Wednesday that redefine the definition of “retirement advice” for pension and retirement plans. They’re expected to have a big impact on how Americans save for retirement. According to the House Education and the Workforce Committee, which has federal oversight of retirement security, the proposed rule would: Severely restrict the ability of individuals to receive some of the most basic financial advice, such as assistance in rolling over funds from a 401(k) to an IRA; Deny many small business owners the help they need to offer their employees a retirement plan; Impose more than $2 billion in additional costs each year on retirement advice – costs that will ultimately be passed on to working families; and Make it harder, if not impossible, for low- and middle-income families to access affordable retirement advice. The agency first proposed a new rule in 2010 but withdrew it in 2011 after widespread criticism from financial industry officials and lawmakers. In 2015, a modified version was reintroduced and also met with criticism. Alabama U.S. Reb. Bradley Byrne (AL-01), a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, is one of those lawmakers who oppose the rule, saying it “greatly expands government influence and regulation.” “Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle reached out to the Department of Labor for months to express our concerns with the proposed rule,” Byrne said. “Sadly, this rule ignores many of those concerns and risks limiting access to retirement advice. “This rule and its expensive requirements are especially damaging to low- and middle-income families and small businesses. I hope we can work together, in a bipartisan fashion, to actually put reforms in place that help every American save for retirement – not make things harder.” The new rules, is slated to be phased in 2017, with full compliance required by January 2018.
Bradley Byrne: Making Congress work again
If you listen to national media outlets, all you ever hear is how Congress is completely broken and dysfunctional. While that narrative is right at times, last week was a bright spot when it comes to working together and passing long-overdue reforms. The House and the Senate earlier this year each passed separate bills to set policy for our nation’s K-12 education system and to fund our highway system, respectively. Since different bills were passed, Conference Committees made up of both House and Senate members were formed to work out the differences. Well last week, these Conference Committees each reached consensus and put forward two conservative, reform-focused bills that were long overdue. Let’s first look at the education bill. As you may know, for the last decade, our education system has been governed by a law known as No Child Left Behind. While it was written with good intentions, this law put heavy mandates and requirements on our local schools. Our education system has struggled under this heavy, top-down approach. As a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, I have long advocated for getting the federal government out of our local schools. I want to see local teachers, parents, and administrators given more control. That’s exactly what we accomplished last week when we passed the Every Student Succeeds Act. This bill gets Washington bureaucrats out of the way and empowers local teachers, principals, and administrators. The legislation achieves these goals by reducing the federal government’s role in education and restoring control back to the states and local school districts – where it belongs. I hear a lot from parents in Southwest Alabama who are concerned about the Common Core standards. The Every Student Succeeds Act actually includes strong language prohibiting the federal Secretary of Education from influencing or coercing states into adopting Common Core. It makes clear that it is solely a state’s responsibility to set academic standards and assessments. This is a huge win for educators and students. The bill also repeals the one-size-fits-all federal accountability system known as “Adequate Yearly Progress” and allows states and school districts to set their own academic standards and testing requirements. Without these reforms, we would continue to allow the Obama Administration and the federal government to dictate education policy to the states. The Every Student Succeeds Act passed the House with broad bipartisan support, and the President is expected to sign the bill. The second major accomplishment last week was on a long-term highway bill. The bill, known as the FAST Act, represents the first highway bill lasting longer than two years since 2005. For over two years now I have called for a new, long-term highway bill so we could move forward with important highway projects in Southwest Alabama like building the I-10 bridge, improving Highway 98 in north Mobile County, and four laning Highway 45 in Washington County. The fiscally-responsible highway bill is fully paid for and rejects Democrats’ efforts to raise the gas tax. The bill also includes a new program for Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects, which can likely be used to help pay for the I-10 bridge project. The highway bill passed the House by a vote of 359 to 65 and the Senate by a vote of 83 to 16. Just like the education bill, the highway bill was a great example of Republicans and Democrats working together in a bipartisan way. Many serious issues still require urgent action, but I think it is important to realize that Congress is making progress on important national priorities like strengthening our education system and improving our nation’s highway system. Bradley Byrne is a member of the U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Bradley Byrne: Teachers make a real difference
It has been said that one of the hardest jobs around is being a teacher. Even though it may be hard, teaching is one of the most important professions. Teachers have the great responsibility of training the next generation in our society. Recently, I’ve spent time reflecting on some of the important teachers from my past. Without a doubt, the first one that comes to mind is Kay Ladd. Miss Kay is one of the most remarkable women I know. She was my first grade teacher and had the difficult job of teaching a class full of all boys. She is the person who taught me how to read, and I don’t think you ever forget the person who teaches you to read. As you may know, I have spent much of my life working in education. From my time on the Alabama State School Board to serving as chancellor of Alabama’s two-year college system, I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in our local classrooms. I’m always struck by the hard work these men and women do on a daily basis, and they rarely get the attention they deserve. Great teachers really care about their students and work very hard to get the most out of them. This is a quality that can’t be taught. You can’t set accountability standards or testing requirements to prove that someone cares. Good teachers also need to be smart, well-trained, and prepared. From talking with teachers, it is clear that being a great teacher requires a lot of planning and organizing before students are even in the classroom. From putting lesson plans together to preparing your classroom, teaching requires a lot of work and preparation. Teachers have the ability to take a student who may not have much of a family or may not be very well-prepared and turn him into a successful and committed individual with a bright future. Very few professions have the ability to totally alter the course of someone’s life like a teacher does. In Washington, I am a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, which has jurisdiction over K-12 education. One of my top priorities on the Committee is rolling back the red tape and paperwork that our teachers must go through. While only 10% of education funding comes from the federal level, the Government Accountability Office found that the federal government is responsible for 41% of the paperwork. Washington needs to get out of the way and allow teachers to do their job. Too much money gets lost between Washington, D.C. and the classroom. The money is getting stuck in the hands of bureaucrats and people who have absolutely nothing to do with educating our students. Another important teacher in my family’s life was Colonel Tim Reddy, who taught my four children at Fairhope High School. Tim Reddy was an Army Colonel who taught math and coached the soccer and swim teams. He was incredibly tough, but he cared about his students and helped them master upper level math skills that prepared them for college. Sadly, Col. Reddy recently passed away after a battle with cancer. I went to the floor of the House of Representatives to deliver a speech in his memory. We need to hold up people like Col. Reddy and Kay Ladd who work so hard in the classroom to educate the next generation. So whether you are a parent, student, or just a community member, we should all be doing everything we can to highlight great teachers and support them every chance we get. Bradley Byrne is a member of the U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Bradley Byrne: Manufacturing on the rise, but challenges remain
As I was touring the manufacturing operation at Quality Filters in Robertsdale, I was struck by just how much manufacturing has grown in Southwest Alabama over the last decade. I paid a visit to Quality Filters to help celebrate National Manufacturing Day, which took place on October 2nd. We have seen a large increase in manufacturing all over Alabama, driven by our growth in the motor vehicle, chemical, and aerospace industries. In 2014, over 250,000 Alabamians worked in manufacturing. These manufacturing jobs paid an average of $60,945 while the average pay for other non-farm businesses was $41,089. All told, manufacturing had a $34.4 billion impact on Alabama’s economy. Despite these impressive gains, manufacturers in Southwest Alabama and across the country are facing a wide range of challenges brought on by the federal government. Whether it is the EPA, IRS, NLRB, or OSHA, manufacturers must deal with regulations from an alphabet soup of federal regulators. Even if you don’t work for a manufacturer, that does not mean these regulations won’t impact you. The regulatory costs are often passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices or fewer options. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is likely the biggest foe of manufacturing. Given the nature of the industry, manufacturers use a third of our nation’s energy, so they depend on affordable energy prices. Unfortunately, it seems like every day the EPA is putting out a new regulation that will drive up energy costs. Take the EPA’s new ozone standard for example. The new standard is misguided and will be incredibly costly for our nation’s manufacturers. In fact, the new standard is so low that even some national parks could be out of compliance. At a time when ozone levels have already been reduced, it makes no sense to place additional burdens on our job creators. In Congress, I have been a strong supporter of the REINS Act. This commonsense legislation would require Congressional approval of any regulation with an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. Many of the EPA’s proposed rules would fall under this category, and I am certain the Republican-controlled Congress would stop these costly regulations from moving forward. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has also attempted to increase the number of labor regulations impacting manufacturers. The NLRB’s “ambush elections” rule will shorten the time it takes to hold a union election and make the personal contact information of employees publicly available to union representatives. Earlier this year, the House and the Senate passed legislation to block the ambush election rule from going into effect. Unfortunately, President Obama vetoed the bill, and the Senate did not have the votes to override the veto. Despite that setback, we are continuing to push back against frivolous NLRB regulations on manufacturers. Another challenge to manufacturers comes in the form of a growing skills gap. Our nation is currently experiencing a shortage of skilled workers to fill certain manufacturing jobs. Without access to enough skilled workers, it’s becoming harder and harder for manufacturers to grow and expand their operations. As a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, I have made it a top priority to improve our nation’s job training programs. We need to encourage collaboration between the private sector and institutions of higher learning, specifically community colleges and trade schools. This will help close the skills gap and give more Americans access to high paying jobs. So while manufacturers are facing some significant challenges, there are also those of us in Congress who are committed to supporting manufacturing. So whether it is Quality Filters or other businesses in our area, I will do everything I can to support manufacturing and the thousands of jobs associated with the industry. Bradley Byrne is a member of the U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Bradley Byrne: Putting small business over big labor
“I now find myself in the position that an unelected board in Washington, D.C., can just unilaterally determine that my American dream is over.” Those were the words of Chris Holmes, owner and operator of Firehouse Subs restaurants in the Florida panhandle, during a House Education and the Workforce Committee field hearing in Mobile. As a member of the Committee, I worked with my colleagues to convene a field hearing in Mobile to examine the latest attempt by President Obama and his National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to dramatically change our nation’s labor laws. The NLRB is an independent federal agency responsible for setting policies related to labor practices and unions. Field hearings are just like any other Congressional hearings we would have in Washington except we have them back home in our local communities. They allow us to get closer to the actual people who are impacted by the policies that are being debated in Washington. In other words, it brings the issues down to Main Street. That was especially important on this issue, which will have a direct impact on local small business owners and their employees. The hearing focused on a proposal to completely change the definition of a “joint-employer” under the National Labor Relations Act. While this issue may sound complicated, let me explain why it should matter to every American. A lot of people in Southwest Alabama work for franchisees, which is someone who owns a local business that is an affiliate of a big national brand. For example, someone in Escambia County may own a local franchise of McDonalds or another fast food restaurant. The people who work for them are not employees of the fast food chain, but they are employees of a local small business person who owns that individual store. The issue isn’t limited to just fast food. One of the people who testified at our field hearing in Mobile is a veteran who owns a residential painting company that is part of a larger franchise operation. These franchise relationships are really common and very important to the local economy and our national economy. They give thousands of individuals upward mobility and the opportunity to be successful business owners. What the National Labor Relations Board is attempting to do is say that anybody who is currently a franchisee employee will no longer be an employee of that local business owner, but instead they will be the employee of the larger, national company. This fundamentally alters three decades of legal precedent. The Wall Street Journal explained that the NLRB is attempting to “radically rewrite U.S. labor law and upend thousands of business relationships.” This decision could crush the dream of hardworking Americans, like Chris Holmes, who have always aspired to own a small business. This action by the NLRB could increase the liability of doing business and change the franchisor-franchisee relationship. Another franchisee testified that the NLRB’s action would give him “less independence and less control over the business that I worked so hard to build.” Worst of all, this wouldn’t just be bad for small business owners, but it would hurt the thousands of people who work for small businesses. Instead of having a boss who knows you and understands your problems, now your boss may be a corporate CEO who has never even stepped foot in your local business. President Obama and the NLRB have yet again sided with Big Labor over what is in the best interest of the American people, but Congress won’t stand by idly. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Education and the Workforce Committee to roll back this flawed decision and stand up for hardworking Americans. Bradley Byrne is a member of the U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
