Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee
On Tuesday, July 20, 2010, the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on “Creating Greater Accounting Transparency for Pensioners”. The subcommittee explored the increasingly common practice of investing private sector pension funds in hedge funds and private equity funds, and assess if these pension plans receive adequate, transparent accounting information from these funds. The federal government does not specifically limit or monitor private sector pension investment in hedge funds or private equity.
Archived Webcast »
Witnesses:
- Barbara Bovbjerg » U.S. Government Accountability Office Washington, D.C.
- Robert Chambers » McGuireWoods LLP Charlotte, North Carolina
- Matthew D. Hutcheson » Professional Independent Fiduciary Eagle, Idaho
- Jack Marco » Chairman Marco Consulting Group Chicago, Illinois
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The Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and Labor held a hearing Wednesday to examine H.R. 3721, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. The legislation would restore civil rights protections for older workers stripped away by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2009 decision, Gross v. FBL Financial. In Gross, the Supreme Court overturned well-established precedent – making it harder for older workers facing age discrimination to enforce their rights.
H.R. 3721 corrects the unnecessary lawmaking of the Supreme Court. H.R. 3721 overturns Gross and restores the law to what it was prior to the decision, by allowing older workers to prove age discrimination by showing that age was a motivating factor in the decisions made by their employer, but not necessarily the sole factor.
Protections against age discrimination are especially important to workers who may be facing layoffs in an uncertain economic climate. The court’s ruling specifically means that victims of age discrimination face a higher legal burden of proof than those alleging race, sex, national origin or religious discrimination.
Archived Webcast »
H.R. 3721 corrects the unnecessary lawmaking of the Supreme Court. H.R. 3721 overturns Gross and restores the law to what it was prior to the decision, by allowing older workers to prove age discrimination by showing that age was a motivating factor in the decisions made by their employer, but not necessarily the sole factor.
Protections against age discrimination are especially important to workers who may be facing layoffs in an uncertain economic climate. The court’s ruling specifically means that victims of age discrimination face a higher legal burden of proof than those alleging race, sex, national origin or religious discrimination.
Witnesses:
- Gail E. Aldrich » Member AARP Board of Directors
-
Eric Dreiband »
Former General Counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Partner
Jones Day Law Firm -
Michael Foreman »
Clinical Professor and Director of the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic
Dickinson School of Law
Penn State University University Park, PA - Jack Gross » Plaintiff in Gross v. FBL Financial Services Des Moines, IA
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On Wednesday, March 10, the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine legislation that would extend the right to bargain collectively for better working conditions, wages, or benefits to public safety officers such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical services personnel. Only 25 states fully protect the right of state and local public safety employees to collectively bargain.
The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 would provide basic labor protections for state and local public safety workers. Identical legislation passed the House of Representatives in 2007 on a bipartisan vote of 314 to 97.
Archived Webcast »
The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 would provide basic labor protections for state and local public safety workers. Identical legislation passed the House of Representatives in 2007 on a bipartisan vote of 314 to 97.
Witnesses:
- Chuck Canterbury » National President Fraternal Order of Police
- Ellis Hankins » Executive Director North Carolina League of Municipalities Raleigh, N.C.
- Mayor David S. Smith » Lancaster, Ohio
- Doug Stafford » Vice President National Right to Work Committee Arlington, Virginia
- Douglas L. Steele » Partner Woodley & McGillivary Washington, D.C.
- Jim Tate » Firefighter and President Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Fort Worth, Texas
- Marshall Thielen » Police officer and President of the Fairfax Coalition of Police and Vice President of Region 10 International Union of Police Associations Fairfax, Virginia
NOTE: Rep. Dale Kildee is chair of the Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee, but offered opening remarks on this hearing because he is an original co-sponsor of the legislation.
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The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, December 2 to examine how the 2005 bankruptcy of the automotive parts manufacturer Delphi has impacted workers and retirees.
Archived Webcast »
Witnesses:
- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) »
- U.S. Rep. Christopher Lee (R-NY) »
- U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) »
- U.S. Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH) »
- Charles Cunningham » former Delphi worker
- Bruce Gump » former Delphi worker
- Norman Stein » Professor University of Alabama School of Law
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Witnesses:
- U.S. Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) »
- Marcia Angell, M.D » Senior Lecturer in Social Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts
- David Gratzer » Senior Fellow Manhattan Institute
- Geri Jenkins, R.N. » Co-President California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee San Diego, CA
- Walter Tsou, M.D., M.P.H. » National Board Advisor Physicians for a National Health Program Philadelphia, PA
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The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Thursday, April 23 to examine various health care reform proposals that will guarantee quality and affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans.
Archived Webcast »
Witnesses:
- Karen Davenport » Director of Health Policy Center for American Progress
- David Himmelstein » Associate Professor of Medicine Harvard University
- Michael Langan » Principal Towers Perrin
- William Oemichen » President and CEO Cooperative Network Madison, Wisc.
- Ron Pollack » Executive Director FamiliesUSA
- Janet Trautwein » Executive Vice President and CEO National Association of Health Underwriters
- William Vaughan » Senior Health Policy Analyst Consumers Union
The Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, April 22 on legislation that will provide American workers with clear and complete information about Wall Street fees taken from their 401(k)-style accounts.
The 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act of 2009 will help workers shop around for the best retirement options by requiring simple fee disclosure on the investment options contained in their employer’s 401(k) plan. Current law does not require all fees workers pay to be disclosed; and even for information that is available, it can be difficult for workers to find and evaluate.
The bill was introduced on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the full committee, and Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), chairman of the subcommittee.
Hidden 401(k) fees were the subject of Sunday’s 60 Minutes and featured an interview with Rep. Miller. To watch the segment, click here.
Archived Webcast »
The 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act of 2009 will help workers shop around for the best retirement options by requiring simple fee disclosure on the investment options contained in their employer’s 401(k) plan. Current law does not require all fees workers pay to be disclosed; and even for information that is available, it can be difficult for workers to find and evaluate.
The bill was introduced on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the full committee, and Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), chairman of the subcommittee.
Hidden 401(k) fees were the subject of Sunday’s 60 Minutes and featured an interview with Rep. Miller. To watch the segment, click here.
Witnesses:
-
Mr. Mercer E. Bullard »
Founder,
Fund Democracy and Assistant Professor of Law University of Mississippi University, MS -
Ms. Kristi Mitchem »
Managing Director
US Defined Contribution Plans Barclays San Francisco, CA - Ms. Alison T. Borland » Retirement Strategy Leader Hewitt Associates LLC Nashville, TN
- Mr. Julian Onorato » CEO ExpertPlan, Inc. East Windsor, NJ
-
Robert G. Chambers »
Chairman of the Board,
American Benefits Council
& Partner, McGuire Woods Charlotte, NC - Larry Goldbrum » Executive Vice President and General Counsel The SPARK Institute Simsbury, Connecticut
The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on the importance of ensuring that if workers receive investment advice, that it be independent and free of financial conflicts of interest.
In the last days of the Bush administration, the Department of Labor proposed to allow financial services firms to offer potentially conflicted investment advice on workers’ retirement accounts. For more information on this proposal, click here.
The Obama administration has slowed the consideration of this midnight rule.
Archived Webcast »
In the last days of the Bush administration, the Department of Labor proposed to allow financial services firms to offer potentially conflicted investment advice on workers’ retirement accounts. For more information on this proposal, click here.
The Obama administration has slowed the consideration of this midnight rule.
Witnesses:
- Ken Baker » Corporate Director of Human Resources Applied Extrusion Technologies Terra Haute, IN
-
Mercer Bullard »
Founder and President
Fund Democracy
Nonprofit Advocate for Mutual Fund Shareholders Oxford, MS - Sherrie Grabot » CEO GuidedChoice Los Gatos, CA
-
Charles Jeszeck »
Assistant Director
Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues U.S. Government Accountability Office Washington, DC - Melanie Nussdorf » Partner Steptoe & Johnson LLP, on behalf of SIFMA Washington, DC
- Andrew L. Oringer » Partner White and Case, LLP. New York, NY
The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine ways to increase health care insurance coverage for Americans through their employer. While nearly 47 million Americans currently have no health insurance at all, more than 27 million of those uninsured have jobs.
Archived Webcast »
Witnesses:
- Mark Derbyshire » Small Business Owner Aberdeen, Maryland
- Bruce Pyenson » Principal and Consulting Actuary Milliman Inc.
- John Sheridan » CEO Cooper University Hospital
- Kenneth Thorpe » Chair of the Health Policy and Management Department Emory University
- E. Neil Trautwein » Vice President and Employee Benefits Counsel National Retail Federation
- Jim Winkler » Health Management Practice Leader Hewitt Associates
Witnesses:
- Robert Roach » General Vice President International Association of Machinists Upper Marlboro, MD
- Patricia Friend » International President Association of Flight Attendants–CWA Washington, DC
- Rob Kight » Vice President for Compensation, Benefits, and Services Delta Airlines Atlanta, GA
- Gary Ford » Attorney Groom Law Group Washington, DC
- Tom Kochan » George M. Bunker Professor of Management MIT Sloan School of Management Cambridge, MA
Witnesses:
- Congressman Barney Frank 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts
- Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin » 2nd Congressional District of Wisconsin
- Diane Schroer » Retired Colonel United States Army Washington, D.C.
- Diego Sanchez » Director of Public Relations & External Affairs AIDS Action Committee Boston, Massachusetts
- JC Miller » Partner Thompson Hine, LLP Washington, D.C.
- Bill Hendrix » Global Leader The Dow Chemical Company Indianapolis, Indiana
- Glen Lavy » Senior Counsel and Senior Vice President For Marriage Litigation Alliance Defense Fund Scottsdale, Arizona
- Sabrina Marcus Taraboletti » Aeronautics Engineer Brevard County, Florida
- Shannon Minter, Esq. » Legal Director National Center for Lesbian Rights Washington, D.C.
Witnesses:
- Maria McFarland » Principal Specialist on Colombia Human Rights Watch
- Daniel Kovalik, Esq. » Associate General Counsel United Steelworkers
- Edwin Guzman » Former Sergeant National Army, Republic of Colombia
- Francisco Ramirez » President Sintraminercol
- Ambassador Otto J. Reich » President Otto Reich Associates, LLC
Transcript:
Protection and Money: U.S. Companies, Their Employees, and Violence in Colombia »
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions & Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Joint Hearing with the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight & Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Protection and Money: U.S. Companies, Their Employees, and Violence in Colombia »
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions & Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Joint Hearing with the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight & Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
Thursday, June 28, 2007