The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act continues to benefit communities around the country. Today, The Record of Hackensack, New Jersey reported that their community is set to receive $1.3 million in recovery funding for early childhood education programs. The article titled Programs for children and babies get stimulus boost, stated:

“Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will contribute more than $1.3 million in additional federal support in providing vital services to Bergen County families, according to the Bergen County Community Action Partnership (BCCAP). The stimulus funds have allowed for the expansion of both Head Start to 40 additional families and the inception of Early Head Start for 72 families.”

The Head Start programs provide early childhood education services to over one million children, and families and workers depend on these programs not only for invaluable early education, but for employment. Nancy Griner, Head Start Director for the area, attested to the benefits of early education in the article:

"This holistic program includes education, health, mental health, social services, and nutrition services for children from income eligible families. Also, additional special services are provided for children with disabilities. We focus on the total development of the child, while creating a more stable family environment."

Head Start programs are services that our communities cannot afford to lose, especially in tough economic times -- and this isn’t a story that’s limited to New Jersey. Local papers around the United States have written on the importance of Recovery Act funds for early education in their communities, including UNR News in Nevada, The New Mexico Independent, and Oklahoma’s The Express-Star. The story of the Recovery Act’s success is being told in communities nationwide.

Currently there is no federal law that protects oil and gas workers if they are retaliated against after they blow the whistle on workplace health and safety violations on the Outer Continental Shelf.
 
Workers on oil rigs like the Deepwater Horizon risk losing their jobs if they report dangerous workplace conditions.  The workers performing clean-up activities on the Outer Continental Shelf similarly have no protections against employer retaliation for raising health and safety concerns. 

Workers must be protected when they raise concerns about unsafe working conditions, and they must have the right to stop working if they fear they could be injured or killed. Workers themselves are in the best position to discover safety hazards.  You can’t have inspectors at all facilities at all times.  These workers are enforcement agencies’ eyes and ears when it comes to safety compliance.

Deepwater Horizon workers had safety concerns prior to the explosion. Jason Anderson, who died when the rig exploded, told both his wife and father that working conditions were not safe on the Deepwater Horizon.  According to his widow Shelley’s testimony before the Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation committee, Jason was reluctant to talk about these concerns while on the rig and told her: “I can’t talk about it now.  The walls are too thin.”  This fear was so strong that Jason reportedly talked to Shelley about his will and getting his affairs in order not long before the explosion. 

H.R. 5851 extends whistleblower protections to employees of employers working on the Outer Continental Shelf performing oil and gas exploration, drilling, production, or oil spill cleanup.

The bill is modeled after other modern whistleblower statutes and would:

• Prohibit an employer from discharging or otherwise discriminating against an employee who reports to the employer, or a federal or state government official that he or she reasonably believes the employer is violating the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).
• Protect covered employees who report injuries or unsafe conditions related to the offshore work, refuse to work based on a good faith belief that the offshore work could cause injury or impairment or a spill, or refuse to perform work in a manner that they believe violates the OCSLA.
• Establish a process for an employee to appeal an employer’s retaliation by filing a complaint with the Secretary of Labor, and allowing a jury trial if the Secretary fails to act in a timely manner.  
• Make an aggrieved employee eligible for reinstatement, back pay and compensatory and consequential damages, and, where appropriate, exemplary damages.  
• Require employers to post a notice that explains employee rights and remedies under this Act and provide training to the employees of these rights. 
  

The Portland Press Herald published an op-ed this morning about the importance of reforming the Child Nutrition Act: Overweight recruits hurt our military readiness and national security.

They say:

Being overweight or obese is the leading medical reason why young Americans cannot join the military. Over the last 30 years, child obesity rates have tripled. One study found that 80 percent of children who were overweight at ages 10-15 were obese at age 25.

Here in Maine, 41.2 percent of youths from ages 18 to 24 are overweight or obese. In addition to hindering our military preparedness, obesity also costs the American people billions in medical expenses every year.

From the mid-1990s to 2000, the state of Maine spent $375 million per year on obesity-related medical expenses. This data is 10 years old -- Maine's current expenditures are surely much higher today.

What can we do to address the problem? One way is to improve the quality of food and beverages served in our schools. The school environment is critical for shaping the eating and exercise habits of our youth.

...

The White House has proposed additional resources for a robust child nutrition reauthorization package that would reduce child obesity and improve the diets of children. Current proposals in the House and Senate include provisions that will raise the quality of all foods and beverages served in schools by requiring the secretary of agriculture to establish new nutrition standards that are consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

"Mission: Readiness" strongly supports these provisions and urges Congress to enact reauthorization legislation immediately.

By applying increased nutritional standards to all foods sold on school grounds, expanding access to healthier meals, and supporting schools in implementing proven programs that educate children and their families about healthy eating and exercise, we can get junk food and high-calorie beverages out of schools and out of our children's daily diets.

Recent research provides strong evidence that receiving school meals can help low-income children maintain a healthy weight.

Watch Major General Paul D. Monroe, U.S. Army (Ret.) of th Executive Advisory Council of Mission: Readiness, testify at a hearing about H.R.5504, Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act on July 1, 2010 after the jump.

Join Chairman Miller, Randi Weingarten, Tim Daly, Lisa Guernsey and Carmel Martin for a lively discussion about education and education policy in America.

The National Journal's website says: 

There is consensus in the education sector that the American school system must transition from one designed around an agrarian and industrial society to one that meets the demands of the knowledge economy. The Obama administration has poured an unprecedented amount of money—upwards of $100 billion—toward accomplishing that goal. How far have we come and how much further do we need to go? As a means of addressing this question, we will take stock of the administration's key education initiatives as well as state-led efforts and ultimately, how the weakened economy has affected these programs. Race to the Top, reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and Common Core, among other topics, will be examined.

UPDATE: The breakfast has concluded. Visit their website for the archive of the event.

Join Chairman Miller, Randi Weingarten, Tim Daly, Lisa Guernsey and Carmel Martin for a lively discussion about education and education policy in America.

The National Journal's website says: 

There is consensus in the education sector that the American school system must transition from one designed around an agrarian and industrial society to one that meets the demands of the knowledge economy. The Obama administration has poured an unprecedented amount of money—upwards of $100 billion—toward accomplishing that goal. How far have we come and how much further do we need to go? As a means of addressing this question, we will take stock of the administration's key education initiatives as well as state-led efforts and ultimately, how the weakened economy has affected these programs. Race to the Top, reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and Common Core, among other topics, will be examined.

UPDATE: The breakfast has concluded. Visit their website for the archive of the event.

Join Chairman Miller, Randi Weingarten, Tim Daly, Lisa Guernsey and Carmel Martin for a lively discussion about education and education policy in America.

The National Journal's website says: 

There is consensus in the education sector that the American school system must transition from one designed around an agrarian and industrial society to one that meets the demands of the knowledge economy. The Obama administration has poured an unprecedented amount of money—upwards of $100 billion—toward accomplishing that goal. How far have we come and how much further do we need to go? As a means of addressing this question, we will take stock of the administration's key education initiatives as well as state-led efforts and ultimately, how the weakened economy has affected these programs. Race to the Top, reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and Common Core, among other topics, will be examined.

During remarks to the National Press Club, Education Secretary Arne Duncan today observed a “quiet revolution” in our nation’s public education system:

“From journalists and educators to politicians and parents -- there is a growing sense that a quiet revolution is underway in our homes and schools, classrooms and communities.”

During his presentation, Secretary Duncan announced the 19 finalists for the Race to the Top grant program, the impetus behind this education revolution. He continued:

“With a budget of just $5 billion dollars -- less than one percent of total education spending in America -- this minor provision in the Recovery Act has unleashed an avalanche of pent-up education reform activity at the state and local level.

“Forty-eight states voluntarily collaborated to raise the bar and create common college and career-ready standards -- solving the single biggest drawback of NCLB -- without a federal mandate or a federal dollar. So far, 27 states have adopted those standards. Even Massachusetts -- universally viewed with the highest standards in the country -- voted unanimously to adopt last week.”

Race to the Top was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and provides competitive grants to selected states that commit to key areas of education reform.

The success of Race to the Top has helped encourage education reform across the country and sets the stage for the kind of bipartisan overhaul The Education and Labor Committee is currently undertaking to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This “quiet revolution,” as Secretary Duncan put it, is welcome news for students, parents, and teachers across the country.

On Wednesday, July 28, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, will keynote National Journal’s “Inside the Issue: Education” breakfast discussion. Miller will answer questions from National Journal’s Eliza Krigman and then take questions from the audience.

WHO:            
U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee

WHAT:         
National Journal LIVE’s Education Week Event, “Inside the Issue: Education” featuring Chairman George Miller

WHEN:         
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
8:30 A.M - Keynote program begins

WHERE:      
Top of the Hill (Reserve Officers Association)
One Constitution Avenue NE
Washington DC

Note: This event will be live webcast on the National Journal website. To RSVP, click here.

Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), who was partially paralyzed at age 16, presided over the House of Representatives today  — marking the first time in our history that a member in a wheelchair has ascended to the speaker’s podium.  Langevin’s achievement coincides with the 20-year anniversary of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which opened public spaces, employment and education opportunities to people with disabilities.

Chairman Miller, who championed the bill in 1990 and worked to strengthen the legislation in 2008, stated:

“We wrote the ADA to ensure America works for all Americans. The law broke down barriers, prohibited discrimination, promoted access and provided basic civil rights to people with disabilities. Over the past 20 years, people with disabilities have been able to access educational opportunities and employment.  They’ve been able to use buildings, transportation, and communities that once presented huge obstacles.”

While today is a day to celebrate a great accomplishment, there is still much work to do. The Washington Post reported today that Americans with disabilities still face large challenges in the job market:

“It is a brutal job market for many workers, but even more so for those with disabilities, who can struggle in the best of times. For them, the unemployment rate is now 14.4 percent -- 50 percent higher than it is for other workers, and the jobs gap is larger still because so many are not counted as being in the workforce.”

Chairman Miller also noted that disabled Americans still face unfair burdens and urged Congress to continue its work on their behalf:

“It’s time for us to look to the future, to honor the successes of the past and build upon them to continue to increase the options of people with disabilities. We still have a long way to go to improve educational outcomes for all students, especially students with disabilities and to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.”

Most Americans feel all too familiar with the details of the April 20th, 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. The tragedy killed 11 workers, injured 17 others, and caused the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Still, very few know that there is currently no federal law protecting offshore workers from reprisal for blowing the whistle on health and safety problems in their workplace. This surprising fact makes the New York Times investigation of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy all the more significant. The Times reported:

“A confidential survey of workers on the Deepwater Horizon in the weeks before the oil rig exploded showed that many of them were concerned about safety practices and feared reprisals if they reported mistakes or other problems.”

Many workers felt unsafe working on the Deepwater Horizon, but didn’t report their concerns due to fear of losing their job. The Times article continued:

“Only about half of the workers interviewed said they felt they could report actions leading to a potentially ‘risky’ situation without reprisal.”

During a hearing on this issue, the Education and Labor Committee heard testimony from OSHA, the Coast Guard and MMS.  Not a single one of these agencies could name a federal law that protected offshore workers for blowing the whistle on worker health and safety problems.

This stunning lack of basic protections for offshore workers is precisely what led Chairman Miller to introduce the Offshore Worker Whistleblower Protection Act (H.R. 5749). Workers in inherently dangerous workplaces deserve basic whistleblower protections. Indeed, these protections might have prevented this tragic accident and the ensuing environmental disaster altogether.