Lynn C. Woolsey

I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1029, which recognizes the impact that school counselors have in students' lives and encourages the observation of February 1 through February 5 as National School Counseling Week.

As co-chair of the Congressional Mentoring Caucus, I rise today in strong support for designating January 2010 as National Mentoring Month. We all have an important role to play in the lives of young people around us. Our entire community…

I want to call the House's attention to the work of Greg Mortenson, who has built schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan and written two bestsellers about it. Mr. Mortenson has a lot to say about the power of education to dramatically improve…

President Obama is certainly doing the right thing when it comes to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti. He's responded quickly, he's responded effectively, and he's pledged that the United States will do all that we can do to alleviate the…

When a President decides to go to war, his or her plans must have clarity. The American people need to know exactly where the President stands and what his goals are. The President's original proposal was to begin withdrawing American…

The year 2009 ended 12 days ago, and many were glad to see it go. It was a very difficult year for American families as they struggled with the recession. It was also a very difficult year for our brave troops in Afghanistan. The death…

Imagine, we are a model for the country and we are--the things that California is not living up to these days. Shame, shame on all of us.

We are looking at the teaching profession today as a real profession and it feels wonderful.

What are we doing to prepare these students so that when they enter the classroom they are ready to learn?

Do you support family values? Then give 27 million Americans a chance to spend some time with their families.

It is unacceptable that this country, which is the number one economy in the world, can barely compete with developing nations when it comes to paid leave and sick days.

And it boggles my mind that 30 years later, in the 21st century, that any employer would rather have employees come to work sick than provide them the time off they need to recover.

Providing paid leave is good for business.

Today, three-quarters of all mothers work and in about 80% of two-parent families, both parents work outside the home. Unfortunately, the laws governing work-life balance haven't kept up with these changes.

Currently, millions of workers go to work when they are sick, as I said, because they can't afford to stay home.

Enacting this particular proposal would require countless U.S. employers, even those with as few as 15 employees, to provide paid sick leave to every employee.

Allowing workers earn paid sick time to care for themselves and their families is a matter of fundamental fairness.

In a nation that values families, no worker should have to choose between their job and their own or a family member's health.

If we have a workforce shortage and we are trying to recruit and we are trying to retain, then we have got to focus in terms of what is going to be that biggest population, which is going to be women, and address this. Otherwise, there…

I would also ask my colleagues why the United States of America is the only major nation NOT to provide for paid vacation time.

We can't afford to wait. We need to go--we can't not pass the FIRST Act.

This Congress and Administration are killing even the possibility of new jobs.

Workers should not have to choose between their jobs and their families, but they are still forced to make those choices every day.

This is absolutely unacceptable that this country, the number one economy in the world, can barely compete with developing nations when it comes to paid leave and sick days.

Working families should not have to risk their financial security when a wage earner gets sick or a family member needs help.