Tom Harkin: “we worked very hard on this bill to make sure we had good, strong, independent evaluations and reporting requirements.…”

“we worked very hard on this bill to make sure we had good, strong, independent evaluations and reporting requirements. Therefore, I am pleased to rise and speak in opposition to the amendment. We included in the bill requirements for an independent evaluation to be conducted every 4 years, which includes what we call the gold standard impact evaluation, the first of which is due in 2019. Our House colleagues on both sides of the aisle agreed with and supported these provisions in a bipartisan, bicameral process. What the Lee amendment would do would be to inappropriately penalize the Secretary of Labor if the Secretary does not submit a report by an arbitrary date. I understand the intent of the amendment. We all want to see reports filed in a timely manner. However, the Lee amendment does not give any allowance for factors that might be outside of the Secretary's control and then would penalize the Secretary for the failure of others over whom the Secretary has absolutely no control--and that is why I oppose the amendment. As the name suggests, independent evaluations are run by objective, independent third parties. Sometimes the evaluations encounter delays that are far beyond the control of the Department. For example, data may not be available in a timely manner; alternatively, followup with States, local areas or programs participating in the evaluation may be necessary. On some occasions, legal challenges may arise.…”