Tom Harkin

That just does not sound right, you know, when no citations are being issued.

Our goal is to help workers by reducing ergonomic injuries in the shortest possible timeframe.

All the newspapers and all the press are out there going after Congress. It is less than 1 percent.

I think there is a need for you as a secretary, me as a senator, Senator Specter as a Senator, and others, to respond to certain needs that may not be applicable on a competitive basis.

I still just repeat for emphasis sake, and I am going to have the IG look at this earmarking, the 90 percent.

We are going to have to tell the States they have to do certain things.

We have provided for an authority for 30 percent to shift between the adult block grant and the other block grant.

I will look at that and consider that.

I am told for the last 5 years we have given you the authority for flexibility to train incumbent workers.

Why will you not ask for the authority? Why not give it to the DOL? Why give it to the States?

Well, there would have to be a statute change for the States to do it, too.

You are saying your hands are tied. If you have a deficit area right next to a surplus area, you cannot take it from the surplus area and put it in the deficit area if that is needed?

So are you telling me that GAO is not giving us accurate information?

So to get a whole picture of what is happening, obviously, graduation rates are important.

But GAO--but they are looking--what they are talking about is the actual picture.

Well, we have been there.

So then why is your budget cutting a billion dollars out of workforce training and all of that?

Have you suggested any reforms to this committee and to the Congress?

Well, some of these--I do not know. There is one in 2004 to the Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Intent? When 90 percent went uncompetitively?

So you are saying that that did not happen over 5 years. It just happened in 1 year?

I am going to bring this up with every secretary that appears here.

We are going to give you money, and we are going to ask you to enforce it.

I am just sorry to see that we are having this conflict on it. Because I just do not think we want to back down on that one and back off of what we have been doing around the world.

I think it is one of the best faces that America can give the rest of the world. That is to help try to end this exploitative labor of children in other countries.