Tom Harkin

I agree with you that that particular kind of way of tying NIH's hands would be very unfortunate.

I look forward to working with the Committee to build support for the President's 2012 budget for education and to secure the best possible future for America by providing the best possible education for all of our children.

They continue to invest in the future.

The goal of all of us who tried to carry out our responsibilities to support the very best biomedical research is to utilize the tools of peer review

The President's budget includes $46 million to combat worker misclassification.

I've introduced legislation--the SECTORS Act--that would amend WIA to create dedicated capacity for sector partnerships.

It's a proven strategy many Governors have taken up, and we're seeing success in Ohio, especially in biosciences and healthcare.

This case just shocks the conscience. Just shocks the conscience.

I recently introduced, with Senators Harkin, Blumenthal, and Franken, the Payroll Fraud Prevention Act (S. 770) which would protect workers from being misclassified as independent contractors.

I've been working on sector partnership workforce training strategies for 4 years, along with Senator Olympia Snowe.

But, the cost to society of not doing that, I submit to you, will be 10, 20, 30 times that much--the cost to society--if we don't do that.

I just--again, count me as a great supporter of Job Corps.

We want to get to the bottom of that.

If these men were doing the same job as nondisabled people, they should have been paid the same rates.

I am committed to achieving the goal of Good Jobs for Everyone while the administration focuses on our shared long-term goal of reducing the Federal deficit.

Preparing workers for these jobs will be a vital component of winning the future.

I believe there's a better way, and history offers a guide.

Now, my 5 minutes is up, but I have other questions for other people here.

They got initial summary judgment for $1.76 million.

There are many employers in the United States who pay less than the minimum wage and, 'have never seen a Wage and Hour investigator.'

I raise it because, from 2000 to 2008, the Wage and Hour Division lost 20 percent of its staff.

The President's 2012 budget reflects difficult choices but retains the critical investments needed to get America back to work.

We need to do much better, and I believe this initiative will help.

Thank you for your stewardship of this vast and complex Department.

I strongly believe that green jobs still will remain a growing segment of this economy.