In just 100 days, President Obama and the 111th Congress have already made progress on behalf of America’s students, workers and families. Whether it’s restoring protections for workers or making good on his promises to invest in education, President Obama’s first 100 days delivered on the change Americans have been seeking and show that the President and this Congress are committed to make Washington work for families.
Key measures, many of which the Education and Labor Committee helped enact, have already started improving the quality of life for working families, including:
Key measures, many of which the Education and Labor Committee helped enact, have already started improving the quality of life for working families, including:
MAKING COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (signed February 17) will provide immediate relief to students and families working hard to pay for college by:
RESTORING PROTECTIONS FOR WORKERS
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (signed January 29) restores workers’ rights to challenge pay discrimination.
Overturned harmful Bush midnight rule that would have slowed protections for workers from severe lung disease (withdrawn March 17). Under the leadership of the new Administration, OSHA withdrew a last minute Bush era procedural roadblock to that slowed protections for workers who handle the dangerous food flavoring diacetyl. Scientists have linked diacetyl exposure to bronchiolitis obliterans, a severe lung disease often known as “popcorn lung.”
Issued executive orders to restore workers’ rights in federal contracts and establish a Middle Class Task Force (signed January 30, 2009).
LAUNCHING A NEW ERA OF PUBLIC SERVICE
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (signed April 21) expands opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve their nation and communities. It more than triples them number of service opportunities nationwide to 250,000 and increases the full time education award service members receive in exchange for their work to $5,350 for 2010.
EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helps workers who recently lost a job maintain their health coverage while they look for new employment by making them eligible to receive a 65 percent subsidy towards their COBRA premium for up to nine months.
INVESTING IN 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act invests $105.9 billion in early education, k-12 education, and training to help build the world class education system our economy needs and our children deserve. This plan will make sure that the economic crisis doesn’t compromise the quality of education schoolchildren receive. It also makes progress on key, commonsense reforms, like improving teacher quality, strengthening standards, and establishing data systems that track students’ progress, that are needed to transform our schools.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (signed February 17) will provide immediate relief to students and families working hard to pay for college by:
- Increasing the Pell Grant scholarship by $500. The bill increases the maximum award to $5,350 by next school year and to $5,550 for 2010. About seven million students would benefit from this increase.
- Establishing a new college tuition tax credit of $2,500. The bill establishes a new, partially refundable “American Opportunity” tax credit, expanding access for higher education tax credit to about four million students.
- Creating new work-study opportunities for college students. The
bill invests $200 million in work-study opportunities for college
students in fields related to their major or in community service,
creating jobs for an additional 200,000 students.
RESTORING PROTECTIONS FOR WORKERS
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (signed January 29) restores workers’ rights to challenge pay discrimination.
Overturned harmful Bush midnight rule that would have slowed protections for workers from severe lung disease (withdrawn March 17). Under the leadership of the new Administration, OSHA withdrew a last minute Bush era procedural roadblock to that slowed protections for workers who handle the dangerous food flavoring diacetyl. Scientists have linked diacetyl exposure to bronchiolitis obliterans, a severe lung disease often known as “popcorn lung.”
Issued executive orders to restore workers’ rights in federal contracts and establish a Middle Class Task Force (signed January 30, 2009).
LAUNCHING A NEW ERA OF PUBLIC SERVICE
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (signed April 21) expands opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve their nation and communities. It more than triples them number of service opportunities nationwide to 250,000 and increases the full time education award service members receive in exchange for their work to $5,350 for 2010.
EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helps workers who recently lost a job maintain their health coverage while they look for new employment by making them eligible to receive a 65 percent subsidy towards their COBRA premium for up to nine months.
INVESTING IN 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act invests $105.9 billion in early education, k-12 education, and training to help build the world class education system our economy needs and our children deserve. This plan will make sure that the economic crisis doesn’t compromise the quality of education schoolchildren receive. It also makes progress on key, commonsense reforms, like improving teacher quality, strengthening standards, and establishing data systems that track students’ progress, that are needed to transform our schools.
