Rokita Report - Protecting Workers, Nutrition Oversight, & More

Statement

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 114th Congress. I trust this finds you and your family well, as we work together to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington.

Lesson From Commodore Decatur

Commodore Stephen Decatur was born in 1779 and was one of the first post-Revolutionary War heroes of our country. Decatur, Indiana is named after him. Two hundred years ago, on May 20, 1815, he was given command of the USS Guerriere by President James Madison and instructed to conduct a war to end the piracy that had been rampant in foreign seas.

By November, he returned a hero having confronted the issue directly and bringing about a swift victory. Secretary of State James Monroe even wrote a letter to Decatur stating "I take much interest in informing you that the result of this expedition, so glorious to your country and honorable to yourself and the officers and men under your command, has been very satisfactory to the President."

Two hundred years later, his journey is still relevant. Recently, in the Persian Gulf, in what amounts to state-sponsored piracy, Iran seized a foreign vessel, the Maersk-Tigris, under the pretext of "legal disputes" on the waters. This happened at the same time our President was negotiating with Iran about nuclear enrichment. Two hundred years ago our nation confronted piracy head-on. Today this administration is more interested in brokering a deal and turning a blind eye to such behavior.

Last week's Rokita Report discussed how Congress voted overwhelmingly on legislation that ensures oversight over the President's negotiations with Iran. Actions like seizing the Maersk-Tigris demonstrate the importance of doing so.

Responsibly Protecting Workers

Today, I introduced a bipartisan bill to make permanent a key voluntary workplace safety program. The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is a successful partnership between private industry and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which was created in 1982 but never codified into law. In the VPP, management, employees, and OSHA establish cooperative workplace relationships to implement a comprehensive safety and health management system.

The bill that I introduced is the VPP Act and it would make this program permanent. I introduced the bill with Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and Martha Roby (R-AL).

Since VPP was created in 1982, it has grown to incorporate over 2,200 worksites that employ approximately 900,000 workers. Participating workplaces have an illness and injury rate well below industry averages. States, including Indiana, have created their own programs modeled on the success of the federal program.

Child Nutrition Oversight

On Tuesday, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, I held a hearing that examined waste, fraud, and abuse in federal child nutrition programs.

Every year, the federal government spends more than $21 billion on child nutrition programs. For this reason, we owe it to taxpayers to ensure their dollars are reaching the children that need it most by cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse. According to the Government Accountability Office, taxpayer dollars are often being misdirected to individuals ineligible for these programs. The Department of Agriculture's Inspector General identified $2.7 billion in improper payments in just one school year.

The hearing was all the more important because federal child nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the National School Lunch Program, and the School Breakfast Program are due to be reauthorized by Congress later this year. Each and every dollar spent on these programs should have a direct and meaningful impact on those it is intended to serve -- not those looking to cheat the system. The hearing builds upon last month's hearing "Serving Students and Families through Child Nutrition Programs" that was held by the full committee.

Using the ideas and proposals gathered from these hearings, I will continue working to strengthen transparency and accountability in these programs as Congress drafts legislation reauthorizing these programs.

Innovation Week

This week was Innovation Week in the House of Representatives. Our focus was to ensure that we have the tools we need to ensure that America remains a leader in research, while cutting waste and abuse.

Indiana is at the forefront of innovation:

Purdue University in West Lafayette attracts global talent to world-class research facilities and stands to benefit from the bills passed this week. Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, was a Boilermaker.

Last year, Fair Oaks Dairy, an Indiana company, drew the attention of NPR for their agricultural technologies that produce a "nutritious, reformulated supermilk."

Earlier this month, executives with Amazon told me how impressed they were with the 5,000 Hoosiers they employ in Indiana. This work ethic is a reason that they are building a wind farm in Benton County to power their data centers.

Innovation spans wide fields of research and industries, and so too does the legislation that was passed this week:

The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act prioritizes the protection of lives and property in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather research plans.

The Research and Development Efficiency Act reviews federal research regulations for unnecessary requirements, burdens, and duplication to save costs.

The American Super Computing Leadership Act improves high-end computing research and development programs and establishes an exascale computing program.

The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act is a comprehensive bill that prioritizes scientific research and ensures we are getting the best bang for our buck, not paying for someone else's political agenda.

The SPACE Act is legislation that extends the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) learning period on private spaceflight to 2023 so research can be done free from regulatory uncertainty.

Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington. Take care.

Sincerely,

Todd Rokita

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