Latest news with #HELPCommittee
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Springbrook to hold fundraiser next week
Springbrook, a provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has announced its inaugural Day of Giving, set to begin at noon Tuesday, March 25 and conclude at noon Wednesday, March 26. According to a news release from the agency, the 24-hour online fundraising event aims to raise $100,000 to enhance and expand Springbrook's programs and services. Bill and Karen Mirabito have pledged to match every dollar raised during the event, up to $100,000, the release stated. Contributors who donate $25 or more will receive a pair of exclusive socks designed by children from Springbrook's Kids Unlimited Preschool as a token of appreciation. Donors can choose to direct their contributions to specific areas, including: • Kids Unlimited Preschool playground and activities, supporting the only integrated preschool program in Otsego County; • Initiatives such as the Special Olympics Program, therapeutic horseback riding, the HELP Committee, and projects such as the accessible outdoor trail designed for Springbrook's Oneonta campus; • Springbrook Scholars, providing staff with opportunities to pursue higher education tailored to their professional career goals; • Community engagement, promoting communication, collaboration and connection within the community; • Areas of greatest need, allowing the Springbrook Foundation to allocate funds where they are needed most. Springbrook is also seeking supporters to become Day of Giving ambassadors. 'Ambassadors play a significant role by making a personal donation and inspiring others to contribute,' the release stated. Those interested can sign up individually or as a team and will receive a personalized link to share within their networks. Prizes will be awarded to top ambassadors who 'excel in rallying support.' Additionally, there will be various donor challenges throughout the day. For every $1 that a Springbrook employee donates, they will receive an entry to throw a pie at Springbrook Chief Operating Officer Seth Haight. For more information, to sign up as an ambassador or to donate, visit
Fox News
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Dem support carries Trump's pro-union labor pick past key vote
President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary cleared a key vote before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Thursday morning after picking up Democratic support from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. Lori Chavez-DeRemer's past support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act seemed to jeopardize her confirmation odds last week, when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he would not vote for her if she continued to support the PRO Act. Paul's reluctance meant Chavez-DeRemer would likely need some Democrats' support to pass the key confirmation hurdle. Hassan's support, as a Democrat on the HELP Committee, was a breakthrough for Chavez-DeRemer's chances. "The Department of Labor plays an integral role in supporting workers and small businesses alike, and after hearing significant support from constituents, including members of labor unions in New Hampshire, I will support Representative Chavez-DeRemer's nomination as Secretary of Labor," Hassan shared in a statement to Fox News Digital. Hassan admitted that she "may not agree on everything" with Chavez-DeRemer, but she is "qualified" to serve and earned "significant support" from New Hampshire voters. "Though we may not agree on everything, after meeting with Representative Chavez-DeRemer and listening to her testimony during her confirmation hearing, I believe that she is qualified to serve as the next secretary of labor, and I look forward to working with her to support New Hampshire's workers and small businesses," Hassan added. Chavez-DeRemer supported the PRO Act as a representative for Oregon's 5th Congressional District but told senators during her confirmation hearing that she no longer supports overturning Republican-supported right-to-work laws under the PRO Act. The PRO Act would effectively kill state-level laws that prevent employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Republicans oppose the PRO Act for overturning right-to-work laws. Chavez-DeRemer went into the committee vote without Paul's voting plan publicly known. But, going in with Hassan's support, Chavez-DeRemer was much less likely to be reliant on Paul to be reported favorably out of the committee. "If she wanted to make a public statement saying that her support for the PRO Act was incorrect and she no longer does, then I'd think about her nomination," Paul told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of Chavez-DeRemer's hearing. "So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?" Paul asked during the hearing. "Yes, sir," she replied. Paul's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on how he would vote in committee, however. Chavez-DeRemer testified before the HELP Committee on Feb. 19. Once reported out of committee, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can file a motion to end Senate floor debate on the nominee, triggering a later cloture vote. Once the debate is closed, senators will cast their final confirmation vote. During her hearing, Chavez-DeRemer advocated for trade school investments to expand "educational pathways beyond the traditional four-year degree" to strengthen the American workforce. She said she is committed to leveling the playing field for American businesses, workers and unions. Chavez-DeRemer also thanked Trump and credited him with the "single greatest political achievement of our time" in building a "new coalition of working-class Americans." "President Trump has united a new coalition of working-class Americans like never before. With 59.6% of Teamsters backing him, historic support from African-American and Latino voters, and record-breaking turnout in once-solid blue cities and states, Americans are speaking loud and clear. They are calling for action, progress and leadership that puts the American worker first," Chavez-DeRemer said. Trump nominated Chavez-DeRemer for secretary of labor less than three weeks after he was elected president. "Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America's workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America," Trump wrote. "I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand training and apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our manufacturing jobs. Together, we will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families," he added.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dem support likely to push Trump's pro-union labor pick past key vote
President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary is expected to pass a key vote before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Thursday after picking up Democrat support from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. Lori Chavez-DeRemer's past support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act jeopardized her confirmation last week, when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he would not vote for her if she continued to support the PRO Act. Paul's reluctance meant Chavez-DeRemer would likely need a Democrat's vote to pass a key confirmation hurdle. Hassan's support, as a Democrat on the HELP Committee, all but confirms Chavez-DeRemer will pass through her committee vote. "The Department of Labor plays an integral role in supporting workers and small businesses alike, and after hearing significant support from constituents, including members of labor unions in New Hampshire, I will support Representative Chavez-DeRemer's nomination as Secretary of Labor," Hassan shared in a statement to Fox News Digital. Trump's Nominee For Labor Secretary Walks Back Support For Pro Act, Embraces Republican Right-to-work Laws Hassan admitted that she "may not agree on everything" with Chavez-DeRemer, but she is "qualified" to serve and earned "significant support" from New Hampshire voters. Read On The Fox News App Senate Confirms Trump Nominee Jamieson Greer As Us Trade Representative "Though we may not agree on everything, after meeting with Representative Chavez-DeRemer and listening to her testimony during her confirmation hearing, I believe that she is qualified to serve as the next secretary of labor, and I look forward to working with her to support New Hampshire's workers and small businesses," Hassan added. Chavez-DeRemer supported the PRO Act as a representative for Oregon's 5th Congressional District but told senators during her confirmation hearing that she no longer supports overturning Republican-supported right-to-work laws under the PRO Act. The PRO Act would effectively kill state-level laws that prevent employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Republicans oppose the PRO Act for overturning right-to-work laws. Chavez-DeRemer could still earn back Paul's vote after she distanced herself from the PRO Act during her Senate hearing. With Hassan's support, Chavez-DeRemer is no longer reliant on Paul for confirmation. "If she wanted to make a public statement saying that her support for the PRO Act was incorrect and she no longer does, then I'd think about her nomination," Paul told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of Chavez-DeRemer's hearing. "So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?" Paul asked during the hearing. "Yes, sir," she replied. Paul's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on how he will vote in committee today. Chavez-DeRemer testified before the HELP Committee on Feb. 19. If the committee votes to send Chavez-DeRemer's nomination before the full Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can file a motion to end Senate floor debate on the nominee, triggering a cloture vote to halt deliberations. Once debate closes, senators cast their final confirmation vote. During her hearing, Chavez-DeRemer advocated for trade school investments to expand "educational pathways beyond the traditional four-year degree" to strengthen the American workforce. She said she is committed to leveling the playing field for American businesses, workers and unions. Chavez-DeRemer also thanked Trump and credited him with the "single greatest political achievement of our time" in building a "new coalition of working-class Americans." "President Trump has united a new coalition of working-class Americans like never before. With 59.6% of Teamsters backing him, historic support from African-American and Latino voters, and record-breaking turnout in once-solid blue cities and states, Americans are speaking loud and clear. They are calling for action, progress and leadership that puts the American worker first," Chavez-DeRemer said. Trump nominated Chavez-DeRemer for secretary of labor less than three weeks after he was elected president. "Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America's workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America," Trump wrote. "I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand training and apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our manufacturing jobs. Together, we will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families," he article source: Dem support likely to push Trump's pro-union labor pick past key vote
Fox News
27-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Dem support likely to push Trump's pro-union labor pick past key vote
President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary is expected to pass a key vote before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Thursday after picking up Democrat support from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. Lori Chavez-DeRemer's past support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act jeopardized her confirmation last week, when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he would not vote for her if she continued to support the PRO Act. Paul's reluctance meant Chavez-DeRemer would likely need a Democrat's vote to pass a key confirmation hurdle. Hassan's support, as a Democrat on the HELP Committee, all but confirms Chavez-DeRemer will pass through her committee vote. "The Department of Labor plays an integral role in supporting workers and small businesses alike, and after hearing significant support from constituents, including members of labor unions in New Hampshire, I will support Representative Chavez-DeRemer's nomination as Secretary of Labor," Hassan shared in a statement to Fox News Digital. Hassan admitted that she "may not agree on everything" with Chavez-DeRemer, but she is "qualified" to serve and earned "significant support" from New Hampshire voters. "Though we may not agree on everything, after meeting with Representative Chavez-DeRemer and listening to her testimony during her confirmation hearing, I believe that she is qualified to serve as the next secretary of labor, and I look forward to working with her to support New Hampshire's workers and small businesses," Hassan added. Chavez-DeRemer supported the PRO Act as a representative for Oregon's 5th Congressional District but told senators during her confirmation hearing that she no longer supports overturning Republican-supported right-to-work laws under the PRO Act. The PRO Act would effectively kill state-level laws that prevent employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Republicans oppose the PRO Act for overturning right-to-work laws. Chavez-DeRemer could still earn back Paul's vote after she distanced herself from the PRO Act during her Senate hearing. With Hassan's support, Chavez-DeRemer is no longer reliant on Paul for confirmation. "If she wanted to make a public statement saying that her support for the PRO Act was incorrect and she no longer does, then I'd think about her nomination," Paul told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of Chavez-DeRemer's hearing. "So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would have overturned state right-to-work laws?" Paul asked during the hearing. "Yes, sir," she replied. Paul's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on how he will vote in committee today. Chavez-DeRemer testified before the HELP Committee on Feb. 19. If the committee votes to send Chavez-DeRemer's nomination before the full Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can file a motion to end Senate floor debate on the nominee, triggering a cloture vote to halt deliberations. Once debate closes, senators cast their final confirmation vote. During her hearing, Chavez-DeRemer advocated for trade school investments to expand "educational pathways beyond the traditional four-year degree" to strengthen the American workforce. She said she is committed to leveling the playing field for American businesses, workers and unions. Chavez-DeRemer also thanked Trump and credited him with the "single greatest political achievement of our time" in building a "new coalition of working-class Americans." "President Trump has united a new coalition of working-class Americans like never before. With 59.6% of Teamsters backing him, historic support from African-American and Latino voters, and record-breaking turnout in once-solid blue cities and states, Americans are speaking loud and clear. They are calling for action, progress and leadership that puts the American worker first," Chavez-DeRemer said. Trump nominated Chavez-DeRemer for secretary of labor less than three weeks after he was elected president. "Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America's workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America," Trump wrote. "I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand training and apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our manufacturing jobs. Together, we will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families," he added.
Fox News
13-02-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Senate confirms Robert F Kennedy Jr. to serve as Trump's Health secretary
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary in President Donald Trump's cabinet. The Republican-controlled Senate voted nearly entirely along party lines to confirm Kennedy. The final showdown over his controversial nomination was set in motion hours earlier, after another party line vote on Wednesday afternoon which started the clock ticking toward the confirmation roll call. Kennedy, the well-known vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump, needed a simple majority to be confirmed by the Senate. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote against Kennedy's nomination. McConnell, the former longtime GOP Senate leader, suffered from polio as a child and is a major proponent of vaccines. Kennedy survived back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings late last month, when Trump's nominee to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation's food and health faced plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research. During the hearings, Democrats also spotlighted Kennedy's service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children's Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children. With Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee voting not to advance Kennedy, the spotlight was on Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician and chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Cassidy issued a last minute endorsement before the committee level vote, giving Kennedy a party-line 14-13 victory to advance his confirmation to the full Senate. Cassidy had emphasized during Kennedy's confirmation hearings that "your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me," which left doubt about his support. However, after speaking again with the nominee, Cassidy rattled off a long list of commitments Kennedy made to him, including quarterly hearings before the HELP Committee; meetings multiple times per month; that HELP Committee can choose representatives on boards or commissions reviewing vaccine safety; and a 30-day notice to the committee, plus a hearing, for any changes in vaccine safety reviews. "These commitments, and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again, is the basis of my support," the senator said. Earlier this week, another Republican senator who had reservations regarding Kennedy's confirmation announced support for the nominee. "After extensive public and private questioning and a thorough examination of his nomination, I will support Robert F. Kennedy Jr.," GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced on Tuesday. Another Republican who was on the fence, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also voted to advance Kennedy's nomination. Murkowski noted that she continues "to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy's views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies," but that the nominee "has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research." Former longtime Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, a major proponent of vaccines, also voted to advance Kennedy's nomination. Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases. The push is part of his "Make America Healthy Again" campaign. "Our country is not going to be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate wrong. It is going to be destroyed if we get this issue wrong," Kennedy said as he pointed to chronic diseases. "And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic." The 71-year-old scion of the nation's most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination against then-President Joe Biden in April 2023. However, six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House. Trump regularly pilloried Kennedy during his independent presidential bid, accusing him of being a "Radical Left Liberal" and a "Democrat Plant." Kennedy fired back, claiming in a social media post that Trump's jabs against him were "a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims." However, Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism. After months of criticizing him, Trump called Kennedy "a man who has been an incredible champion for so many of these values that we all share." Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS. The final vote on Kennedy's nomination came one day after another controversial pick, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was confirmed by the Senate in a 52-48 vote.
