Rokita Report 7-19-13

Statement

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 113th Congress. I trust this finds you and your family well.

For daily updates, please take a moment to "Like" my Facebook page by clicking here or follow me on Twitter if you prefer @ToddRokita.

In this week's Rokita Report

Student Success Act Passes the House

Protecting Families and Jobs from Obamacare Mandates

Significant Sigma Chi Award

House Passes Student Success Act

This Friday, the House considered and passed the Student Success Act. The Student Success Act, a bill I authored in my role as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, reforms No Child Left Behind and reassert Indiana's explicit right to direct the education of Indiana's schools.

The Student Success Act reforms our nation's K-12 education system by restoring local and state control to our schools. In particular, the Student Success Act gives states, not Washington, D.C., the authority and responsibility to set academic standards, to measure if students are meeting those standards, and to have the flexibility to make changes if they are not meeting their own standards.

No Washington bureaucrat cares more about a child than a parent does. And no one in Washington knows what is better for an Indiana school than Indiana families do. That is why the Student Success Act (SSA) puts an end to the administration's National School Board by putting state and local school districts back in charge of their own schools.

Many Hoosiers will also be pleased to know that the Student Success Act prohibits the Secretary of Education from coercing states into adopting Common Core, again returning accountability and standards to state and local school districts, where it belongs

I am proud to have written and lead this bill to passage as part of my responsibilities of serving as Chairman of the K-12 Education subcommittee. I would like to thank my fellow Education and Workforce Hoosier colleagues - Reps. Larry Bucshon, Susan Brooks, and Luke Messer for their help with this legislation.

In the weeks ahead, the Senate is expected to consider similar legislation. I look forward to working with my Senate counterparts to find a responsible and state-based lesson plan for the students of today and tomorrow.

Protecting Families and Jobs from Obamacare

This week, the House considered two bills that would delay the implementation of employer and individual mandate requirements of Obamacare - the Fairness for American Families Act and the Authority for Mandate Delay. Both bills passed with bipartisan support.

As you may recall, the White House announced two weeks ago that it would delay the implementation of the Obamacare mandate requiring business of 50 employees or more to purchase insurance for their employees, commonly known as the employer mandate, via a blog post.

While I applaud any delay to the implementation of the Obamacare train wreck, the President does not quite have the authority to delay the implementation or enforcement of this law. What troubles me more, is that he only delayed the mandate on businesses and failed to delay the mandate that individuals will be required to purchase insurance. This is hardly the President who has used the word "fair" in nearly ever speech over the last five years.

While the President talked, House Republicans acted this week by passing legislation to delay the Obamacare mandates. Not only did we help protect small business and jobs, we delayed the individual mandate that requires everyone to either have or purchase insurance by 2014. With families struggling right now, the last thing they need from the federal government is expensive requirements to purchase confusing insurance through exchanges that are barely even setup.

You can be assured, I will continue to work to repeal the Obamacare train wreck and replace it with responsible and cost-saving legislation like the State Health Flexibility Act.

Significant Sigma Chi Award

As you may know, I am a proud Wabash College Little Giant (`92). During my studies at Wabash, I pledged to the Sigma Chi fraternity. To this day, I still cherish many of the lessons I learned as part of the brotherhood and draw on them as I continue my service in Congress.

The Sigma Chi fraternity is committed to teaching young men, through mentorship and brotherhood, to be men of strong character so that we can contribute to the world we live in.

The community service of the Sigma Chi are wide-ranging. For instance, the Sigma Chi have been long time supporters of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. However, Sigs are often active at the local level as well. My own chapter at Wabash is a regular participant in Wabash Community Day and other charitable events. While the intent of service is never for recognition, it is humbling to be recognized by your brothers for your hard work.

Last month, as part of the Sigma Chi's 79th Annual Grand Chapter meeting in Washington, DC, I was awarded the "Significant Sig" award. The Significant Sig award is given to a Sigma Chi who has excelled in their field while living up to the Sigma Chi values and creed.

The fraternity has many Hoosier, and particularly 4th District ties. One of our most famous brothers, and one of the first Significant Sigma Chi award winers was George Ade.

You may recognize George Ade's name as one part of Ross-Ade Stadium, the football stadium at Purdue University. George Ade dedicated much of his adult life to improving Purdue University and many of his contributions are still noticeable on campus today.

It is my hope that I live up to the examples of George Ade, and the others that have came before me in the fraternity.

And yes, the fraternity is bipartisan. Also honored at the event were Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. Steve Palazzo (R-MS).

Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts in Washington. Take care.

Sincerely,

Todd Rokita

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