To:               The National Rehabilitation Association's Legislative Network

 

From:           Patricia Leahy, Director of Government Affairs

 

Re:               Jane Oates Confirmed by the Senate for Assistant Secretary of ETA

 

Date:             Thursday, June 25, 2009

 

 

                      For those who read on the run, this Washington Wire deals with issues related to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

 

                      On Friday, June 19, 2009, Jane Oates was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) in the U.S. Department of Labor.

 

                      Jane Oates is currently the Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and a Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Jon Corzine.

 

                       I had the pleasure of working with Jane Oates when she was on Capitol Hill with Senator Edward Kennedy.   Jane Oates worked on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), specifically for Senator Kennedy for 8 years.  Ms. Oates is an expert on workforce issues, higher education issues and a number of labor and education issues.

 

                       We look forward to working with Ms. Oates during the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.

 

                        Speaking of WIA, there is currently planned at this time a hearing on WIA reauhorization for July 16, 2009.  We want to stress this hearing is tentatively planned at this time and that date could change quickly.

 

                         As you all are aware, health care reform has trumped almost all legislation in the political pipeline, so we will have to wait and see what ultimately happens with WIA, the authorization of which is waning as health care reform discussions may have to be postponed until after the Fourth of July Recess and as Congress prepares for its Summer Recess, presently scheduled for late July and early August, respectively.

 

                      

 

Patricia Leahy

Director of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy

National Rehabilitation Association

633 South Washington Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

1-888-258-4295

NRA Office - 703-836-0850

NRA Fax - 703-836-0848

TDD - 703-836-0849

E-mail - patricia@nationalrehab.org

NRA Website - www.nationalrehab.org