Tony Thurmond: “I congratulate Senator Kassebaum and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources for their work on S. 143, the Workforce…”

“I congratulate Senator Kassebaum and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources for their work on S. 143, the Workforce Development Act. I support this bill, and commend and thank the distinguished chairwoman for responding to my concerns regarding employment and training programs for veterans and for the disabled. Currently, there are 160 Federal job training programs administered by 15 different Federal agencies. This bill will consolidate and restructure these programs into a single block grant that will go directly to the States with a minimum of Federal requirements. By eliminating the additional administrative costs of overlapping employment training programs at the Federal, State, and local level, this bill will drastically reduce the $20 billion spent each year to fund these programs. The purpose of S. 143 is not to eliminate the opportunities provided by these programs, but to maximize their effectiveness through reorganization and consolidation. In particular, I am pleased that S. 143 addresses the special needs of unemployed individuals with physical or mental disabilities.”