Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, 1998 was the last time the Workforce Investment Act was authorized. I recall I was on the State board of education in Colorado in 2000 and 2006. As the act expired in 2003, they said, Oh, Congress will do it next year. In 2004, they said, Maybe they will do it next year. In 2005, Maybe they will do it next year--well, next year, next year, next year. Well, I am proud to say that thanks to the work of Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Miller, Mr. Tierney, and others, we are finally at the point where we are reauthorizing the Workforce Investment program. I am particularly thrilled to see that many aspects of my Women WIN Jobs program are included in this compromise. Women represent half of our Nation's workforce, yet their vital contributions are too often compensated at lower levels, and this bill will help ensure that women receive training for higher-paying jobs to help them reach pay parity with men. The legislation's references to assisting women and minorities in succeeding in nontraditional careers will help women and minorities participate in higher wage jobs that open the doors of opportunity this country has to offer. It is also great that we recognized the need for adult education, helping many of our new immigrants learn English, so they can live the American Dream. I applaud my colleagues and their staff in both the House and the Senate. I look forward to supporting this bill.”