I applaud you and President Biden for fighting to build back our economy and we all share the commitment to ensuring that all workers are allowed to organize and collectively bargain.

This bipartisan reauthorization is an opportunity for Congress to realize the full potential of WIOA's program for both workers and employers.

we need to raise the minimum wage, and why this Committee right here that you're sitting on has led the charge of increasing the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour.

Our primary goal and focus should be creating additional pathways for workers to reskill and upskill.

If our workforce system focuses on today's jobs only, then we won't be equipped for the economy of the future.

As my colleague from Washington Ms. Jayapal pointed out, reports show that women of color have been disproportionately affected.

the wages and the benefits employers are offering are too, too low they don't even make the positions attractive to potential candidates.

Congress creates pathways when we remove unnecessary barriers and offer services that help workers build skills.

70 percent is not a passing grade, and we can do better.

Today, we meet for our second bipartisan hearing on reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or WIOA.

We get what we pay for. No program can be expected to meet the needs of our communities while we consistently underfund it every year.