On the recordJuly 9, 2014
I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for all of his hard work on this bipartisan bill. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act is absolutely critical to our economic recovery, and I am pleased this agreement came together in a truly bipartisan fashion. I am also pleased that this bill contains large portions of the SECTORS Act, which I introduced to close the gap between the kinds of skills workers have and the skills that businesses need. As I meet with business leaders in Iowa, what I hear time and time again is that they are unable to find workers with the skill sets they need to hire. I also hear from many individuals who are out of a job and struggling to find work that matches their skills. This is why my SECTORS Act is so important. It brings together businesses, labor organizations, and education and training providers to target workforce development efforts, and it fosters the kinds of skills that local businesses need right now. This bill requires local workforce development agencies to implement these sector partnerships to get people back to work and move our economy forward. I want to thank in particular Chairwoman Foxx, and I want to thank Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Miller and, beyond that, my friend Tom Harkin. I urge Members to support this legislation.
