Tom Harkin: “I wish to join with Senator Specter in opposing the DeMint amendment, which would strike two congressionally directed…”

“I wish to join with Senator Specter in opposing the DeMint amendment, which would strike two congressionally directed fundings in the bill--one for the Appalachian Council, and the other one would be for the Working for America Institute. This institute was created, first of all, in 1989 and then in 1998 was spun off and made into a totally separate nonprofit organization with a functioning board of directors and everything else. They have over 30 years of experience in the field of job training, workforce development. They work with businesses, the private sector, they work with unions, and they work with communities. The institute has basically been a showcase of how to pull people together and get people together for workforce development. It is doing great work, and it benefits communities throughout the United States. In fact, I had the list of some here. Just last year alone, the institute provided assistance to Portland, OR, the Ohio State Workforce Board, the National Governors Association, and the National Alliance of Workforce Boards. So you can see they do things all over the country. I point out that this institute received funding through the Department of Labor for over 30 years, through Republican and Democratic administrations.”