Political Quotes

“today Senator Fitzgerald and I are introducing legislation naming the Job Corps Center in Chicago, Illinois, for our former colleague, Senator Paul Simon. During his 12 years in the Senate, Paul Simon was a stalwart champion of the Job Corps program and the work it does in connecting disadvantaged young people to the job market. He led the fight for the job corps as chairman of the authorizing subcommittee of jurisdiction and also through requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee. During most of this time, Chicago was the last remaining large city without a Job Corps center, despite the community's strong interest in the program. Securing a charter for a Job Corps center in Chicago was one of Paul Simon's top priorities in the latter half of his service in the Senate. Working within the established process for establishing new centers, Paul Simon pressed ahead with Illinois allies like former U.S. Representative John Porter, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, and the Job Corps community to ensure that Chicago's application met all program specifications and that the funds for expansion would be there when Chicago's charter was approved. These years of effort succeeded in meeting that goal. Eventually funds were appropriated for expansion of the Job Corps program, and Chicago's Job Corps center now is open and serving the Chicago community and, most importantly, its young people.”