Todd Rokita: “I thank Chairman Kline and Representative Foxx for their work and their leadership on this bill. The Workforce…”

“I thank Chairman Kline and Representative Foxx for their work and their leadership on this bill. The Workforce Investment Act is long overdue for reauthorization, especially given the monumental changes to our economy over the past 10 years since the law was last authorized. There are many important reasons to do so, including cutting waste and improving efficiency, but the most important reason to me is the moral one. Quite simply, the existing maze of Federal workforce training programs is failing those whom it is intended to be serving. By trying to be all things to all people, the Federal workforce training program is serving no one well, and that's a problem. The Federal Government's footprint has gotten far too large, and our national debt has grown with it. As a result, it is failing to serve the workforce of today, and it's piling up ever-larger bills for the children of tomorrow, people who don't even exist yet. What the SKILLS Act does is to consolidate and eliminate many unnecessary and duplicative programs, not simply for the sake of downsizing, but to improve the quality of the workforce training, and that's what we all should be about, Republicans and Democrats alike. Business owners understand this. They understand the importance of streamlining and efficiency. They also understand the importance of getting a good return on their investment, and we aren't getting that right now.…”