Edward M. Kennedy: “Mr. President, I want to thank Senator Kassebaum for focusing attention on a direction that I think all of us on the…”

“Mr. President, I want to thank Senator Kassebaum for focusing attention on a direction that I think all of us on the committee, as well as in the administration, are attempting to go; that is, in terms of the restructuring of the various training programs. As the Senator understands, we were the ones that initiated that GAO study because of the concern of the proliferation of various programs that had taken place and because we did not believe that there was the kind of overview and oversight of the effectiveness of those programs that we desired, and which the President and the Secretary have spoken to. I welcome the fact that she referenced the strong commitment of both Secretary Reich and the President at the meeting last week on dislocated workers, about the importance of that particular consolidation. We are strongly committed to that outcome for the reasons that I will identify shortly. I think those of us who know the commitment of the administration find that already the administration, in its new budget, is making recommendations for the abandonment of some of the existing programs and some enhancement of those programs that effectively have been found to be of value.”