On the recordMarch 15, 2013
I wish I had the figures in front of me, and I don't. It's my understanding the SKILLS Act was introduced February 25 and marked up shortly thereafter. There may have been hearings in the last year when the SKILLS Act was passed in a partisan vote, but the reason the members walked out was because they didn't believe they were given an opportunity to interface. I don't have the facts as strongly as I ought to have them, but I believe that the proximity of introduction and markup was very, very close, and therefore the opportunity and the inclination of the committee to engage in a bipartisan discussion of what the bill ought to look like--what should have been a bipartisan bill--was not there. But let me get my facts straighter so we can discuss that perhaps a little further at some point. April's schedule, Mr. Leader, Mr. Speaker, if the majority leader could give us some information on the April schedule as we go forward.





