Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, this amendment undermines the core premises behind the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, which would create 1 million more registered apprenticeship, pre- apprenticeship, and youth apprenticeship opportunities over the next 5 years. Registered apprenticeships represent a proven earn-and-learn program. Ninety-four percent of those who complete their apprenticeships are employed upon completion, and they have an average starting salary of $70,000. This substitute amendment is nothing less than an attack on the successful registered apprenticeship system. It makes deep cuts to funding in H.R. 447, which will result in sparse growth in new registered apprenticeships, while diverting scarce funds to untested and unproven programs run by third parties. Instead, it gives the Secretary of Labor and State apprenticeship agencies open-ended authority to waive the quality and accountability standards in this act. Authorizing funding for a program without guardrails is not an approach Congress should be taking when working with the executive branch of either party. Allow me to address the specifics of the substitute amendment. First, it allows the Secretary of Labor to divert funds for unproven and untested programs, like the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs, or IRAPs, created under the Trump administration. Unlike registered apprenticeships, there has been no evaluation of unregistered programs like IRAPs--none.…”