Ann Wagner: “I'd be pleased to. Thanks so much for sponsoring this Special Order and talking about making life better and for working…”

“I'd be pleased to. Thanks so much for sponsoring this Special Order and talking about making life better and for working Americans across this country. I'm a proud freshman Member of the 113th Congress, and we were elected to tackle the big problems. There is no bigger problem facing our country right now than getting hardworking Americans back to work with the skills they need during this tough economy. Today, the Federal Government currently operates more than 50 different job training programs, many of which are duplicative, at a cost of some $18 billion annually to taxpayers. With nearly 20 million Americans unemployed or underemployed, it's time to cut through the red tape and start training individuals with the skills they need to find high-paying middle class jobs. That's why this House in the 113th Congress passed the SKILLS Act. It streamlines 35 overlapping job training programs, including many that were identified by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, and eliminates unnecessary red tape so that State and local resources go directly to help those that are actually seeking jobs. According to a report released by my home community, St. Louis, by the community colleges there, 76 percent of employers found that workers lacked the proper training to contribute right away. And the most in-demand certificates for job openings, believe it or not, were for registered nurses.…”