Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, it is good news that the jobless rate has dropped to 4.3 percent, the lowest level in more than a decade. However, we still face tough challenges in building an economy that supplies employers with the talent needed to be competitive and in educating workers with the skills needed for success in today's economy. Because our economy increasingly requires a more skilled workforce, the next generation of workers needs education beyond the traditional high school degree to find good-paying jobs that enable them to move up the career ladder and firmly into the middle class. To solve these challenges, we need a strong demand-driven workforce development system that aligns education with the needs of employers. That is why the Committee on Education and the Workforce, which I am proud to chair, recently advanced, with unanimous support, legislation that will strengthen skills-focused education and help equip more students with the skills they need to achieve success. However, the real solutions lie outside of Washington. That is why I am pleased the private sector is leading the way so that workers in industries have the skills to compete and prosper in the global economy. I want to commend companies like JPMorgan Chase, Toyota, IBM, Boeing, and so many others for their commitment to creating public-private partnerships aimed at closing our skills gap and helping America's employers and workers succeed.…”