On the recordMarch 14, 2014
This Saturday will mark the 1-year anniversary of House passage of H.R. 803, the SKILLS Act. This bill, which I sponsored, would bring much-needed reform and reorganization to our broken Federal workforce development system. There is bipartisan agreement that the current mishmash of Federal workforce programs is not meeting the needs of America's job seekers. The President called for reforms in his 2012 State of the Union Address. Republicans in the House responded to that call with the SKILLS Act. This bill would streamline 35 ineffective and duplicative programs, including 26 identified as being ineffective in a 2011 GAO report. The SKILLS Act empowers job creators, promotes accountability, and gives workers access to the resources they need to fill jobs that are available now. I call on our colleagues in the Senate to act on this vital piece of legislation. America needs a workforce development system that works for job seekers, not bureaucrats. ____________________
