Rick Lazio: “I would just like to offer my support for this bill as well from somebody who represents an area that has transitioned…”

“I would just like to offer my support for this bill as well from somebody who represents an area that has transitioned from a particularly defense-laden economy to one that has a much more diversified economy. It is now struggling to continue to break free to add employment to what is increasingly a biotech and high-tech economic base. This bill strikes the right balance between promoting the growth of the high-tech companies that are so important to the future of this country and the need to keep American workers educated, trained, and fully employed. Just last month, I met with a large group of high-tech executives from my district. They repeated a concern that I have heard time and time again that Long Island does not have enough workers with the unique skills that they need today. Our schools are not producing enough engineering graduates, they told me, and high schools do not concentrate enough effort on the technological education that will provide the core technological skills our students need. We need to address these problems on both a long-term and short-term basis. This compromise reflects this reality.”