Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am proud to rise in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. This important bill is long overdue. The Carl D. Perkins CTE Act hasn't been reauthorized in more than a decade, and updating it is a vital step toward supporting students and businesses across the country. In particular, I would like to thank my CTE Caucus co-chair, Representative Glenn ``GT'' Thompson, for his leadership on this bill and partnership in Congress on this issue over the last many years. I also want to recognize my House and Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member Scott, and Congressman Krishnamoorthi, who have demonstrated great bipartisanship in crafting this legislation. I also thank the many partners from across the country from education and the business community for their work on this important bill, and also the many staffers who worked so hard on this, particularly Kerry McKittrick from my staff, and former staffers Sam Morgante and Kirtley Fisher over the years as well. For the past 10 years, I have heard the same concern from employers in Rhode Island, that they are unable to find skilled workers to fill open jobs in manufacturing, IT, and other skilled trades, and it is hurting their businesses.…”