Joaquin Castro: “I thank Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and all of the chairs of the committees and members who helped bring the…”

“I thank Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and all of the chairs of the committees and members who helped bring the America COMPETES Act to where it is. Madam Speaker, today I offer my amendment to the America COMPETES Act. My amendment simply adds ``media and entertainment'' to the list of eligible programs for nontraditional industries or occupations. {time} 1245 The U.S. media and entertainment industry plays a prominent role in defining who we are as a nation, not only within our borders but across the world. The media, as I know the media is plural, but the media as an institution continues to serve as one of the main narrative-creating and image-defining institutions conveying America's values and ideals to audiences around the world. Yet the lack of diverse talent in the industry's workforce fails to reflect our population, therefore, stunting our ability to accurately portray the U.S. as a multicultural symbol on a global scale, and also sidelining millions and millions of Americans from participating in an industry with well-paying jobs. By expanding apprenticeship programs, we can build a foundation for more Americans to begin professional careers in the media industry, particularly those that have been traditionally excluded, such as Latinos and other minority communities that are often underrepresented and undervalued. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”