Rubén Hinojosa: “I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the underlying bill, H.R.…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the underlying bill, H.R. 803, entitled the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, I applaud Senators Harkin, Murray, Alexander, and Isakson for their extraordinary leadership in advancing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation in the Senate, with a vote of 95-3. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is quite an accomplishment. In the House of Representatives, I commend my colleagues from the Education and the Workforce Committee--our chairman, John Kline, and our U.S. Representatives George Miller, Virginia Foxx, and John Tierney--for all working in a bipartisan manner on this vitally important piece of legislation. In my view, helping Americans get back on track must be our top priority. Today, Congress has an opportunity to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, known as WIA, and do more to support American workers in accessing good family-sustaining jobs and careers. First and foremost, I am pleased that the underlying bill makes significant improvements to our Nation's public workforce training and adult education system. The bill promotes career pathways and utilizes sector strategies for delivering job training services, strategies that have been successful in south Texas. This bill, H.R.…”