Jim Webb: “I wish to speak on behalf of an amendment I was very proud to cosponsor with Senator Warner, the senior Senator from…”

“I wish to speak on behalf of an amendment I was very proud to cosponsor with Senator Warner, the senior Senator from Virginia, that was passed by a unanimous vote while I was outside the Senate when we came into session yesterday. I thank Senator Warner for his leadership on this bill, and I express my appreciation to the Senate for their support. This amendment is called the minority-serving institution digital and wireless technology opportunity amendment. It will help close what is clearly a digital divide at minority institutions in the country. This was a bipartisan effort, as I pointed out, and it is directed toward ensuring we are addressing the current needs that exist in our colleges and universities by giving our students an opportunity to compete with anyone anywhere around the world. Over 60 percent of jobs require information technology skills these days, and many jobs in the information technology field pay significantly higher salaries. It is vital to our global competitiveness that all institutions of higher education provide their students with access to the most current information technology and equipment. I commend our leadership and the HELP Committee for making these sorts of issues a priority on the bill we voted on today and for ensuring that our students have the tools necessary to succeed and compete in our changing economy.”