Water Resources Development Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In order to successfully implement the many water infrastructure and conservation projects authorized under the Water Resources Development Act, Americans rely on the Army Corps of Engineers.

The Corps has approximately 37,000 dedicated civilians and military personnel delivering engineering services. They operate and maintain 13,000 miles of commercial ship channels, 12,000 miles of inland waterways, 700 dams, and have built 14,500 levees and works on more than 900 harbors.

Thus, our ability to build a robust infrastructure, to develop resources, and to implement environmentally conscious conservation projects, is inextricably linked to the strength of the Corps of Engineers' workforce. We should be doing everything we can to help the Army Corps of Engineers recruit, hire, and retain qualified employees to carry out duties that impact environmental sustainability and national security.

My amendment addresses this issue by requiring the comptroller general to provide recommendations to improve the capacity and preparedness of the Army Corps of Engineers' workforce in its report to Congress. In providing these recommendations, the comptroller general will evaluate many challenges, including, but not limited to, diversity, recruitment, retention, and on-the-job training.

I offer this amendment at a time when the national skills gap is at a record-high level. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 6.7 million unfilled jobs across the country, where employers have openings but can't find prospective employees with the adequate skills or training to fill them. Nearly 600,000 of these jobs are in government services alone.

Despite bipartisan efforts to address this issue, the skills gap continues to rise each month, up from 6.1 million this time in 2017. We need to do better.

I am confident that my amendment will help develop a 21st century Corps of Engineers workforce, which will, ultimately, benefit infrastructure, national security, environmental sustainability, and the overall American economy.

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Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Shuster for his support.

Just this morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there are currently more job openings than people looking for work. This amendment is an important step to closing the skills gap, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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