Letter to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, and Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader - Congressman Kim Leads Bipartisan Call for Funding to Support Workforce Training for Resilience Projects

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy,
As Congress considers developing aid packages to assist our response to the coronavirus and
unemployment crisis, we respectfully ask that you include robust funding for workforce training
programs that help workers build the skills necessary for restoration and resilience projects in
communities across the country. Including this funding is critical to ensuring that workers and
communities are able to take advantage of the economic and employment opportunities that
could stem from investments in resilient infrastructure projects.
With thousands of businesses closing their doors and millions of Americans losing their jobs as a
result of the coronavirus crisis in the last few months alone, it is imperative that Congress take
action to support workers and help them build the skills to find employment opportunities. In
doing this, Congress can also make a considerable investment in strengthening and adapting our
infrastructure in communities hard hit by severe weather, flooding and environmental
degradation. Making investments in resiliency now will also reduce federal disaster spending in
the future.
By providing funding for workforce training initiatives at the Corporation for National and
Community Service and programs within the Department of Labor (DOL), Forest Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), considerable headway can be made to help Americans
access high-paying jobs in restoration and resilience. The Corporation for National and
Community Service supports 75,000 AmeriCorps members that serve communities to restore
ecosystems, manage forests and enhance the resilience of communities after natural disasters.
The Job Corps program maintained by the DOL and Forest Service helps build vocational skills
in individuals while assisting in restoring our public spaces and assisting in disaster response. At
NOAA, the Coastal Conservation Corps and Veteran Conservation Corps recruit, train, mentor
and employ young adults and veterans to support coastal habitat restoration projects in their
communities. Lastly, the NIEHS Environmental Career Worker Training program supports
improving equity in opportunity for disadvantaged and underrepresented minority workers and
provides pre-employment assistance in the environmental restoration and emergency response
fields.
Congress has an opportunity now to invest in our nation's workforce while also supporting the
critical infrastructure projects that are so badly needed in struggling communities across the
country. We appreciate your consideration of this request and urge you to take action now to
support American workers.

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