Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, after more than 2 years of instability during the pandemic, Congress must ensure that all Americans--all Americans--have resources to access the job market, especially those who are typically left behind.

Each year, 600,000 individuals are released from incarceration, and nearly half of them have repeat contact with the criminal justice system within a year. There is a critical need to invest in reentry programs. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022 does just that by guaranteeing the Department of Labor's Reentry Employment Opportunities program is authorized at $500 billion by 2028.

This investment will not only expand reentry employment assistance for adults, but also prevent in-school youth from dropping out of school, increase the employment rate of out-of-school youth, and reduce the involvement of youth in crime and violence.

Programs carried out through the reentry employment grant program recognize that youth can and will lead healthy and constructive lives. These resources can mean the difference between a revolving door of prison time or a life full of economic opportunities.

For those reasons, Madam Speaker, and all the other significant provisions in this bill, such as building community college capacity and strengthening industry and sector partnership, I urge all of my colleagues to support the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022.

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