Providing for Consideration of H.R. Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act of Providing for Consideration of H.R. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of and Providing for Consideration of S. Joseph Woodrow Hatchett United States Courthouse and Federal Building, and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1119 and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 1119

Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 6531) to provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs for assistance in areas of persistent poverty, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 117-44, modified by the amendment printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 2. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 7309) to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and Labor now printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 117-43, modified by the amendment printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor or their respective designees; (2) the further amendments described in section 3 of this resolution; (3) the amendments en bloc described in section 4 of this resolution; and (4) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 3. After debate pursuant to section 2 of this resolution, each further amendment printed in part C of the report of the Committee on Rules not earlier considered as part of amendments en bloc pursuant to section 4 of this resolution shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, may be withdrawn by the proponent at any time before the question is put thereon, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.

Sec. 4. It shall be in order at any time after debate pursuant to section 2 of this resolution for the chair of the Committee on Education and Labor or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of further amendments printed in part C of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this section shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor or their respective designees, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.

Sec. 5. All points of order against the further amendments printed in part C of the report of the Committee on Rules or amendments en bloc described in section 4 of this resolution are waived.

Sec. 6. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (S. 2938) to designate the United States Courthouse and Federal Building located at 111 North Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the ``Joseph Woodrow Hatchett United States Courthouse and Federal Building'', and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 117-45 shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided among and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform or their respective designees and the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to commit.

Sec. 7. House Resolution 1118 is hereby adopted.

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1119, providing for consideration of three measures.

The first is H.R. 6531, the Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act, under a closed rule. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairwoman Maloney and provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and provides one motion to recommit.

The second is H.R. 7309, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, under a structured rule. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairman Scott, provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor, makes in order 39 amendments, provides en bloc authority, and provides one motion to recommit.

The third is S. 2938, to designate the United States Courthouse and Federal Building located at 111 North Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the ``Joseph Woodrow Hatchett United States Courthouse and Federal Building'' under a closed rule.

The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided among and controlled by the chairs and ranking minority members of the Committees on Oversight and Reform and Transportation and Infrastructure and provides one motion to commit.

Finally, the rule deems passage of H. Res. 1118.

Mr. Speaker, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, known around here as WIOA, is our Nation's flagship workforce development law. WIOA is the culmination of decades of policymaking by Congress to create a federally supported, State-managed system of programming for job training, adult education, and career services, as well as programs to connect employers with jobseekers, and help with placement, recruitment, and retention.

WIOA helps achieve our country's key goals of reducing poverty and driving economic growth by helping working Americans get the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to successfully participate in today's job market. With a new skill, certification, or degree, workers can apply for better-paying jobs, earning more for themselves and their families.

WIOA and its predecessors have been a successful formula for workforce development for over 60 years, and today's bill will ensure that WIOA can continue serving workers and their families in our changing and dynamic economy.

Today's bill is an overdue reauthorization for WIOA. While the bill makes a variety of important technical adjustments to keep the law relevant as our economy changes and evolves, the bill also upholds the core programs and services that have a demonstrated record of success.

The bill's main achievement is raising WIOA's funding levels to meet the needs of our workforce. Since the 1980s, the number of working Americans has doubled, but the funding for our workforce development programs has fallen by over 60 percent even as jobs and our economy have been invented and changed at a dizzying pace. Most of the drop in funding happened within the last 20 years as that pace accelerated.

The story of WIOA is the same as that of many of our Nation's key programs to help working families. Twenty years of harmful budget cuts and misguided austerity led by Republican Presidents and Republican majorities in Congress have resulted in WIOA lacking the proper funding to meet the needs of the American workforce and to allow members of that workforce to reach their full potential.

The funding authorized by this bill will allow WIOA programs to train over 1 million workers a year, creating real, tangible benefits for workers and employers. Put simply, with this boosted funding, workers will be able to get better jobs, and businesses will be able to hire better employees. That is a rare win-win policy achievement that we should all be able to get behind.

Today's WIOA reauthorization bill also has an added focus on youth employment opportunities, adult education, and support for formerly incarcerated individuals.

The WIOA reauthorization bill will reauthorize programs to help disadvantaged and disconnected youth and provide them with summer programming, employment and educational opportunities, as well as youth-specific training programs.

The bill will provide community colleges with funding and technical assistance to offer employment and training programs for in-demand industries--a successful model that we have seen utilized in my community--and the bill will create a Department of Labor program to specifically help individuals released from prison transition back to the workforce.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight three of my amendments to WIOA. As chair of the Congressional Youth Mentoring Caucus, one of my priorities is to make sure that youth are able to access job training and meaningful employment opportunities. We know that mentors can have a positive impact on youth in their career exploration and early employment opportunities.

My amendments will ensure that WIOA's programming better targets youth who are most in need of services and is specifically geared to ensure positive outcomes for young people. The amendments will make summer and year-round employment opportunities accessible to more young people.

Finally, the amendments will make sure that employers, programs, and staff that mentor youth will have the tools required to provide the support and skill development needed to help young people succeed in their chosen careers.

All in all, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will address both recent and long-term challenges in the labor market. Right now, our economy has a shortage of approximately 4 million skilled workers, and that shortage is expected to continue to grow. Reauthorizing WIOA is a key to this problem, so I encourage all my colleagues to help American workers and pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, sadly, this rule also includes three suspension bills that failed on the floor after our Republican colleagues obstructed the business of the House of Representatives.

Included in today's rule is the Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act and two naming bills which were all blocked by House Republicans with no other purpose than to obstruct the work of Congress on behalf of the American people.

Passing bills on suspension is one way in which Congress tries to streamline its work in order to devote more time to the most pressing issues of the day. Suspension bills are bipartisan bills narrowly tailored to the problems they address. To get on the suspension calendar and to be considered with an expedited process, a bill must have demonstrated strong bipartisan support.

By the time a suspension bill gets called up on the House floor, majorities of both Republicans and Democrats have to be willing to back the bill. However, some of our colleagues across the aisle have compromised the suspension system solely to waste the time of the American people and for political theater.

One of the bills we must reconsider now is the Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act which would use proven strategies to improve the direction of Federal funds to areas of persistent poverty. This bill will greatly improve the effectiveness of many of our safety net, housing, hunger, and job training programs.

The bill is bipartisan, bicameral, and would benefit low-income Americans in both rural and urban communities. Yet, House Republicans tanked the bill.

The other two bills would rename a courthouse after Judge Joseph Hatchett and a post office after Representative Lynn Woolsey.

Joseph Hatchett was a pioneering Black lawyer and judge from the State of Florida. Born into the Jim Crow south, Judge Hatchett set many important firsts as a Black judge, ultimately becoming the first Black man to serve on the Florida Supreme Court.

Judge Hatchett was a committed public servant for the State of Florida, a fact recognized by both of Florida's Republican Senators and all 27 of the State's Representatives who cosponsored the resolution to name a Florida courthouse after Judge Hatchett.

And yet, House Republicans tanked this bill, too, including 10 Florida Republicans who had previously supported the measure.

What purpose does this stunt serve? What constituent base wants you to do this? It is nonsense and a waste of everyone's time.

If a Member doesn't like a bill, that is fine. That is how this place works. But we need to work together, in good faith, for the American people. It is a bad-faith move to torpedo bipartisan suspension bills at the last minute. It is bad for Congress, and it is bad for the country.

This Congress has seen a worrying increase in this kind of parliamentary nonsense from a small but vocal sect of the Republican Party. And while it is a small group of Members who initiate this nonsense, the whole party has been happy to go along with it.

With these three suspension bills, the minority leader continues his long and troubling streak of being unable or unwilling to control the behavior of the members of his party.

It is not a good path for our country. We have been trending down this road for a while, and January 6 was the painful result of this type of behavior.

We should not be here to fight each other. We should be here to help the American people. Some of our colleagues seem to have lost sight of that mission, and the whole country is paying the price.

I will redirect the focus to the underlying bill that we are considering with this rule, and that is the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

The purpose of that bill is to unleash the full power of our investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and the care economy. It is essential that we have a skilled workforce to power those industries forward.

Now, we have seen what can happen when we make those kinds of investments. We have seen them in my district as we have invested in training our young people through our technical institutes, through our community colleges, with our employers, and with our apprenticeship programs. We are seeing the fruits of that labor, as it were, as we see people prepared to get the good jobs that we are bringing to our region.

The continued investment in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is really critical for my part of the country and critical for every district across this country.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the Statement of Administration Policy in which the administration urges the House to pass the WIOA Act of 2022. Statement of Administration Policy H.R. 7309--Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022--Rep. Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, D-VA, and 55 cosponsors

To unleash the full power of investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and the care economy, it is essential that we have the skilled workforce to power those industries forward. It is equally important that the benefits of new job creation are shared by all Americans, and in particular those who have traditionally been left behind in the labor market. The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 7309, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022, and looks forward to working with the Senate on this critical bill.

The public workforce system should adapt to dynamic and rising demand for worker skills training and related services. The U.S. currently invests just one-fifth of the average amount spent on workforce and labor market programs by advanced economies. Workforce development is critical to strengthening our economy and increasing our competitiveness. Our investments must match employers' needs and workers' goals of finding and keeping good quality jobs.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022 authorizes three critical Administration priority programs as new national programs--the Sectoral Employment through Career Training for Occupational Readiness, Strengthening Community Colleges, and Reentry Employment Opportunities programs. These programs will ensure greater access to quality training opportunities and supportive services, particularly in infrastructure and supply chain sectors that will create pathways for people in underserved communities to middle- class jobs. H.R. 7309 also increases employment programming for underserved youth, establishing a new funding stream for summer and year-round employment activities to deliver young people the work experience they need to connect with future employment and education pathways.

The Administration urges the House to pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022.

We all know that Americans are feeling pain at the gas pump, but Big Oil companies are raking in billions upon billions of dollars. They had record-breaking quarters about which they bragged to their shareholders during 2021, with the top 25 companies making more than $205 billion in profits last year.

As the war in Ukraine rages on, this is a time when we can all make choices, choices that reflect our moral fiber. Instead of choosing to do the right thing, oil and gas companies are choosing to take advantage of American consumers.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a May 7, 2022, USA Today article titled ``Oil giants reap record profits as war rages in Ukraine, energy prices soar: Here's how much they made.'' [From USA Today, May 7, 2022] Oil Giants Reap Record Profits as War Rages in Ukraine, Energy Prices Soar: Here's How Much They Made (By Wyatte Grantham-Philips)

As households around the globe struggle with rising energy bills, some of the world's leading oil giants reported record profits for the first three months of this year.

Profits for Exxon Mobil, Shell and more also rose by billions despite significant costs of exiting operations and/ or investments in Russia amid war in Ukraine.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the price of oil climbed in 2022's first quarter--as countries that rely heavily on Russia for energy scrambled for alternative fuel sources amid uncertainty.

The benchmark for global oil prices, Brent crude, averaged at $102.23 a barrel during the first quarter--67 percent higher than during the same period last year, according to the Associated Press. In the United States, for example, drivers have consequently found increasingly expensive gas prices at the pump.

Home heating bills and electricity prices also inflated worldwide--as natural gas prices climbed from $3.50 per million British thermal units to about $5.60.

High oil and gas prices have boosted the profits of major energy companies, further contributing to global inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.

The net profit margin of S&P 500 companies, which include energy giants such as Chevron and Exxon Mobil, in the first quarter has been running at 12.3 percent based on estimates and earnings reported so far, according to FactSet. That's down from a peak of 13.1 percent in the second quarter of last year, but above the pre-COVID-19 level of about 11 percent.

``Profit margins should be coming down,'' Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive economic policy research group, previously told USA TODAY. Instead, she noted, ``they're actually growing.''

Here's a breakdown of the profits and earnings some of the world's oil giants made in the first three months of 2022: Shell earnings rise to $9.1 billion

In the first quarter, Shell's adjusted earnings rose to $9.1 billion from $3.2 billion in the same period last year. Net income rose to $7.3 billion from $5.8 billion in last year's first quarter. Shell said that it would also take a $3.9 billion charge to cover the cost of exiting investments in Russia, which the London-based energy giant pledged to do after the invasion of Ukraine. BP records $6.2 billion profit

BP posted its highest quarterly profit in over a decade-- with the British energy company announcing on Tuesday that its underlying replacement cost profit rose to $6.2 billion in the first three months of this year, more than doubling the $2.6 billion from the same period last year.

BP PLC also said its net loss in the first quarter totaled $23 billion, after accounting for a write-off of its nearly 20 percent stake in Russian oil producer Rosneft in response to the Ukraine war.

Both BP and Shell's recent profit reports have contributed to calls in Britain for the government to impose a tax on energy companies' windfall earnings, in hopes of helping consumers struggling with rising energy prices. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected the idea, saying the tax would reduce investment in Britain during efforts to diversify the country's energy industry.

The British government's ``refusal to tax the super-profits of energy companies is completely unforgivable when people are too terrified to heat their homes,'' Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, told the Associated Press. Exxon doubles profits from last year to $5.48 billion

At the end of April, Exxon Mobil reported $5.48 billion in profits during the first quarter of 2022--also more than doubling its profits compared with the same period last year. Revenue for the Irving, Texas-based company was $90.5 billion, far exceeding the revenue of $59.15 billion during the same quarter in 2021.

But, after abandoning Russian operations due to the war, Exxon also took a significant hit, writing down $3.4 billion. Chevron reports $6.26 billion profit

Also at the end of April, Chevron reported a quarterly profit of $6.26 billion, over four times its earnings of $1.4 billion in the first quarter of last year. Revenue for the San Ramon, California-based energy producer surged 41 percent, to $54.37 billion. Sinopec totals $3.45 billion net profit

According to Reuters, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, reported 22.61 billion yuan ($3.45 billion) net profit under Chinese accounting standards for the first quarter of 2022, compared to 17.93 billion yuan ($2.69 billion) last year.

Sinopec also saw a 25 percent surge in net income. Phillips 66's adjusted earnings of $595 million

For the first quarter of the year, Phillips 66 reported first-quarter earnings of $582 million, with adjusted earnings of $595 million.

In 2021, Phillips 66 reported a first-quarter loss of $654 million, with an adjusted loss of $509 million.

Mr. Speaker, today's rule should be an easy one for this Congress to pass, particularly if there were two parties here interested in solving problems rather than just pointing blame.

It is clear that we need to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. WIOA is an investment in ourselves. It is an investment in the American worker and the American economy. WIOA creates and propels economic opportunity, particularly for our youth. Passing the reauthorization bill will help millions of Americans get better jobs to support themselves and their families. It will make it easier for workers to get the skills and training needed to compete in the modern job market, and it will maintain our country's competitiveness in the global economy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the rule today and to support the underlying legislation.

The material previously referred to by Mr. Burgess is as follows: Amendment to House Resolution 1119

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 8. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 6858) to strengthen United States energy security, encourage domestic production of crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and (2) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 9 Cause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 6858.
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