Uplifting and Empowering Our Skilled Workforce

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the uplifting and empowering of our skilled workforce.

Across the country, skills gaps are plaguing employers and barring workers from filling millions of open job opportunities. That is why today I was proud to introduce the bipartisan Skills Investment Act.

This commonsense legislation allows workers at any point in their career to contribute to Coverdell lifelong learning accounts, which are tax-advantaged savings opportunities that will allow Americans to pursue new job skills and better career prospects.

Workers of all ages would be eligible to use Coverdell lifelong learning accounts to pay for skills training, apprenticeships, and other workforce-focused programs.

As a senior member of the Education and Workforce Committee and co- chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am proud to sponsor the Skills Investment Act to provide additional resources for workers to climb to the next rung on the ladder of opportunity. I thank my colleagues, Congresswoman Bonamici, Congressman Fitzpatrick, and Congressman Schneider, for joining me in this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in uplifting our workforce through this bipartisan legislation.

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