American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Floor Speech
AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 -- (Senate - February 06, 2009)
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WORKFORCE TRAINING
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I would like to engage my good friend, the Senator from Iowa and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations in a colloquy.
I would like to take this opportunity to commend my good friend on his strong support for the education and training of America's workers. As you know, I serve as chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. The Senator and I have worked together on many initiatives on behalf of our workforce. That is why I would like to clarify certain provisions contained in the bill before us today that pertain to job training for U.S. workers.
First, is it the Senator's understanding that the additional funding provided through the Workforce Investment Act formula grants for adults and dislocated workers will be used predominantly for the direct delivery of services to those who are the most heavily impacted by this recession--the unemployed and the underemployed?
Mr. HARKIN. Yes, the Senator's understanding is correct. I included a provision in this recovery bill that reinforces the requirement in the WIA to use adult State grant funding to serve certain priority populations, such as those with low incomes or on public assistance. I believe that we should target these funds on the delivery of services to those who have been adversely impacted by our recent economic crisis. I also believe local workforce boards should utilize existing authority to support needs-related payments to help engage individuals in training, if such support is appropriate and effective.
Mrs. MURRAY. Is it also the Senator's understanding that the most innovative strategies with proven effectiveness in putting people back to work in high demand occupations, including sector-based and career pathways initiatives that are focused on green jobs, health care and other viable industries, should be utilized to the extent possible in carrying out the delivery of these employment and training services?
Mr. HARKIN. Absolutely, it is essential that the workforce services provided through this legislation, are delivered through the most effective means possible, ensuring that the unemployed and underemployed are provided with relevant employment and training assistance that will enable them to find good, family sustaining jobs. It is also essential that these programs provide the skills that are relevant to local and regional employers that will help to rebuild our regional and U.S. economies.
Mrs. MURRAY. As my friend from Iowa knows, older workers have been particularly devastated by our current economic downturn. A recent Urban Institute publication reported that job loss for older workers is at a 31-year high. Is it the intent of this legislation that older workers will be a key population targeted for services with these additional resources?
Is it further the understanding of the chairman that funding under the adult formula grants will focus on serving individuals with multiple barriers to employment, particularly those with low skill levels, to obtain the education, skills training and support services they need to obtain jobs in high demand occupations, particularly in green jobs, healthcare, and other viable industries?
Mr. HARKIN. The Senator is correct. As chairman of the Labor Appropriations subcommittee, I supported the $120 million in the recovery bill for the senior community service employment program. These funds will support employment and training opportunities for low-income, older Americans. The funds benefit both older Americans hurt by the current economic crisis and community service organizations struggling to keep up with increased demand under decreasing budgets.
Individuals with multiple barriers to employment, including older workers, those with low skill levels, and individuals with disabilities, should indeed be an important focus of services for the funding provided to the Department of Labor. Offering these workers, particularly low skilled workers, the tools they need to secure good jobs in new or growing industry sectors can help them enhance their quality of life and achieve economic self-sufficiency as a member of the middle class.
Mrs. MURRAY. With regard to the funding for youth activities under the legislation, is it the Senator's understanding that in addition to summer and year-round employment opportunities, this funding may be used to provide related educational enrichment, including remediation, skills training, and supportive services that enable participants to work in high demand occupational areas, such as in the green jobs and health care industries, with the goal that such employment and enrichment activities will lead to further education or employment?
Mr. HARKIN. The Senator is correct. While the primary purpose of this funding is to provide meaningful paid work experiences for at risk youth, educational enrichment, necessary skills training, and support services that enable young people to participate and succeed in these and future endeavors are necessary and fully support the intent of the legislation.
Mrs. MURRAY. In the workforce provisions under consideration, we provide that training may be provided for jobs in high-demand occupations, through the award of contracts to institutions of higher education, as long as a customer's choice is not limited. Is it the Senator's understanding that such training may include the provision of adult basic education or English language education services, as long as these services are provided in connection with a job for which the individual is preparing? Is it the Senator's further understanding that these services may be provided through community colleges and other high quality public programs that offer postsecondary education and training within a community or region?
Mr. HARKIN. My colleague is correct. This provision was included in the recovery bill to facilitate the use of funds provided to train individuals in the areas needed in their local community. It would be my expectation that a very significant portion of the funds provided would be spent quickly and effectively in training individuals in health care and other high-demand occupations, as well as emerging ``green'' industries.
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INVESTING IN AMERICA'S WORKERS
Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I would like to engage my friend and colleague, the Senator from Washington State, in a colloquy.
I want to commend my good friend's work on behalf of America's workers, including the growing number of workers who have lost their jobs and need skill training and other services to secure good jobs in new or viable industries, including those that are retrofitting themselves to improve longer term global competitiveness. These industries promote energy efficiency, energy conservation, and environmental protection in such industries as advanced manufacturing, auto, aerospace, health care, and others.
As Senator Murray has rightly stated during conversations on this recovery bill, investing in job creation should be accompanied by investments in workers, an essential component to strengthening our Nation's productivity and long-term competitiveness. These workers include the increasing number unemployed or underemployed individuals across the country and the thousands of manufacturing workers who have lost their jobs, such as those in the aerospace industry and the automotive industry. In her role as chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, we have worked together to help workers, particularly those in distressed industries, acquire the skills they need to secure family-supporting jobs in viable and emerging industries including the energy efficient and advanced drive train vehicle industry, the biofuels industry, and the energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofits industries. That is why I would like to clarify several provisions contained in the bill before us today that pertain to job training for workers. As the Senator knows, my home State of Michigan has experienced major economic dislocations from manufacturing plant closures and industry layoffs.
I would like to first ask the esteemed Senator from Washington State if it is her understanding that worker training in these industries would be eligible for consideration by the Secretary of Labor under the national emergency grant and competitive grant funding sections of the workforce provisions of this bill?
Mrs. MURRAY. Yes, the Senator from Michigan State is correct. It is my understanding that the Secretary of Labor will use these funds to help retool workers who have lost their jobs due to the recession and declining industries, including those in the green-collar industries the Senator mentioned.
Ms. STABENOW. Is it also the Senator's understanding that the most effective strategies in helping workers maintain and secure new jobs in emerging and viable industries, including the energy efficient and advanced drive train vehicle industry, the biofuels industry, the energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofits industries, and the aerospace industry are those supported by strategic partnerships among State and local workforce boards; institutions of higher education, including community colleges and other training providers; labor organizations; industry; and economic development entities that use sector or cluster-based training approaches for developing job training strategies and career pathway initiatives that lead to economic self-sufficiency?
Mrs. MURRAY. The Senator from Michigan is correct and makes an important point. Effective strategies for helping workers retool for jobs in viable industries should be informed by the critical stakeholders she noted. It is my hope that when distributing these funds, the Secretary of Labor gives due deference to those eligible entities with strategic partnerships among representatives from the affected industries, labor organizations, workforce investment boards, elected officials, and institutions of higher education, including community colleges and other training providers.
Ms. STABENOW. I would like to thank my distinguished colleague from Washington. I look forward to working with her in the future to ensure that investing in America's workers remains a critical component of our national economic recovery and growth strategy.
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