The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“MR. SCOTT'S VISIT TO OREGON” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2221 on May 11, 2016.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MR. SCOTT'S VISIT TO OREGON
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, when I travel around northwest Oregon, I often hear from parents who struggle to afford child care, which in Oregon can cost as much as a year of college tuition. I hear from people who can't find work because their skills don't match up with the jobs that are available in their areas, and I hear from students who are overwhelmed by the cost of their college educations.
These are not problems without solutions. As policymakers, we should be addressing the challenges our families face. It is possible to give every child the opportunity to succeed, to close the achievement gap, to make college accessible and affordable, to expand family-friendly workplace policies, and to make sure we have a 21st century workforce. In fact, we can't afford to let these problems continue to hold us back.
This week, I welcomed to Oregon Mr. Scott of Virginia, the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Together we saw and discussed some of the struggles our working families face. We had a whirlwind day that included substantive discussions about how to give children, young people, and working families the support they need to succeed. We talked about how to open the doors of opportunity that are closed for too many.
I invited Mr. Scott to Oregon because he has a remarkable record of standing up for working families. On the Education and the Workforce Committee, we worked together on the Every Student Succeeds Act to strengthen our public schools, and on the Older Americans Act to support our growing population of older adults.
He has also been a leader for working families by his standing up to attacks on the National Labor Relations Board and by his protecting retirees through his support for the Department of Labor's rule to ban conflicts of interest in retirement advice. During his visit this week, I showed Mr. Scott the innovative and collaborative nature that sets Oregon apart.
Oregon is a leader in addressing barriers that are faced by working families. Last year our State legislature raised the State's minimum wage and passed legislation to provide workers with paid sick days to care for themselves or their families.
At our forum on early childhood development, we discussed how this country's workplace policies have not kept up with our changing workforce. Andrea Paluso from Family Forward Oregon told us that even the iconic image of the Cleaver family does not accurately reflect the diversity of American families.
In fact, Barbara Billingsley, the actress who played June Cleaver on
``Leave It to Beaver,'' was in real life a single, working mom.
We heard from others about how food insecurity and hunger interfere with the ability of too many children to focus in school and about how early childhood education correlates to positive health outcomes and academic achievement later in life.
I am proud of Oregon for taking so many positive steps to protect working families, but these changes shouldn't be happening just for some. We should be having these conversations and discussions in Congress as well. Our economy will be stronger and our families will be healthier when we acknowledge that families need policies that work for them, not against them. We need equal pay for women, good wages, paid leave, and affordable child care to support families in Oregon and across the country.
Looking toward our future, I want students today to have the same opportunities I had. I worked my way through community college, college, and law school, and I graduated with a very manageable amount of student debt. Unfortunately, that opportunity is out of reach for too many of today's families.
Again, Oregon is a national leader. Oregon Promise, our State's free community college plan, will help put education within reach for thousands of students. Oregon's leaders have recognized that the future of our economy relies on an educated and innovative workforce to create and fill the jobs of the 21st century.
During our visit, I introduced Mr. Scott to Fernando, who participates in the Portland Community College's very successful Future Connect Program. This program connects low-income, first-generation college students with financial aid resources, personalized academic advising, internships and job training, and an intensive summer orientation, all of which help them to succeed in college. This program is critical to Fernando, who is a DACA student, and to other first-
generation college students. Fernando told us that Future Connect made a difference, it made him feel at home in college. Oregon knows it is not enough just to get students to college, but that it is important that they stay there and finish their degrees. Now Fernando is off to a 4-year university and is pursuing his plans to become a dentist.
I am incredibly proud of the State I represent. Congress can learn a lot from the Oregon spirit of innovation and collaboration. I was glad to show Mr. Scott the progress we have made in Oregon, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to remove the many obstacles that are holding back working families and that are keeping young people from achieving their full potential, because when we open the doors of opportunity to everyone, we all succeed.
____________________
