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.
“JOB CORPS CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E825 on June 24, 2019.
The Department is primarily focused on food nutrition, with assistance programs making up 80 percent of its budget. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department implements too many regulations and restrictions and impedes the economy.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
JOB CORPS CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS
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HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO
of oregon
in the house of representatives
Monday, June 24, 2019
Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, there were a number of concerns raised about Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCC) during debate over my amendment to the LHHS Appropriations bill, and I would like to respond to those directly.
Contrary to the assertion that the transfer of operations of all U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Job Corps CCCs to the Department of Labor (DOL) will ``allow more students to engage with the program,'' this move would have forced the immediate closure of nine centers across eight states, quite literally closing off DOL's ability to serve thousands of at-risk youth across the country, while also negatively impacting the rural communities these CCCs are built around and reducing the Forest Service's capacity as both wildfire and hurricane seasons get underway.
During debate, it was also asserted that CCCs produce ``phenomenally bad results.'' Of the nine centers that were slated for closure, seven of them were in top half of Job Corps centers for Performance Year 2017, the most recent program year data is available for. In the state of North Carolina, where at least two CCCs were slated for closure, the Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center, the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center, and the Schenck Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center rank 76th, 18th, and 4th respectively out of all 126 Job Corps sites. Schenck finished Program Year 2017 as the country's top performing Job Corps center. While not a CCC, the Kittrell Job Corps Center currently ranks sixth overall, meaning North Carolina has three of the top 20 Job Corps centers.
Concerns over the safety and security of Job Corps sites were also consistently mentioned. In highlighting these concerns, no distinction was made between CCCs and regular Job Corps sites. In Program Year 2017, CCCs served more than 14 percent of Job Corps' total residential students and accounted for 13.5 percent of total reported incidents of violence at Job Corps centers across the country. This clearly shows that CCCs are not disproportionately violent compared to other Job Corps centers. It is important to note that the high-profile crimes that occurred several years ago did not occur on a Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center site.
As was testified at a hearing last Congress, the reality is that the mortality rate for Job Corps center students in recent program years was about 4.7 per 100,000. The national mortality rate for individuals ages 16 to 24 during that same time period was 70.88 per 100,000, more than 15 times higher. Students at Job Corps centers are also 19 times less likely to die of a drug overdoes than youth their age outside ofthe program.
That being said, I agree that we must do everything we can to minimize violence at Job Corps centers. In the wake of tragic events in 2015, the National Job Corps Association (NJCA) submitted policy recommendations to DOL in order to improve safety and security. Some of these recommendations have been implemented while others have not. I believe Congress can work together to ensure that CCCs maximize safety while recruiting and retaining a high number of students.
Thankfully, the Trump Administration reversed its decision to end the CCC program. CCCs are an important part of the Forest Service's mission, they play an essential role in the health and safety of Oregon's forests, and they provide critical opportunities for at-risk youth. I will continue to push back against any future attacks and look forward to working with those who want to further strengthen this successful program.
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