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.
“UNLEASHING THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H4648-H4649 on Sept. 22, 2020.
The Department provides billions in unemployment insurance, which peaked around 2011 though spending had declined before the pandemic. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, claimed the Department funds "ineffective and duplicative services" and overregulates the workplace.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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UNLEASHING THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr) for 5 minutes.
Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the chairman of the Republican Study Committee's American Worker Task Force. This task force was established to provide policy recommendations to empower millions of American workers to reclaim their version of the American Dream.
This task force, really, Mr. Speaker, is all about the American Dream, which is the idea that the condition of your birth should not determine the outcome of your life and that, in America, because of the blessings of freedom that we are given, anyone, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, or any station in life, through hard work, persistence, and determination, can achieve upward mobility, can achieve his or her God-given potential, and can realize that American Dream.
This afternoon, the American Worker Task Force will unveil its report to change flawed policies from Washington, D.C., to unleash the spirit of the American Dream and to give workers their opportunity at upward mobility.
First, we are going to propose policy changes that will refocus labor policy to unleash American workers and allow them to realize their God-
given potential. This includes increasing opportunities for apprenticeships, not just Department of Labor, Washington-directed, centrally planned registered apprenticeships, apprenticeships that may or may not yield fruitful careers in in-demand jobs in the labor market, in the real world, but, instead, also recognizing apprenticeships that are industry-recognized, industry-driven, and that meet the jobs that are actually available in the labor market.
We are going to be proposing ideas about eliminating overly restrictive occupational licensing requirements and giving workers greater flexibility in the way they are compensated, to choose comp time as opposed to just overtime.
Secondly, we want to reimagine our failed welfare policies to remove the trap of government dependency and, instead, create a system that propels American individuals and families to extraordinary success and prosperity.
This includes providing alternatives to the failed Housing First policies: to provide Americans access in housing assistance with wraparound services to actually meet those individuals where they are; to provide them with career counseling and perhaps, if needed, addiction recovery services and financial literacy.
We want second-chance employees to have access to the labor market. Whether they have been incarcerated before, whether they are struggling with an addiction, whether they have failed to get the skills that they need, we believe that second-chance and third-chance employees are desperately needed in America's economy today.
We also want work incentives for able-bodied, work-capable adults, especially those without dependents, because we know that work is a blessing; work is not a punishment.
And, third, we want to refine our education system to debunk the bachelors- or-bust mentality, to encourage innovative careers and better equip American workers with the skills they need to adapt and thrive in the ever-changing 21st century economy. That means in preparing people for higher education, it is not just about a 4-year degree; it is also about career and technical education, skills-based education.
We believe that there should be deductibility for up-skilling so that employers can give workers the skills that are needed for them to move and advance in their careers.
We think there should be transparency outcomes in higher education. And we think, to deal with the student loan debt crisis, we need to recognize that the return on investment is very important, and career and technical education can provide that opportunity.
We believe in income-sharing agreements as an alternative to the debt trap of Federal student loans.
The policies that constitute these three key policy platforms are the result of over a year and a half of deliberations by task force members. We conducted listening sessions with think tanks and policy experts, small business owners, and workers from across our districts.
Mr. Speaker, in the Sixth Congressional District of Kentucky, which I represent in Congress, I have already seen the benefits of investing in career and technical education and job training.
The Kentucky Welding Institute in Fleming County, Kentucky, graduates students in less than 6 months, readying them for careers in welding that can earn them over $100,000 a year.
In Estill County, Kentucky, the Estill County Area Technical Center, currently under construction, will be a state-of-the-art job training facility that is scheduled to open in August of 2021. Kentuckians will train for jobs in advanced manufacturing, in diesel mechanics, health sciences, information technology and science technology, engineering and math, in addition to many other industries.
I am proud to have supported a $4 million grant from the Economic Development Administration that will yield a return on investment in just a few months, graduating taxpayers.
Mr. Speaker, this report could not be a more timely endeavor in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic uncertainty that has followed.
Although progrowth tax, regulatory, and trade policies have enabled unemployment to come back down to single digits and the stock market to rebound, Americans still need Congress to take up a bold, comprehensive agenda to pave the way for more jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage everyone to consider these very important proworker recommendations.
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