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.
“APPRENTICESHIP GRANTS BUDGET CUT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H5990 on July 19, 2017.
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:
APPRENTICESHIP GRANTS BUDGET CUT
(Mr. COURTNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, last February, President Trump had CEOs from America's largest manufacturers to come and talk about progrowth tax policies. Instead of talking about taxes, what they really talked about is the real need out there, which is to close the skills gap in this country and get the job training out there so that people can get hired.
USA Today reported the next day with the headline: ``U.S. factory CEOs to Trump: Jobs exist; skills don't.'' In the 2017 budget, the bipartisan budget, Congress listened, and we appropriated robust funding for apprenticeship programs, for youth job training programs, and for adult, older incumbent job training programs.
Incredibly, a few minutes ago, the partisan Republican budget cut apprenticeship grants to zero, from 95 million from last year to zero. Mr. Speaker, better skills means better wages and better jobs. We should be investing strongly in job training programs so that people will have a future for themselves and their families.
We should listen to the job creators in this country. We should listen to the people back home, and we should reject this Republican budget which incredibly turns the clock back so that we can fill the job openings that the Labor Department says now total almost 6 million jobs in this country. Close the skills gaps. Invest in job training.
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