[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9612-S9613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT CONFERENCE REPORT

 Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, last night, the Senate passed the 
Workforce Investment Act conference report, H.R. 1385. This legislation 
makes important reforms to our job training, adult education, and 
vocational rehabilitation programs.
  The Workforce Investment Act is one of the most significant proposals 
that has passed the Senate this year. H.R. 1385 proposes a streamlined, 
practical, business-oriented approach to job training which empowers 
states with the ability to transform a current patchwork of programs 
into a comprehensive system.
  This bill is the result of more than four years of hard work. The 
last Congress, under the leadership of Senator Nancy Kassebaum, spent a 
considerable amount of time on similar legislation. Senator Kassebaum 
did not act alone in championing the workforce legislation in the last 
Congress. Senator DeWine, Senator Kennedy and myself and many other 
members were also involved in that effort.
  Senator Kennedy and I have been working on job training legislation 
for over two decades. I count the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), 
which I co-authored along with Representative Hawkins and Senators 
Kennedy, Hatch, and Quayle as a significant legislative accomplishment. 
Today, over twenty years later, it is clear that JTPA is not sufficient 
to meet the increasing demands being made on our education and training 
system.
  The Workforce Investment Act conference report as passed by the 
Senate will enable states to better coordinate employment and training 
programs and related activities, with a special emphasis on 
coordinating adult education and job training initiatives. This 
coordination will lead to customer satisfaction--which is perhaps the 
most important aspect of this bill. Individuals seeking job training 
and adult education services will choose to enroll in high quality 
programs which will lead to better paying jobs. In addition, employers 
will also be satisfied customers because they will have the ability to 
hire better skilled employees.
  The Workforce Investment Act is a product of many efforts. In 
particular, I would like to thank Senator Mike DeWine, the chairman of 
the Subcommittee on Employment and Training for his leadership in this 
area. He has done an outstanding job in putting this bill together and 
his contribution regarding the redesigning of our youth training 
programs will be of great benefit to our nation's disadvantaged youth. 
I would also like to thank Senator Paul Wellstone, the Employment and 
Training Subcommittee's ranking member for his work on the bill.
  Senator Ted Kennedy and I have been working for many years on 
employment and training issues. The Workforce Investment Act has been a 
bipartisan effort. I would like to thank Senator Kennedy for his 
leadership.
  Not only has this been a bipartisan effort, but it has also been 
bicameral. Representative Bill Goodling, the chairman of the House 
Education and Workforce Committee and the chair of this conference has 
also been working on job training legislation for over twenty years. I 
commend him on his leadership and thank him for all of his hard work in 
completing action on H.R. 1385.
  Chairman Goodling was joined by Representative Bill Clay, 
Representative Buck McKeon, and Representative Dale Kildee. This bill 
is a product of their expertise and commitment to improving job 
training and adult education.
  In addition, I would like to thank the staff of the Congressional 
Research Service: Ann Lordeman, Rick Apling, and Paul Irwin. I would 
also like to thank the Legislative Counsel staff: Liz King, Mark 
Sigurski, and Mark Synnes. Their dedication and hard work were 
essential in completing the Workforce Investment Act Conference Report.
  In May of 1997, I held a hearing at Vermont Technical College in 
Randolph, Vermont. The testimony that I received at that hearing was my 
touchstone for the Workforce Investment Act. Witness after witness 
discussed the urgency for a skilled workforce. I would like to thank my 
home state of Vermont for serving as an inspiration for this 
legislation. I would especially like to thank Susan Auld, the 
Commissioner for Vermont's Department of Employment and Training, and 
Kathy Finck, the director of Vermont's Adult and Vocational Education 
program for their contributions to this legislation.
  As I mentioned earlier, customer satisfaction, flexibility, and 
stronger accountability are the themes of H.R. 1385. A provision of the 
bill which relates to these issues is the ability of states to submit 
one plan to Washington for a variety of federal programs. This 
encourages states to coordinate their programs; also cuts through 
bureaucratic red tape by giving states the option to submit one plan 
versus several plans. Another provision which emphasizes the importance 
of customer satisfaction and accountability is the opportunity for 
states to be rewarded, through incentive grants, for exceeding their 
performance standards in delivering employment and training and 
education related services.
  When this bill originally passed the Senate, vocational education was 
a major section of the legislation. The one disappointment I have is 
that we were unable to include vocational education in this conference 
report. However, I do hope that the House and Senate conferees will be 
able to bring a vocational education conference report to the Congress 
before the October adjournment.
  The final section of the conference report is the reauthorization of 
the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. The rehabilitation provisions in 
this bill will

[[Page S9613]]

open up more employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities. 
They will also provide state vocational rehabilitation agencies and 
other agencies and organizations that offer employment-related 
assistance to individuals with disabilities with the tools they need to 
give appropriate, timely help to individuals with disabilities who want 
to work. These provisions bring us closer to a seamless system for job 
training and employment assistance for individuals with disabilities.
  The Workforce Investment Act lays the groundwork to establish an 
outstanding employment and training system nationwide that will meet 
the economic demands of the next century. The business community and 
the Administration have been very helpful in this endeavor. I want to 
especially thank Secretary Herman and Secretary Riley and their staffs 
for their work and who literally worked on this legislation up to the 
last minute. The passage of H.R. 1385 means that this nation will have 
a better skilled workforce.

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