[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 64 (Monday, May 22, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H2969-H2970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS OF NATIONAL ONE-STOP 
                                 MONTH

  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 808) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives in support of the goals of National One-Stop Month.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 808

       Whereas national workforce professional organizations and 
     the local workforce investment boards will celebrate National 
     One-Stop Month from May 1 to 31, 2006;
       Whereas workforce investment boards and One-Stop delivery 
     system were created under the Workforce Investment Act of 
     1998 and are designed to provide a full range of employment 
     solutions to employers and job seekers in a single location;
       Whereas more than 600 workforce investment boards and 2,000 
     One-Stop Career Centers are enhancing the productivity and 
     competitiveness of the Nation by providing workforce 
     solutions for hundreds of thousands of employers annually 
     across the United States;
       Whereas, in the spirit of the Workforce Investment Act, the 
     cornerstones of maximizing customer choice, employment and 
     training solutions, and universal access are the primary 
     missions of the One-Stop delivery system, allowing more than 
     14,000,000 job seekers annually the opportunity to connect 
     with the tools they need for their next career opportunity;
       Whereas each year the One-Stop delivery system and regional 
     workforce investment boards contribute to the competitiveness 
     of the Nation's workforce by providing training assistance 
     through grants to job seekers and employed workers and other 
     programs to more than 400,000 Americans so they may upgrade 
     or acquire new skills; and
       Whereas, in the spirit of the Workforce Investment Act, the 
     private sector leadership of the regional workforce 
     investment boards provides the planning, oversight, and 
     accountability of workforce strategies that succeed in 
     communities across the country: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals of National One-Stop Month; and
       (2) supports the efforts of the workforce investment boards 
     and One-Stop delivery system in preparing the Nation's 
     workforce.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. 
Maloney) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 808.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, associations representing the local workforce 
development community have declared May National One-Stop Month. I rise 
this afternoon in support of H. Res. 808, which expresses the support 
of the House of Representatives for the goals of National One-Stop 
Month and supports the work of the Nation's local workforce investment 
boards.
  The one-stop delivery system this resolution recognizes is a product 
of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, or WIA. WIA consolidated 
numerous Federal training programs and integrated employment and 
training services at the local level in a more unified workforce 
development system. Local business-led workforce investment boards now 
direct the activities of the system.
  One of the hallmarks of WIA is the establishment of One-Stop Career 
Centers to provide re-employment services and job training to 
individuals looking for a new or better job. The centers were developed 
to increase access to Federal and State resources available to help 
individuals obtain employment of their choice.
  While WIA funds are available for occupational training, there are 
numerous other Federal programs that provide employment assistance. 
These programs, including adult education, vocational rehabilitation, 
veterans employment programs and more, must make their services 
available through the centers. WIA created One-Stop Career Centers to 
provide a single point of access for individuals desiring services 
through these programs. The one-stop delivery system also provides 
labor market information regarding the kinds of jobs currently 
available in a local area, data on growing industries and job listings 
to assist individuals in making informed career choices.
  Over 2,000 one-stop centers across the Nation have connected millions 
of individuals with the tools they need to find their next employment 
opportunity, while helping employers find the workers they need.
  The economy is dynamic, and research shows that the types of growing 
industries are changing. The Nation's job training programs are 
critical to our ongoing effort to equip Americans with the resources 
and skills they need to find a new or better job in today's knowledge-
based economy. Local workforce investment boards have responded to 
these challenges by creating comprehensive services to assist our 
workforce.
  Approximately 5.2 million new jobs have been created since August of 
2003. With solid and consistent job growth in high-wage, high-skill 
occupations, renewing and strengthening the Federal investment in 
workforce development and job training is more critical than ever. Last 
year, this House approved legislation to reauthorize WIA and renew the 
one-stop delivery system, and we hope for further action on that 
legislation to build upon the success already attained. Yet in the 
interim, we know our local community leaders remain committed to 
providing the best services possible for the Nation's job seekers.
  I commend the chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century 
Competitiveness, Congressman Ric Keller of Florida, for introducing 
this measure to highlight the critical assistance that the local boards 
and the one-stop delivery system provide.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of National One-Stop Month. For over 
30 years, Congress has worked hard on a bipartisan basis to create a 
job training system that works well for both employers and employees.
  During the Clinton administration, job training advocates developed 
the idea of a universal system, a one-stop job training system that 
would provide needed job search, placement and training services to all 
job seekers who walked through its doors. The system would also be a 
one-stop system for employers, providing outreach and matching services 
to enable employers to find workers with the job skills that they need.
  Approximately 2,000 one-stop centers and the workforce boards that 
oversee them now exist in all of our communities, providing a 21st 
century resource for all. This system is an investment in our economy 
and in our country.
  But that investment is also under attack. For the past 6 years, the 
administration and this Congress have been cutting funding for the one-
stop system. The one-stops have not had a single inflation adjustment 
in 6 years. The

[[Page H2970]]

one-stops have actually had their budgets cut about $700 million since 
2001. This Congress has failed to reauthorize the one-stop system, and 
has insisted on opening it up to religious discrimination, which has 
never existed or been a problem for years. Most recently, in its 2007 
budget request, the administration proposed effectively eliminating the 
one-stop system and turning it into a voucher program run by the 
Governors.
  Democrats believe in job training to help workers improve their 
skills and find good-paying jobs to support their families. Democrats 
believe in helping employers find workers with the skills they need to 
compete in the global economy. In order to truly help employers and 
employees, we must adequately fund the one-stops and our job training 
system.

                              {time}  1430

  This is a low-cost investment in our future. I urge my colleagues to 
support this resolution and to support improved funding for a 21st-
century job-training system.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close at this time. We 
have no further speakers. Again, I thank my colleague from New York for 
her support and the support of all Members across the aisle for this 
resolution.
  Let me just close by saying that in the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita 
and Katrina, I personally visited some of these one-stop shops in my 
district and was really impressed with the work that they were doing.
  They were very successful in matching up those in need of jobs with 
available jobs. And so this is a worthy resolution. I urge all Members 
to support it.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 808, a 
measure expressing support for the goals of National One-Stop Month. As 
we stand here today we find ourselves in an increasingly competitive 
job market, one in which the knowledge and skills of each job seeker 
play a critical role in determining whether the individual will 
succeed. And while our economy has created more than 5.2 million new 
jobs since August 2003, we still have work ahead of us to provide the 
resources and training workers need to claim and keep these new jobs.
  Testifying before the House Education and the Workforce Committee 
several years ago, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan 
told Members of our panel that providing ``rigorous education and 
ongoing training to all members of our society'' is essential for 
future job growth and worker security in the United States. His words 
ring all the more true today, as our workforce takes on the new 
realities of an increasingly competitive global economy.
  Eight years ago, when Congress passed the Workforce Investment Act, 
we did so with an eye toward preparing our working men and women for 
the challenges of a turn-of-the-century economy. Indeed, the 21st 
century is no longer the age of machine and muscle but, rather, has 
become the age of the mind.
  And central to our efforts in crafting the Workforce Investment Act 
was the establishment of the one-stop system. One-stop career centers 
are aimed at providing a single, convenient, central location to offer 
job training and other employment-related services. And they have been 
remarkably successful for countless Americans.
  In my view, the establishment of one-stops in 1998 was the single 
most important federal job training accomplishment in a generation. We 
brought dozens of disparate services under one roof, providing a better 
deal for job seekers and a better investment for American taxpayers.
  Last year, this House approved legislation to build upon the success 
of the one-stop system, and as we hope for further congressional action 
on that measure, we take time this month to celebrate the achievements 
of those who have been involved in the one-stops--including those 
providing services and those benefiting from them.
  Mr. Speaker, May is National One-Stop Month, but for those seeking 
high-quality employment services, the one-stops are there for them all 
year long. I applaud them, and I look for them to play an even bigger 
role in our job training system in the decades to come. I thank my 
colleague Mr. Keller, the chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness 
Subcommittee, for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I urge my 
colleagues to support it.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 808.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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