[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 99 (Monday, June 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4831-H4834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             ENERGY AND MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 338) to promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing 
workforce.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 338

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ENERGY AND MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy (in this Act 
     referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall prioritize education 
     and training for energy and manufacturing-related jobs in 
     order to increase the number of skilled workers trained to 
     work in energy and manufacturing-related fields when 
     considering awards for existing grant programs, including 
     by--
       (1) encouraging State education agencies and local 
     educational agencies to equip students with the skills, 
     mentorships, training, and technical expertise necessary to 
     fill the employment opportunities vital to managing and 
     operating the Nation's energy and manufacturing industries, 
     in collaboration with representatives from the energy and 
     manufacturing industries (including the oil, gas, coal, 
     nuclear, utility, pipeline, renewable, petrochemical, 
     manufacturing, and electrical construction sectors) to 
     identify the areas of highest need in each sector and the 
     skills necessary for a high-quality workforce in the 
     following sectors of energy and manufacturing:
       (A) Energy efficiency industry, including work in energy 
     efficiency, conservation, weatherization, or retrofitting, or 
     as inspectors or auditors.
       (B) Pipeline industry, including work in pipeline 
     construction and maintenance or work as engineers or 
     technical advisors.
       (C) Utility industry, including work in the generation, 
     transmission, and distribution of electricity and natural 
     gas, such as utility technicians, operators, lineworkers, 
     engineers, scientists, and information technology 
     specialists.
       (D) Nuclear industry, including work as scientists, 
     engineers, technicians, mathematicians, or security 
     personnel.
       (E) Oil and gas industry, including work as scientists, 
     engineers, technicians, mathematicians, petrochemical 
     engineers, or geologists.
       (F) Renewable industry, including work in the development, 
     manufacturing, and production of renewable energy sources 
     (such as solar, hydropower, wind, or geothermal energy).
       (G) Coal industry, including work as coal miners, 
     engineers, developers and manufacturers of state-of-the-art 
     coal facilities, technology vendors, coal transportation 
     workers and operators, or mining equipment vendors.
       (H) Manufacturing industry, including work as operations 
     technicians, operations and design in additive manufacturing, 
     3-D printing, advanced composites, and advanced aluminum and 
     other metal alloys, industrial energy efficiency management 
     systems, including power electronics, and other innovative 
     technologies.
       (I) Chemical manufacturing industry, including work in 
     construction (such as welders, pipefitters, and tool and die 
     makers) or as instrument and electrical technicians, 
     machinists, chemical process operators, chemical engineers, 
     quality and safety professionals, and reliability engineers; 
     and
       (2) strengthening and more fully engaging Department of 
     Energy programs and labs in carrying out the Department's 
     workforce development initiatives including the Minorities in 
     Energy Initiative.
       (b) Prohibition.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to authorize the Secretary or any other officer or 
     employee of the Federal Government to incentivize, require, 
     or coerce a State, school district, or school to adopt 
     curricula aligned to the skills described in subsection (a).
       (c) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize the education 
     and training of underrepresented groups in energy and 
     manufacturing-related jobs.
       (d) Clearinghouse.--In carrying out this section, the 
     Secretary shall establish a clearinghouse to--
       (1) maintain and update information and resources on 
     training and workforce development programs for energy and 
     manufacturing-related jobs, including job training and 
     workforce development programs available to assist displaced 
     and unemployed energy and manufacturing workers transitioning 
     to new employment; and
       (2) provide technical assistance for States, local 
     educational agencies, schools, community colleges, 
     universities (including minority-serving institutions), 
     workforce development programs, labor-management 
     organizations, and industry organizations that would like to 
     develop and implement energy and manufacturing-related 
     training programs.
       (e) Collaboration.--In carrying out this section, the 
     Secretary--
       (1) shall collaborate with States, local educational 
     agencies, schools, community colleges, universities 
     (including minority-serving institutions), workforce-training 
     organizations, national laboratories, State energy offices, 
     workforce investment boards, and the energy and manufacturing 
     industries;
       (2) shall encourage and foster collaboration, mentorships, 
     and partnerships among organizations (including industry, 
     States, local educational agencies, schools, community 
     colleges, workforce-development organizations, and colleges 
     and universities) that currently provide effective job 
     training programs in the energy and manufacturing fields and 
     entities (including States, local educational agencies, 
     schools, community colleges, workforce development programs, 
     and colleges and universities) that seek to establish these 
     types of programs in order to share best practices; and
       (3) shall collaborate with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
     the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Census, States, 
     and the energy and manufacturing industries to develop a 
     comprehensive and detailed understanding of the energy and 
     manufacturing workforce needs and opportunities by State and 
     by region.
       (f) Outreach to Minority-Serving Institutions.--In carrying 
     out this section, the Secretary shall--
       (1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to 
     minority-serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges 
     and Universities;
       (2) make existing resources available through program 
     cross-cutting to minority-serving institutions with the 
     objective of increasing the number of skilled minorities and 
     women trained to go into the energy and manufacturing 
     sectors;
       (3) encourage industry to improve the opportunities for 
     students of minority-serving institutions to participate in 
     industry internships and cooperative work/study programs; and
       (4) partner with the Department of Energy laboratories to 
     increase underrepresented groups' participation in 
     internships, fellowships, traineeships, and employment at all 
     Department of Energy laboratories.
       (g) Outreach to Dislocated Energy and Manufacturing 
     Workers.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall--
       (1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to 
     employers and job trainers preparing dislocated energy and 
     manufacturing workers for in-demand sectors or occupations;

[[Page H4832]]

       (2) make existing resources available through program 
     cross-cutting to institutions serving dislocated energy and 
     manufacturing workers with the objective of training 
     individuals to re-enter in-demand sectors or occupations;
       (3) encourage the energy and manufacturing industries to 
     improve opportunities for dislocated energy and manufacturing 
     workers to participate in career pathways; and
       (4) work closely with the energy and manufacturing 
     industries to identify energy and manufacturing operations, 
     such as coal-fired power plants and coal mines, scheduled for 
     closure and to provide early intervention assistance to 
     workers employed at such energy and manufacturing operations 
     by--
       (A) partnering with State and local workforce development 
     boards;
       (B) giving special consideration to employers and job 
     trainers preparing such workers for in-demand sectors or 
     occupations;
       (C) making existing resources available through program 
     cross-cutting to institutions serving such workers with the 
     objective of training them to re-enter in-demand sectors or 
     occupations; and
       (D) encouraging the energy and manufacturing industries to 
     improve opportunities for such workers to participate in 
     career pathways.
       (h) Enrollment in Workforce Development Programs.--In 
     carrying out this section, the Secretary shall work with 
     industry and community-based workforce organizations to help 
     identify candidates, including from underrepresented 
     communities such as minorities, women, and veterans, to 
     enroll in workforce development programs for energy and 
     manufacturing-related jobs.
       (i) Prohibition.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed as authorizing the creation of a new workforce 
     development program.
       (j) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Career pathways; dislocated worker; in-demand sectors 
     or occupations; local workforce development board; state 
     workforce development board.--The terms ``career pathways'', 
     ``dislocated worker'', ``in-demand sectors or occupations'', 
     ``local workforce development board'', and ``State workforce 
     development board'' have the meanings given the terms 
     ``career pathways'', ``dislocated worker'', ``in-demand 
     sectors or occupations'', ``local board'', and ``State 
     board'', respectively, in section 3 of the Workforce 
     Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
       (2) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
     serving institution'' means an institution of higher 
     education with a designation of one of the following:
       (A) Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 
     1101a(a)(5)).
       (B) Tribal College or University (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 
     1059c(b)).
       (C) Alaska Native-serving institution or a Native Hawaiian-
     serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).
       (D) Predominantly Black Institution (as defined in 20 
     U.S.C. 1059e(b)).
       (E) Native American-serving nontribal institution (as 
     defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059f(b)).
       (F) Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-
     serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)).

     SEC. 2. REPORT.

       Five years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary shall publish a comprehensive report to the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on 
     Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives 
     and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on the 
     outlook for energy and manufacturing sectors nationally. The 
     report shall also include a comprehensive summary of energy 
     and manufacturing job creation as a result of the enactment 
     of this Act. The report shall include performance data 
     regarding the number of program participants served, the 
     percentage of participants in competitive integrated 
     employment two quarters and four quarters after program 
     completion, the median income of program participants two 
     quarters and four quarters after program completion, and the 
     percentage of program participants receiving industry-
     recognized credentials.

     SEC. 3. USE OF EXISTING FUNDS.

       No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 
     requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried 
     out using amounts otherwise authorized.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Upton) and the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             GENERAL LEAVE

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include any extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased that we are considering this 
legislation, H.R. 338, a bill to promote a 21st century energy and 
manufacturing workforce, introduced by my friend and great colleague, 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush), and the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Hudson).
  This bipartisan bill takes steps to help make training for energy 
manufacturing jobs available to women and minorities as well as 
veterans.
  By way of background, the bill was unanimously approved by the House 
last Congress by a voice vote. It was also included in the energy bill 
conference negotiations. But, unfortunately, even though the bill 
received overwhelming support in both the House and the Senate, it 
didn't make it to the President's desk before time ran out.
  The U.S. has undergone an energy renaissance, driven by newly 
discovered resources, technological innovation, and a skilled 
workforce. Millions and millions of new jobs had been created, and many 
more are opening up, but we have got to continue to invest in our 
workers in order to maintain global leadership and maximize the 
economic potential of our energy abundance.
  This bill, H.R. 338, takes important steps in the right direction by 
requiring that the Department of Energy modernize and improve 
coordination among the numerous workforce development programs and 
activities that expand the Department's programs, offices, labs, and 
technology centers.
  This bipartisan bill places an emphasis on maximizing the 
Department's existing resources and increasing the diversity of our 
energy and manufacturing workforce by increasing opportunities for 
women, minorities, and veterans.
  It also improves reemployment opportunities for out-of-work and 
dislocated workers, which, for example, would provide welcome relief to 
workers discouraged by sharp downturns in the coal industry.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation before us today is a good government 
bill that is going to increase benefits for American workers. I would 
encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1630

  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased we are considering this 
bill sponsored by my friend and colleague, the ranking member of the 
Energy Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Rush.
  I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Rush).
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I must begin by commending Chairman Walden; 
Chairman Upton; Ranking Member Pallone; our friend and colleague from 
the great State of Colorado, Congresswoman DeGette; and the committee 
staff and all for working with my office to bring the 21st century 
workforce legislation to the House floor today.
  I must also publicly acknowledge the leadership of my colleague Mr. 
Hudson of North Carolina and his staff, who played an instrumental and 
very important role in helping us to get to this point.
  Mr. Speaker, the 21st century workforce bill represents hope and 
represents opportunity for many of our fellow citizens who feel as 
though they have been locked out of the American Dream. Mr. Speaker, 
this workforce bill also provides an example of how Congress should 
function and work on behalf of the American people.
  This legislation enjoys the overwhelming support of Members of 
Congress who represent various constituencies from diverse regions of 
our Nation and who come with different and varying political 
persuasions. However, Mr. Speaker, we were able to put aside our 
political differences, our regional differences, and our cultural 
differences and focus our efforts on bringing forth a jobs bill that 
would benefit all communities and help lift up the American economy for 
all its people.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill directs the Secretary of Energy to prioritize 
the training of underrepresented groups, including minorities, women, 
and veterans, as well as displaced and unemployed energy and 
manufacturing workers. This bill directs the Secretary of Energy to 
take into full recognition the hurt and the pain of the White middle 
class, of the White working class,

[[Page H4833]]

the African-American, the Black working class, and the Brown working 
class in order to increase the number of skilled candidates trained to 
work in the related fields that were brought to bear by the energy 
renaissance in our Nation.
  This bill will strengthen and more fully engage Department of Energy 
programs and national laboratories in order to carry out the 
Department's workforce development initiatives. This legislation will 
help to develop a skilled labor force trained to work in a wide array 
of sectors, including renewables, energy efficiency, oil and gas, coal, 
nuclear, utility, pipeline, and alternative fuels, as well as energy-
intensive and advanced manufacturing industries.
  Mr. Speaker, as we know, the energy and manufacturing industries are 
two of the most critical and fastest growing sectors both domestically 
as well as internationally. The potential of these two industries can 
help bolster the American economy and are also vital to the growing 
number of people seeking middle class status--not just a change of 
lifestyle, but seeking more money. They are satisfied with their 
lifestyle; they just need more income.
  It is important, Mr. Speaker, that we equip our citizens with the 
skills needed to meet this growing demand so that we can tap into these 
tremendous opportunities, and this bill, Mr. Speaker, will help us 
accomplish that goal.
  Mr. Speaker, this 21st century workforce legislation addresses an 
issue that is neither partisan nor bipartisan, but, rather, it is 
nonpartisan. It is a nonpartisan issue that benefits communities, 
benefits industry, and benefits the overall American economy.
  This bill brings together government agencies, including the national 
labs, the energy and manufacturing industries, unions, schools, 
community colleges and universities, among others, and promotes 
cooperation and collaboration to ensure that we are tapping into a 
wealth of underutilized talent and are training and preparing workers 
for the energy and manufacturing jobs of the present and also of the 
future.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the challenges that many of my constituents--and 
constituents all across the land--have brought to my attention pertains 
to individuals participating in training programs that, in many cases, 
don't even lead to finding a job.
  With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, this bill will help industry, 
schools, and community-based workforce organizations to identify 
candidates for enrollment into training and apprenticeship programs. 
The objective will be to ensure that the skills learned are immediately 
transferable to good-paying jobs and good-paying careers within the 
energy and manufacturing sectors regionally, nationally, and, indeed, 
internationally.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is important because it matches up the needs 
of industry with a willing and able workforce and, in the process, 
helps start new cycles of hope and opportunity for groups who have, in 
many cases, been overlooked and underserved: the White working class, 
the Black working class, and the Brown working class.
  This legislation can help to open new pathways to jobs, careers, and 
entrepreneurial opportunities for women, minorities, our veterans, and 
all the different working classes that comprise the American workforce 
while also helping to move our overall economy forward.
  Mr. Speaker, at a time when African-American and Latino unemployment 
rates are too high, when coal miners throughout the Rust Belt and 
beyond are finding themselves without work, when too many female heads 
of household cannot find adequate employment to take care of their 
families, and when veterans returning from defending our country still 
cannot find a job, it is a travesty--Mr. Speaker, a travesty--that 
eager employers still cannot locate the trained workers that they so 
desperately need.
  This is common sense, Mr. Speaker, and this is a commonsense jobs 
bill that will help match up trained and qualified candidates with 
good-paying jobs and careers that will help lift up communities, 
strengthen the energy and manufacturing industries, and bolster the 
entire American economy as a whole.

  With its focus not only on underserved communities such as 
minorities, women, and veterans, but also displaced and unemployed coal 
miners and other out-of-work energy workers, I can assure you, Mr. 
Speaker, that when this legislation ultimately becomes law, it will go 
a long way in helping not only communities that look like the one I 
represent on the south side of Chicago, but look like communities all 
across the Nation, including communities in West Virginia, Kentucky, 
Indiana, and New Mexico--all across this country, every community and 
every district throughout this Nation.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).
  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to 
support H.R. 338, a bipartisan jobs bill to promote a 21st century 
energy and manufacturing workforce.
  By and large, we all share the same goals of creating more jobs and 
building a healthy economy; but, as we have seen too often in 
Washington, progress can get caught up in partisan gridlock. I am 
focused on cutting through the partisanship and the noise and finding 
commonsense solutions to the problems our country faces. H.R. 338 is a 
prime example of that.
  Much like the bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
that I was honored to help get signed into law several years ago, H.R. 
338 strengthens job training programs--specifically in the energy and 
manufacturing industries--to invest in our workforce. This legislation 
will help connect individuals with job training programs while also 
making current programs more efficient, and it takes important steps to 
increase opportunities for women, veterans, and minorities.
  As I have traveled across my district, I have seen firsthand just how 
effective local, high-skilled job training programs can be:
  In Kannapolis, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has partnered with 
A.L. Brown High School on a welding program that will open doors for so 
many students;
  At both Stanly Community College and Sandhills Community College, the 
advanced manufacturing programs are the critical training grounds for 
high-skilled manufacturing workers;
  At Fayetteville Tech, veterans get the support and the skills they 
need to find meaningful employment outside of the Armed Forces.
  I want to thank Chairman Upton, Chairman Walden, and Ranking Member 
Pallone for their support. I want to thank Ranking Member Bobby Rush 
for his leadership and for working with me in a bipartisan manner for a 
cause that is important to all of us, that is, to help people get back 
to work.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and to 
continue to stay focused on America's priorities: jobs and the economy.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, my home State of Colorado has an economy 
strongly based in the energy industry. Of course, my district, which is 
primarily an urban district, has many, many workers who could be 
working in this industry, so I want to commend both of these gentlemen 
for sponsoring this legislation.
  It is a good bill. We need to get it across the finish line. 
Hopefully, because we are doing it early in this Congress, we can get 
that done. Please vote ``yes.''
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to say I have watched these two gentlemen, 
Mr. Rush and Mr. Hudson, work together, something that our committee 
does a lot on lots of different issues, from oversight to energy, to 
healthcare, to telecommunications.
  Mr. Rush has had an outstanding career. The gentleman's district is 
close to mine. He and I have been in each other's districts quite a bit 
over the last number of years. This bill is a legacy to Mr. Rush. The 
gentleman has cared with real passion about energy jobs and making sure 
that we have the expertise and the technical training knowing that we 
want to compete with the rest of the world. I commend the gentleman 
again for working with Mr. Hudson--a brilliant star on our side of the 
aisle--to get this bill done.
  We look forward to the President's signing it into law, and we are 
looking

[[Page H4834]]

forward to having the Senate move similar bipartisan legislation so we 
can get the job done. That is what it is all about.
  So I want to thank the gentleman for his tireless commitment to 
getting this issue done.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill again.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
338, to Promote a 21st Century Energy and Manufacturing Workforce 
Future Act.
  For years, many of the industries I represent have complained of 
workforce shortages.
  In East Houston and Harris County, if we were able to recruit every 
union electrician in the country, we would still have a shortage.
  The same is probably true for pipefitters, welders, etc.
  The economy in our part of the country is rapidly expanding thanks to 
the development of the Eagleford shale and the Permian Basin.
  We must ensure that this economic prosperity is shared across all of 
our community.
  In Texas, workforce diversity has to be a reality.
  I am pleased that Representative Rush has crafted this legislation 
and I am proud to be an original co-sponsor.
  I am also proud to support workforce development opportunities for 
Hispanics, African-Americans, and women in the energy field.
  The industry needs skilled workers and we need to create opportunity 
for everyone, including many of those I represent in and around the 
area.
  The bill will encourage the Department of Energy to conduct outreach 
to these communities to ensure they have access to the knowledge, 
skills and abilities required to fill high paying jobs in the energy 
field.
  Thanks to efforts by ExxonMobil and the Texas Gulf Coast Community 
College Consortium, we are already addressing the workforce needs of 
our industries but more needs to be done and this bill will help us 
achieve these goals.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 338.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________