[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 107 (Thursday, June 22, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H5097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TECHNICAL EDUCATION

  (Mr. DesJARLAIS asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the importance 
of technical education.
  Technical education allows Americans of nearly any age to gain 
practical skills for the modern economy. Students graduate with less 
debt and also great career prospects because growing industries often 
partner with local education centers to find the best employees.
  My home State of Tennessee, where global auto companies have created 
a network of high-tech manufacturers, is a prime example. This week, in 
Franklin County, we are celebrating the groundbreaking of another 
Tennessee College of Applied Technology campus. The program has been 
enormously successful across the State, helping Tennesseans who prefer 
to learn a trade to find meaningful work and helping employers to fill 
specialized jobs.
  I applaud President Trump for his focus on apprenticeship and 
vocational programs to create jobs and economic growth. This week, I 
voted to simplify Federal funding for States, which administer a broad 
range of programs for everything from mechanics to coding. I have also 
voted to lift Federal restrictions on overdue energy and infrastructure 
projects requiring thousands of engineers and operators.
  The United States must always be an industrial leader. That 
leadership starts with hardworking Americans pursuing their passions 
through technical education.

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