[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 118 (Friday, July 13, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE PROMOTING NATIONAL SERVICE AND REDUCING 
                            UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 13, 2018

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Promoting 
National Service and Reducing Unemployment Act to address one ofthe 
greatest workforce tragedies resulting from today's economy--our 
unemployed young people--to spur economic growth and to alleviate 
strain on state and local governments. This tragedy is not only harming 
our young people, but it is also costing our government billions of 
dollars each year through lost tax revenue and other costs. 
Unemployment has reached a relative low of 3.8 percent, but my bill 
targets the almost two million young people who have not had a fair 
chance to ever use their high school and college education, which this 
nation has strongly urged them to obtain.
  What is particularly disappointing is the high unemployment rate for 
young people who heeded our advice to graduate from high school and 
college. The total unemployment rate is currently 9.1 percent for young 
adults ages 18 to 24, and hundreds of thousands now compete for unpaid 
internships wherever they can find them. By significantly expanding 
AmeriCorps, my bill would need no new administrative structure or 
bureaucracy and would allow unemployed young people to earn a stipend, 
obtain work experience and develop a good work history to help them 
secure future employment. The net cost of the expansion would be low 
because these young people would be providing urgently needed local 
services that are being eliminated or curtailed because of state and 
local budget cuts, such as after-school programs, tutoring and 
assistance for the elderly.
  The bill would significantly expand job opportunities for young 
people who have done everything possible to enter fully into the job 
market, but, despite their best efforts, remain unemployed in this 
economy. Participants receive a living allowance and are also eligible 
for an education award equal to the value of a Pell grant, school-loan 
forbearance, health care benefits and child care assistance. By 
expanding the AmeriCorps program, we would reduce the number of 
unemployed young people, provide them with work skills and experience 
and help cash-strapped state and local governments provide services 
that they would otherwise have to cut.
  For some time, it has been clear that policies to address the most 
stubborn forms of unemployment need to be targeted in order to be 
effective. Without significant targeting, young graduates will continue 
to face their first years as adults without jobs and with no way to 
acquire necessary work experience. They deserve better. I ask my 
colleagues to support this urgently needed, targeted assistance for 
young, unemployed Americans.

                          ____________________