[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H6916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate 
Computer Science Education Week. In 2009, this opportunity for 
awareness was established to highlight the many ways computer science 
education benefits individuals as well as entire industries.
  Computer Science Education Week is a chance for students of all ages 
to learn about the importance and benefits of computer science and the 
endless professional opportunities that abound with a skills-based 
education.
  I am co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education 
Caucus, and it has been a pleasure to work across the aisle to support 
important educational programs like investments in computer science.
  Our Nation is in desperate need of skilled workers, and career and 
technical education is a win-win. It can offer rewarding professional 
futures for learners of all ages, while simultaneously closing the 
Nation's skills gap.
  An industry that can particularly benefit from a skilled workforce, 
and especially those trained in computer science, is cybersecurity.
  H.R. 1592, the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act, is a bill I am 
proud to cosponsor with my Career and Technical Education Caucus co-
chair, Congressman  Jim Langevin from Rhode Island.
  The Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act seeks to develop a critical 
infrastructure workforce that is well-trained to handle cyber threats 
from bad actors. H.R. 1592 authorizes $10 million to create a 
competitive grant program within the Department of Education to 
incorporate cybersecurity education into new and existing career and 
technical education programs. The bill also requires the Department of 
Education to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security to 
better support cybersecurity education programs.
  COVID-19 demonstrated how much we rely on a skilled and trained 
workforce, and sadly, the personal lives and careers of many Americans 
have been uprooted as a result of the virus. Far too many people lost 
their jobs through no fault of their own. That is why I was eager to be 
an original cosponsor of H.R. 7032, the Skills Renewal Act.
  This legislation would help displaced workers gain new skills and 
advance their careers upon reentry into the workforce. The bill would 
create a $4,000 fully refundable skills training credit to cover a wide 
range of career and technical education programs.
  Mr. Speaker, we need a workforce that can meet modern technical 
demands, and students who choose a career in technical education are 
best suited for that challenge. Through career and technical 
educational programs like computer science, we can begin to close our 
Nation's skills gap and help individuals restore the rungs on the 
ladder of opportunity.

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