[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E988-E989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE PROMOTING NATIONAL SERVICE AND REDUCING YOUTH 
                            UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 28, 2022

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Promoting 
National Service and Reducing Youth Unemployment Act to address one of 
the greatest workforce tragedies--our unemployed young people--while 
filling the employment gap the public sector is facing as more workers 
choose the private sector. Youth unemployment is harming our young 
people and costing our country billions of dollars each year in lost 
productivity and tax revenue, among other costs. Although the total 
unemployment rate has reached a relative low (3.7 percent), the youth 
unemployment rate is nearly 7.9 percent. These young people have not 
had a fair chance to use the high school or college education we 
strongly urged them to obtain.

[[Page E989]]

  What is particularly disappointing, especially in today's low 
unemployment economy, is the high unemployment rate for young people 
who heeded our advice to graduate from high school and college. The 
unemployment rate is currently 7.9 percent for people 16 to 24 years 
old, which is 4.2 percentage points higher than the total unemployment 
rate, and hundreds of thousands of them now compete for unpaid 
internships wherever they can find them.
  By significantly adding 500,000 new members to AmeriCorps, my bill 
would need no new administrative structure or bureaucracy but would 
allow unemployed youth to earn a stipend, obtain work experience and 
develop a good work history to help secure future employment. The bill 
would significantly expand job opportunities for young people who have 
done what they could to get a job, but, despite their best efforts, 
remain unemployed. AmeriCorps 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 childcare 
assistance. By expanding AmeriCorps, we would reduce the number of 
unemployed young people, provide them work skills and experience and 
help understaffed state and local governments provide services.
  My bill would also establish that the minimum wage for any AmeriCorps 
State & National member would be 200 percent of the federal poverty 
line, and would not allow for a decrease in that amount, as is allowed 
under current law. AmeriCorps members serve their country and gain 
skills, but we should increase the minimum wage for everybody, 
including national service members.
  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, many young people will 
continue to face their first years as adults without jobs and with no 
way to acquire necessary work experience. They deserve a better start 
in life as adults.
  I ask my colleagues to support this urgently needed, targeted 
assistance for our unemployed youth.

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