[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9262-9264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Ms. Collins, and Ms. Klobuchar):
  S. 1352. A bill to establish a tax credit for on-site apprenticeship 
programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon with 
my colleague from Maine to talk about an important issue, as well, 
something we had long planned to introduce today and did so this 
morning--the reintroduction of a Senate bill focusing on apprentice 
programs.
  My colleague Senator Collins and I, in the past Congress, wanted to 
make sure people understood how important we thought the apprentice 
program was, and we introduced legislation then to create a Federal 
incentive for apprentice programs. We are coming back now in this 
Congress and reintroducing this legislation.
  I know there has been a lot of talk about apprentices this week. We 
just had a roundtable discussion this morning with some of our business 
and labor leaders talking about the skills gap and the need for more 
apprentice investing as it relates to manufacturing. I know the 
President is doing some discussion of the apprentice program too. 
Obviously, it is no surprise to anybody in America that the President 
knows--or at least has used--the word ``apprentice'' in a pretty 
aggressive way throughout his career. So I hope he will tune in and 
listen to what my colleague from Maine and I have to say about this.
  We are saying that it is time in America to have a Federal priority 
on apprentices; that is, the first-ever tax incentive for hiring an 
apprentice. Why do we want a Federal priority? Because we know that in 
America we need to skill and train a workforce for tomorrow, and so 
many people in America aren't training and aren't skilling for those 
jobs.
  In the downturn of our economy, a lot of people lost faith. What 
should they invest their time and money in? There was so much 
transition in the economy that people weren't sure where they should 
skill themselves. As we see a transitioning economy now in various 
sectors, as they continue to modernize, and as technology continues to 
change, people also say to themselves: What should I skill myself in? 
What should I get trained in? Because they are not sure that, at the 
end of that period, they will be right there with what the job market 
wants. That is why apprenticeship is so important today.
  By giving a Federal incentive for the apprentice program, we are 
saying: Hire and train. We are actually saying: The apprentice program 
is earning while you learn, and it will help so many Americans take 
that issue off the table where they weren't sure whether or how they 
should skill themselves. They actually are hired and trained on the 
job.
  This is something we have known as a country for a long time. We know 
the apprentice program has worked. We have seen it across many sectors, 
in building trades and construction. We have seen it in other areas. In 
aviation, for example, in the Pacific Northwest, the Boeing Company has 
taken great advantage of the apprentice program. There are so many 
other sectors. The maritime sector has taken advantage of the 
apprentice programs. What we are saying today is that we need to make 
this a national priority in a more aggressive way. The Department of 
Labor and registered apprentice programs are part of what we make an 
investment in here in the Federal budget. But what we are not doing is 
putting it on steroids, and that is what we need to do now.
  Our legislation would create enough incentives for 500,000 new 
apprentice program individuals over the next 10 years. We think this is 
critically important because we know how much the U.S. economy needs 
these skilled workers. According to the National Skills Coalition, 53 
percent of U.S. jobs are middle-skilled, meaning that they require some 
postsecondary education. Yet only 43 percent of U.S. workers are 
trained at that level. According to the National Association of 
Manufacturers, 67 percent of their members report a shortage of 
available, qualified workers. We are going to need 3.5 million 
manufacturing jobs over the next decade, and this leaves us with a 
shortage of about 2 million.
  So we need to give our businesses the skill levels they are looking 
for so they can be competitive, so they can meet their market needs, 
and so they can make profits and help grow our economy. We can't let 
them be deterred by the fact that they have the opening and they have 
the jobs, but they just don't have the skill level. By doing an 
incentive program, we can help get a national message out: The 
apprentice program is a key part of our economic strategy, and skilling 
a workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow is the best recipe for 
growing our economy.
  There has been an overall decline in employer-provided training over 
the last two decades. By making this investment now, we are going to 
help U.S. businesses with the investment that should be made and, 
further, as I said, expedite getting people into the programs we need 
to get them into. If we are going to be competitive and our businesses 
are going to compete in this global economy and they are going to 
continue to innovate, they need the workforce to do it.
  I think about the chip fabrication industry. Before Intel came along, 
probably no one knew how to do chip fabrication. But there was a sector 
of our economy that taught and educated people on chip manufacturing. 
That will not be the last innovation our economy sees. In aerospace, we 
have been able to, with composite manufacturing, make lighter weight 
planes. That composite was a huge shift from the aluminum that 
dominated aerospace. But composite manufacturing is a whole new skill 
level in which we are still training and educating the workforce. We 
need to compete in that sector, which is so important to manufacturing 
jobs.
  I would say that every aspect of our economy needs apprentices. But 
what does the apprentice get out of it? Not only do they get a job and 
they get to be skilled on the job, but they also earn more. Over the 
course of their career, a registered apprentice earns about $300,000 
more than a non-apprentice working in the same field. A study done by 
our State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board found 
that completing apprentices earned $13,000 more per year just as they 
started.
  So apprentices are a win-win for us and our economy. They give the 
employer the skills they are seeking to make their companies 
successful, and the individual worker gets trained and hired in a field 
that takes away this uncertainty about our economy, which has so 
plagued us over the last decade or two, and the community gets a more 
successful employment base and successful companies that add to the 
economy of a region and to our country.
  I am so glad to be here with my colleague Senator Collins, who has 
known that this apprentice program has been a success, and that is why 
she and I have partnered for years on this program. We hope now that by 
reintroducing it and getting more of our colleagues to join in, they, 
too, will talk about why apprentices are so important today.
  We hope there is a guy down the street in the White House, who had a 
program called ``Apprentice,'' who takes seriously the bipartisan 
effort of two Senators who have been at this for a few years, and says: 
This is where we should be spending our money and

[[Page 9263]]

making an investment to skill, educate, and employ Americans right now, 
for today.
  I yield to my colleague from Maine.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of the 
Apprenticeship and Jobs Training Act, which Senator Cantwell and I are 
reintroducing today.
  Few issues are as important to the American people as the 
availability of good jobs in our communities. It is crucial that we 
continue to improve job training initiatives to help people find jobs 
in fields with open positions. Many business owners in Maine have told 
me that they do, in fact, have jobs available, but they cannot find 
qualified workers to fill these highly skilled vacant positions. In 
fact, I cannot visit a machine shop in the State of Maine, no matter 
where it is located, and find that they are not looking for skilled 
machinists. There is such a shortage. And those are good jobs. They are 
jobs with good benefits and job security.
  One way for employees to acquire the skills needed to succeed in 
these in-demand fields is through apprenticeship programs. Apprentices 
gain hands-on experience that is invaluable to them and to their 
employers. These programs help workers secure good-paying jobs.
  According to the Department of Labor's Employment and Training 
Administration, more than 49,000 participants graduated from an 
apprenticeship program in fiscal year 2016. In Maine, we have some 
innovative job-training apprenticeship programs at places like Bath 
Iron Works, which builds naval destroyers, and the Portsmouth Naval 
Ship Yard, which has an extraordinary program. Partnering with 
employers like these and others, more than 2,220 individuals in Maine 
worked actively on industry-recognized skill certifications in just the 
last year. That number--impressive as it is--remains insufficient to 
meet the needs of employers statewide.
  We must do all we can to ensure that an adequate pool of skilled 
workers is available. Our legislation would help achieve this goal by 
giving a $5,000 tax credit to businesses that hire apprentices full 
time in high-demand mechanical, technical, healthcare, or technology 
professions. In order for a business to claim the credit, the 
apprentice must be employed for at least 7 months. What we find is that 
the people who go through these apprenticeship programs stay in these 
jobs, thus benefiting both the worker and the employer.
  Our bill also provides incentives for experienced workers who spend 
at least 20 percent of their time passing their hard-earned knowledge 
on to the next generation. These workers would be allowed to receive 
some retirement income early without facing tax penalties. That is a 
way we can ensure that the experienced older worker is passing 
knowledge on to the next generation.
  Finally, our bill would ensure that the brave men and women who 
defend our country are given credit for the skills they learned in the 
military while wearing our Nation's uniform. Training received while 
serving in the Armed Forces would count toward an apprentice's training 
requirement.
  This bill would help to better align the needs of our Nation's 
employers with potential employees. It would promote hiring and the 
creation of new jobs. It would enhance the skills that the people of 
our country need to obtain good-paying, secure employment. The 
Presiding Officer and I were talking about this very issue at lunch 
today and the need to bridge that skills gap.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to support our bill, and I want to 
salute Senator Cantwell for her leadership over many years in working 
on this issue. This is something that should unite us all--Democrats, 
Republicans, Independents. It is not a partisan issue; it is looking at 
ways that we can help more Americans secure good-paying jobs that will 
last them for a lifetime.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 1353. A bill to require States to automatically register eligible 
voters to vote in elections for Federal offices, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the right to vote is among the most sacred 
rights guaranteed by our Constitution. It forms the foundation for our 
democracy and inspires countless people across the world still striving 
for a meaningful opportunity to engage in the political process and 
shape their futures.
  My friend John Lewis has often said that ``the right to vote is the 
most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy.'' I could not 
agree more with him. America is a stronger and greater country when 
more Americans participate in our democracy. We are better when our 
citizens hold their elected representatives accountable and voice their 
opinions on the critical issues facing our Nation. We can take a 
historic step to foster even greater participation in our democracy 
simply by modernizing the way Americans register to vote.
  Today, I am proud to introduce the Automatic Voter Registration Act 
of 2017. This bill would require States to automatically register 
citizens who are eligible to vote when they interact with State and 
Federal agencies. Americans would have the option of declining 
automatic registration, but this bill would provide for a registration 
process that is easier for our citizens and one that is more efficient 
and accurate.
  The bill I introduce today streamlines the voter registration process 
by providing for online registration and greater portability of 
registration when an individual moves to a different location in the 
same State. Under this bill, no one can be unfairly penalized for 
inadvertent registration, and punishment is limited to cases of 
intentional registration fraud or illegal voting. This bill also 
includes important privacy protections and makes clear that the 
information used to automatically register individuals will remain 
secure. These are commonsense reforms that would not only help 
Americans vote but also help maintain accurate and up-to-date voter 
registration rolls.
  Last year, Vermont became one of the States leading the country on 
improving our citizens' access to the ballot by becoming one of just 
eight States to approve automatic voter registration. I want to commend 
Vermont secretary of state Jim Condos for his outstanding work on this 
issue and for the people of Vermont.
  State election officials estimate that tens of thousands of 
Vermonters will now be registered to vote because of this new law. 
Implementing these types of reforms nationwide will make America 
stronger and increase participation of a broader electorate. A recent 
study by the Center for American Progress on Oregon's automatic voter 
registration law that went into effect in January 2016 found that more 
than 272,000 people were added to voter rolls, and 98,000 of them were 
new voters in the November 2016 Presidential election. That is a 
remarkable success story, and hopefully other State legislatures will 
take notice. The Brennan Center for Justice, which has been a leading 
voice protecting Americans' right to vote, concluded in a 2015 report 
that a comprehensive, nationwide automatic voter registration plan has 
the potential to increase voter registration by 50 million eligible 
voters. This would not only save money and increase accuracy, but it 
would also reduce the potential for fraud and protect the integrity of 
our elections.
  I would like to thank the Brennan Center for Justice for its work on 
this issue and for working with me on this bill. I would also like to 
thank Senators Durbin and Klobuchar for joining me as original 
cosponsors. Congressman Brady of Pennsylvania, the ranking member on 
the House Committee on House Administration, has been a leader on this 
issue and has introduced a House companion bill.
  All members of Congress should support this legislation. We should 
all strive to make sure that our constituents have access to the ballot 
box and are able to have their voices heard. This is of course just one 
reform we must make to ensure that our citizens' voting rights are 
protected. In the

[[Page 9264]]

coming weeks, I intend to reintroduce legislation to restore the full 
protections of the Voting Rights Act. It has now been almost 4 years 
since the Supreme Court's devastating decision in Shelby County v. 
Holder, and we have seen the effect of that disastrous ruling as States 
have attempted to enact discriminatory voter ID laws and other measures 
intended to prevent minority voters from going to the polls. That is 
disgraceful, and we must do better. Congress must act to ensure that 
millions of Americans are not disenfranchised.
  The right to vote should not be a partisan issue. It is a right that 
forms the basis of our democracy, and it is incumbent on all Americans, 
Democratic and Republican, to ensure that no American's right to vote 
is infringed. Modernizing our voter registration system is one 
significant step forward.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DAINES (for himself, Mr. Graham, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Heller, 
        Mr. Hatch, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. 
        Rubio):
  S.J. Res. 46. A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit 
the physical desecration of the flag of the United States; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today, June 14, 2017 marks the 240th 
observance of ``Flag Day,'' a day which commemorates the adoption of 
the flag of the United States by a resolution of the Second Continental 
Congress in 1777. Deeply symbolic, our flag honors the sovereignty of 
each of our Nation's 50 States and the great sacrifices many Americans 
have made to uphold its bedrock principles of freedom and liberty. The 
Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that over one million military 
service members have given their lives in the line of duty under our 
flag. Title 4 of United States Code, ``The Flag Code'' sets specific 
requirements for the handling and display of the flag, as a sign of 
respect to the symbol of our Nation.
  In 1989, with a disappointing 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court held 
in Texas v. Johnson that the desecration of the United States flag was 
a form of free speech under the First Amendment to the Constitution. 
Here, Chief Justice Rehnquist rightly observed in his dissent that 
``the flag is not simply another `idea' or `point of view' competing 
for recognition in the marketplace of ideas.'' Justice Kennedy, in his 
majority concurrence, recognized that many would be dismayed by the 
court's decision, and himself called the result distasteful. Yet, he 
explained that the court was bound to its decision according to the 
provisions of the Constitution. The Supreme Court reaffirmed this 
decision in United States v. Eichman in 1990. It ruled, again by 5-4 
vote, that as Constitutional free speech, desecration of the flag 
cannot be prohibited by Federal or State statute. At the time of the 
Supreme Court's ruling, 48 of the 50 States had enacted statutes 
prohibiting desecration of the United States Flag.
  My resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution, establishing 
Congressional authority to prohibit the desecration of the flag of the 
United States. This resolution initiates the process to amend the 
Constitution, which must be agreed to by two-thirds of both houses of 
Congress, and ratified by three-fourths of the States. A high bar to 
meet, similar legislation passed the House of Representatives in 2006, 
and fell short of passage in the Senate by only one vote.
  My resolution provides Congress with the authority that the Supreme 
Court decided it lacked in Texas v. Johnson and United States v. 
Eichman. This should remove any doubt in the mind of the Supreme Court 
on the Constitutionality of acts of flag desecration. A matter which 
has been long settled in the Court of public opinion.

                              S.J. Res. 46

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled   (two-thirds 
     of each House concurring therein), That the following article 
     is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United 
     States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as 
     part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of 
     three-fourths of the several States within 7 years after the 
     date of its submission by the Congress:

                              ``Article--

       ``The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical 
     desecration of the flag of the United States.''.

                          ____________________