[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9785-9794]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            ACCELERATING INDIVIDUALS INTO THE WORKFORCE ACT


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 2842.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Newhouse). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 396 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 2842.
  The Chair appoints the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham) to 
preside over the Committee of the Whole.

                              {time}  0911


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 2842) to provide for the conduct of demonstration projects to 
test the effectiveness of subsidized employment for TANF recipients, 
with Mr. Denham in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the 
first time.
  The gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise in support to talk about H.R. 2842, the 
Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act.
  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 6 
million job openings, the highest level since the government started 
tracking the data in the year 2000. At the same time, the share of 
Americans participating in the workforce is near a four-decade low.
  Moving welfare recipients into employment is a central goal of the 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF. Yet only half 
of all TANF recipients receiving cash assistance are working or 
preparing for work.
  Some TANF recipients have a difficult time transitioning from welfare 
into a job, so these types of on-the-job work experiences aid in the 
transition. The same goes for employers who may be reluctant to hire 
welfare recipients with limited work experience or other barriers to 
working.
  So the question is: How can we bridge the gap? How do we connect out-
of-work Americans with all of the employers who want and need to fill 
job openings?
  H.R. 2842, sponsored by Congressman Curbelo of Florida and 
Congressman Davis of Illinois, encourages employers to work with State 
and local agencies to hire TANF recipients. States would only be able 
to use this money to provide benefits to those who are working, 
providing paychecks in lieu of benefit checks, a key tenet to welfare 
reform.
  Employers would take the lead by partnering with State and local 
agencies to hire TANF recipients, providing recipients with highly 
valued work experience and on-the-job training, including 
apprenticeships.
  Earn-and-learn models help people become familiar with the workplace, 
gain needed skills, and earn a wage.
  The bill reserves up to $100 million for 1 year from the TANF 
Contingency Fund, which has already been extended through the end of 
fiscal year 2018 to subsidize up to 50 percent of a TANF recipient's 
wage for no more than 12 months.
  Fifteen percent of the funds would be set aside for career pathway 
programs, which combine work, training, and other supports to help 
individuals enter the workforce and move up the economic ladder.
  Finally, high-quality evaluations would be used to determine whether 
these public-private partnerships were effective in helping welfare 
recipients move into jobs and retain work.
  There is broad support from the employer community for helping low-
skilled Americans gain on-the-job experience, and there is plenty of 
support here and across the country for tying government assistance to 
work or work preparation for those who are able-bodied.

[[Page 9786]]

  Decades of experience tells us the most effective anti-poverty 
program is a job. It is helping low-income Americans earn success 
through the dignity of work.
  Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to stand with Mr. Curbelo 
in supporting this bill today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  0915

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  I strongly support H.R. 2842, the Accelerating Individuals into the 
Workforce Act, which is better known as TANF.
  This important bill modernizes the TANF Contingency Fund to promote 
effective job training programs, such as subsidized jobs, career 
pathways, and apprenticeship programs. Research is clear. Subsidized 
employment, career pathways, and apprenticeship programs successfully 
engage people in employment, especially those who have been 
unsuccessful in finding paid employment through their efforts.
  Further research on past TANF subsidized employment programs document 
that these initiatives increase employment and earnings both while 
individuals worked in a subsidized job as well as after the program 
ended. Also, studies show that States operated these programs that 
provided tremendous benefit at very reasonable cost.
  Many States used the TANF Emergency Funds to establish effective 
subsidized employment programs. Using these TANF Emergency Funds in 
Illinois, former Governor Pat Quinn implemented the very successful Put 
Illinois to Work program that directly created over 26,000 jobs, 
helping close to 5,000 employees in Illinois. Nationally, the TANF 
Emergency Funds created 260,000 jobs.
  Good subsidized employment programs have three characteristics that 
make them an attractive part of TANF: they are able to increase 
employment quickly; they help some of the individuals who face the 
greatest challenges enter the workforce and stay there; and, when 
funded on a large scale, they can help boost local economies. For these 
reasons, Democrats have proposed subsidized employment within TANF for 
years.
  My friend and colleague from Wisconsin, Gwen Moore, initially 
proposed allowing subsidized employment in TANF via her RISE Act many 
years ago. I embraced her idea in my Responsible Fatherhood bill, and I 
am pleased to join with Representative Curbelo on this effort.
  If we are truly committed to helping families work their way out of 
poverty, we will need to do much more to strengthen TANF. We will need 
to ensure that States actually spend TANF money on TANF recipients. We 
need to improve access to education and training, critical changes that 
both Republican and Democratic witnesses have emphasized over and over 
again. We need to improve childcare so parents can actually go to work.
  This bill is a good bill. It makes a small, positive step forward on 
our path to more comprehensive improvements to TANF. I strongly support 
it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Curbelo), the lead sponsor of 
the bill.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 2842, the Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act.
  Here in the House, we have prioritized helping Americans escape 
poverty, and we are working to create policies that are focused on 
getting individuals into jobs so they can achieve self-sufficiency.
  A job is something that dignifies the human condition. It is an 
opportunity for every individual to make a contribution to their 
family, their local community, and to our country.
  This bill is an innovative solution that will give more people access 
to that opportunity. Through proposals like H.R. 2842, we can help 
struggling Americans find work and get on the path to success.
  This bipartisan legislation connects Americans looking for work with 
employers looking to fill job openings, including through 
apprenticeships and other forms of on-the-job training. It uses $100 
million from the TANF Contingency Fund for grants so States can conduct 
demonstration projects intended to assist TANF recipients in entering 
the workforce and maintaining employment.
  Importantly, this legislation requires that States meet certain 
criteria to ensure they achieve their intended goal. This includes a 
description of how local governments will coordinate these efforts with 
others that assist low-income individuals.
  States must also report on the outcomes of the demonstration projects 
and provide evaluations to determine whether such employer-led 
partnerships were effective.
  This bill empowers States, giving them the ability to take into 
account their own unique challenges and design programs that meet both 
their employers' and job seekers' needs, rather than a top-down 
Washington approach.
  This legislation has support from our business leaders. I include 
this letter of support in the Record.

                                          Business Roundtable,

                                    Washington, DC, June 20, 2017.
     Hon. Carlos Curbelo,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Danny K. Davis,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Curbelo and Representative Davis: 
     Business Roundtable appreciates your bipartisan efforts to 
     bring more people into the workforce who currently have few 
     skills and lack job experience. Your bill, H.R. 2842, the 
     Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act, is a 
     thoughtful approach for encouraging companies to hire 
     recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). 
     We are pleased to support it.
       Business Roundtable CEOs believe earn-and-learn programs 
     help people become familiar with the workplace, gain needed 
     skills, and earn a wage. In many inner cities, the 
     unemployment rate for young people is distressingly high, but 
     their prospects improve dramatically if they find a first-
     time job.
       By supporting partnerships among business, government, and 
     education to hire TANF recipients, the Accelerating 
     Individuals into the Workforce Act will give the unemployed 
     an opportunity to work and succeed.
           Sincerely,
     Wes Bush,
       Chair, Education and Workforce Committee, Business 
     Roundtable; Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, 
     Northrop Grumman Corporation.

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I was happy to partner with 
Representative Danny Davis on this effort to move individuals from 
welfare into long-term employment, and I am proud of the work we have 
done together.
  I would also like to thank Chairman Brady and Subcommittee Chairman 
Adrian Smith for their leadership and hard work, as well as Rosemary 
Lahasky, Anne DeCesaro, and the rest of the House Committee on Ways and 
Means staff who have worked on this legislation.
  Mr. Chairman, if I may add one thing. Last week, in the wake of the 
tragic shooting against Members of Congress, we all vowed to come 
together, to find common ground. The Committee on Ways and Means 
answered that call, and I am very confident that this House will do the 
same later today.
  The American people expect us to have our differences, our 
disagreements, but they also expect us to find common ground; and 
Republicans and Democrats have done this today in favor of those who 
need it most, welfare recipients, needy families in our country. I am 
very proud to sponsor this legislation, to support it, and I would ask 
all of my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), who

[[Page 9787]]

has worked on these issues for many, many terms and many years.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman and both my 
colleagues, though I respectfully disagree that this Congress has 
placed any priority on helping get people out of poverty. Indeed, when 
it comes to poverty in America, this Congress has largely been silent. 
I think the Congress itself is impoverished when it comes to ideas 
about how to lift people up into the middle class.
  We talk here so much about the middle class, and appropriately so, 
but there are millions of people out there who are struggling to just 
climb up that first or second rung of the economic ladder and work 
themselves into the middle class, and this Congress is doing little, 
constructively, to assist them.
  The need for real and meaningful change is particularly evident in my 
home State of Texas, where the State legislature has been so incredibly 
indifferent to this problem. There, one out of every four children is 
below the poverty level, and over one-third of all Texans live in the 
shadow of poverty, meaning that their income is less than twice the 
poverty threshold. The Corporation for Enterprise Development ranked 
Texas near the bottom among all States on key measures related to 
financial security.
  Now, here is what today's bipartisan bill does to respond to that, 
and it is really a story of the number one.
  Of the several Republican proposals that were originally advanced by 
now-Speaker Paul Ryan two years ago, some introduced by Republican 
colleagues and some containing good ideas, this is the one last bill 
standing.
  With the notable exception of a budget that is devastating to 
opportunities for poor Americans, this is the one and only bill on 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, previously known as welfare, 
that Republicans will even permit us to discuss on the floor of this 
House.
  This one very modest bill does not add one new dollar to address the 
challenges that those who want to rise from welfare to work need. It 
simply segregates $100 million from an existing fund for one year.
  Now, get this: the fund from which they are segregating the $100 
million from, Donald Trump is seeking to abolish the entire fund so 
that no moneys for this proposal will be available after one year.
  This bill gives the States no new flexibility, and no new authority. 
It does not authorize them to do anything that they cannot do today. 
Indeed, some States--and I think my colleague from Illinois referenced 
one of these--are already finding ways to, in appropriate situations, 
subsidize employment.
  What this bill does is to say that on this particular $100 million 
fund, as long as it lasts, until President Trump eliminates it 
entirely, that the States must use the money in a particular way. In 
other words, it seeks to restrict the States who receive these moneys 
to require them to use it for one particular way to assist those who 
are in poverty.
  It is also significant that the Trump budget cuts are so far-reaching 
in trying to undermine efforts to raise people out of poverty, and for 
those who are not able-bodied, to provide them the support that they 
need. This bill deals with a little less than one-half of one percent 
of the Trump budget cuts.
  I believe, sincerely, that we need a better approach, that we have 
ideas on both sides of the aisle that are being blocked by a 
determination to not address root causes of poverty.
  First, we should support initiatives that strike at the early seeds 
of poverty, like the Home Visiting Program that will expire in a mere 
three months, which helps to improve opportunities for at-risk children 
and helps their parents be the parents they want to be; and certainly, 
early childhood education is a key part of that.
  Second, we should increase efforts to help people gain the skills 
they need to secure jobs through which they can support their families 
at a living wage, and that is the challenge here. Sure, some employers 
will love to have taxpayers subsidize their workforce, pay part of the 
wages that they would otherwise have to pay, and sometimes this is a 
valuable support, particularly for people that are reentering our 
society after incarceration and other groups of particularly hard-to-
place employees. But for many folks, the big question is, when the 
subsidy ends, when the taxpayer stops paying, will there be a job 
there? Is there a job ladder that will allow that person to work 
themselves up, or are they essentially participating in minimum wage 
employment that will not support their family and will not provide them 
a future?
  There are in-demand skills-training programs that do work and do 
offer an alternative, but they are not free. They take an investment. 
An example is Project QUEST in San Antonio.
  The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 
minutes.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Chairman, Project QUEST has an 86 percent job 
placement rate for its graduates, who boost their incomes, on average, 
from $10,000 a year before entering the program to $40,000 a year.
  I know there are similar programs in other parts of the country that 
do the same. They are not subsidized employment, but they are working 
with poor people to get the skills that they need for an in-demand job 
and working with local employers to find out what types of jobs are 
most needed. In many parts of America, our economy is being held back 
by a lack of qualified workers.
  Then, one of the areas that is so important to all parents, but 
particularly to single moms that are in poverty, is childcare. 
President Trump is proposing not one, but three cuts to childcare, 
cutting out hundreds of millions of dollars of support to childcare, 
which stands in the way of many individuals from working their way out 
of poverty.
  I believe that we need to be working together to try to find genuine 
solutions and that working together is not just here in this House, in 
Congress, because the big problem here is that, when we voted in 1996--
and I voted for it, for moving from welfare to work--we expected the 
States to be partners in that effort. Today, as much as we talk about 
work and getting from welfare to work, exactly 8 cents out of every 
dollar being spent on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 
program--8 cents--goes to work supports. And not very much more than 
that goes to childcare, and President Trump, of course, wants to reduce 
that.
  It is only by having a comprehensive program that is really focused 
on the roots of poverty and assisting those who would help themselves 
that the promise of that welfare law can become effective.
  Unfortunately, while we did change fundamentally and end welfare as 
we know it, it became welfare for Republican Governors who wanted to 
use these Federal moneys not to assist the poor, but to assist their 
States fill various budget gaps. We have a great example of where block 
grants fail. I hope we can find ways to succeed.

                              {time}  0930

  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the efforts here today of my colleague 
from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Curbelo) working together focusing on solutions.
  Mr. Chairman, we know that, this day and age, it is very easy to 
identify the problems and the challenges that our country faces. It is 
a little more difficult to come up with the solutions and bring people 
together. I appreciate the efforts of both sides coming together today.
  I truly believe that the solutions to our challenges are out in the 
communities where needy families live, and we know we have many needy 
families across our country for various reasons. America is a big 
country. And when you look at the challenges that individuals might 
face economically, I hope that we can come together as Americans to 
focus on growing our economy, growing opportunity, hoping

[[Page 9788]]

that we see, as our number one responsibility, the need to provide for 
opportunity in the future.
  We can't set certain and determine certain outcomes, but we can 
certainly measure the outcomes from our efforts here in Washington. 
That is why this bill, very importantly, requires States to report on 
outcomes through this program. We know that we need to provide more 
flexibility for States. This does exactly that, and, even more so, with 
communities.
  As we do get the feedback from the States, I hope that we will heed 
their advice because they are the folks who are more in touch with the 
needs of their various communities around their jurisdictions, all 50 
States.
  Mr. Chairman, they are experts, and I hope that we can work together 
with them here, on both sides of the aisle, in Washington, but also all 
across America with very diverse needs for needy families.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to 
the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), a fierce advocate for low-
income people.
  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I thank Ranking Member Danny Davis. I rise 
to express support for H.R. 2842, Accelerating Individuals into the 
Workforce Act.
  I do, again, want to thank my dear friend, Representative Davis, for 
recognizing the importance of subsidizing jobs as something that was 
featured in my RISE Out of Poverty bill, and I applaud this bipartisan 
bill as a small step in the right direction.
  Now, this bill calls for a demonstration project, which would show 
progress toward reducing poverty in our country through a 1-year test 
of subsidized employment programs. But I would note, Mr. Chairman, that 
it certainly does not tackle the larger shortcomings of TANF, which is 
in desperate need of reform.
  If enacted, this bill would exhibit a great start at helping TANF 
recipients obtain short-term employment. However, methods to retain 
long-term employment through higher education and childcare options for 
TANF recipients are still needed.
  I do want to point out, Mr. Chairman, that contrary to popular 
notions of welfare recipients--I have been a welfare recipient myself--
people on public assistance do, in fact, want to work, but they want to 
work at a wage that is sustainable. They want to work at a job that 
includes training opportunities. They want to work at jobs that provide 
them with a career ladder, and they, certainly, want to work at a job 
that will bring them out of poverty--something that will help them work 
in a durable, lasting fashion.
  Since I have a little bit more time than I thought I was going to 
have, I just want to point out that it is a little-known fact that 
current law under TANF actually requires welfare recipients to do 
unwaged work. How absurd is that? Who in this body, Mr. Chairman, would 
work for absolutely nothing?
  I want to note that the proposed funding mechanism in H.R. 2842 does 
not appear in my RISE Out of Poverty bill. TANF funds are woefully 
inadequate already. They are pegged to a 1994 appropriations, and, 
certainly, this flat funding would inure to the detriment of the entire 
TANF program.
  Mr. Chair, I urge Members to support this bill.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close if there 
are no more speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance 
of my time.
  I want to, first of all, commend Mr. Curbelo for his leadership on 
this issue, and I certainly agree with him that we have found enough 
common ground to be here this morning with a bill that we can pass, but 
I also agree with my friend from Texas (Mr. Doggett), that there are 
many shortcomings to helping individuals actually realize the potential 
that they have to move beyond poverty to sustainable employment so that 
they can have a level of living and a level of expectation which gives 
them the energy that they need to keep moving forward.
  There are some improvements that we certainly need to make. We can 
allow greater education and training. Every time witnesses come before 
us, they always tell us that, no matter whether they are billed as 
Republican or Democrat, or with no political stripe. We should improve 
TANF for kinship caregivers. We should remove the lifetime ban on 
felony drug convictions. Just imagine, that these individuals will 
never ever have the opportunity to experience the benefits of this 
program, or of this effort.
  We should remove the 60-month time limit during recessions, and we 
should remove the ban to assist unwed teen parents and other youth who 
are displaced.
  So clearly, we do have agreement this morning, and I am delighted to 
be a part of it, but I certainly hope that my colleagues will look at 
those unmet needs that the legislation does not cover.
  I urge its support, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. Chairman, I appreciate Mr. Curbelo and Mr. Davis for their 
leadership on this issue, and then colleagues from both sides coming 
together in a bipartisan way so that we can help more Americans get 
back to work.
  This bill requires high-quality evaluations to determine whether 
these public-private partnerships are effective in helping welfare 
recipients move into jobs. These evidence-based results will be used to 
inform future policy decisions to reform our welfare system, similar to 
the approach taken in the mid-1990s.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues on these important 
issues so more Americans can earn a wage and feel the dignity of work.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
  Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment 
under the 5-minute rule.
  In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by 
the Committee on Ways and Means, printed in the bill, it shall be in 
order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment 
under the 5-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 115-22. That amendment 
in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read.
  The text of the amendment in the nature of a substitute is as 
follows:

                               H.R. 2842

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Accelerating Individuals 
     into the Workforce Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO SUPPORT SUBSIDIZED 
                   EMPLOYMENT FOR TANF RECIPIENTS TO ENTER THE 
                   WORKFORCE.

       Section 403 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Subsidized Employment Demonstration Projects.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants to 
     States to conduct demonstration projects, at least one of 
     which shall fund programs that offer apprenticeships 
     registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known 
     as the `National Apprenticeship Act'; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 
     663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), designed to implement and 
     evaluate strategies that provide wage subsidies to enable 
     low-income individuals to enter into and retain employment.
       ``(2) Application requirements.--The Secretary shall 
     require each State that applies for a grant under this 
     subsection to do the following:
       ``(A) Describe how wage subsidies will be provided (such as 
     whether paid directly to the employer or the individual), the 
     duration of the subsidies, the amount of the subsidies, the 
     structure of the subsidies, and how employers will be 
     recruited to participate in the subsidized employment 
     program.
       ``(B) Describe how the State expects those participating in 
     subsidized employment to be able to retain employment after 
     the subsidy ends.
       ``(C) Describe how the State will coordinate subsidized 
     employment funded under this subsection with other efforts to 
     help low-income individuals enter work as conducted by the 
     State.
       ``(3) Use of funds.--
       ``(A) In general.--A State to which a grant is made under 
     this subsection may use the grant to

[[Page 9789]]

     subsidize the wages of an eligible recipient for a period not 
     exceeding 12 months, and only to the extent that the total of 
     the funds paid under this project and any other Federal funds 
     so used with respect to the recipient does not exceed 50 
     percent of the amount of the wages received by the recipient 
     during the period.
       ``(B) Eligible recipient.--For purposes of subparagraph 
     (A), an eligible recipient is--
       ``(i)(I) a recipient of assistance under the State program 
     funded under this part or any other State program funded with 
     qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 
     409(a)(7)(B)(i)); or
       ``(II) a noncustodial parent of a minor child who is 
     receiving assistance referred to in subclause (I);
       ``(ii) who, at the time the subsidy begins, is unemployed; 
     and
       ``(iii) whose income, at that time, is less than 200 
     percent of the poverty line (as defined by the Office of 
     Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance 
     with section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 
     of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))).
       ``(4) Limitations.--
       ``(A) Nondisplacement.--A State to which a grant is made 
     under this subsection shall ensure that no participant in a 
     subsidized job program funded in whole or in part under this 
     subsection is employed or assigned to a job under the 
     program--
       ``(i) when any other individual is on layoff from the same 
     or any substantially equivalent job; or
       ``(ii) if the employer has terminated the employment of any 
     regular employee or otherwise caused an involuntary reduction 
     of its workforce in order to fill the vacancy so created with 
     an adult described in paragraph (1).
       ``(B) Grievance procedure.--A State with a program funded 
     under this subsection shall establish and maintain a 
     grievance procedure for resolving complaints of alleged 
     violations of subparagraph (A).
       ``(C) No preemption.--Nothing in this paragraph shall 
     preempt or supersede any provision of State or local law that 
     provides greater protection for employees from displacement.
       ``(5) Reports.--As a condition of receiving funds under 
     this subsection for a fiscal year, a State shall submit to 
     the Secretary, within 6 months after the end of the fiscal 
     year, a report that--
       ``(A) specifies, for each month of the fiscal year, the 
     number of individuals whose employment is subsidized with 
     these funds;
       ``(B) describes the structure of the State activities to 
     use the funds to subsidize employment, including the amount 
     and duration of the subsidies provided;
       ``(C) specifies the percentage of eligible recipients who 
     received a subsidy who are in unsubsidized employment during 
     the second quarter after the subsidy ended;
       ``(D) specifies the percentage of eligible recipients who 
     received a subsidy who are in unsubsidized employment during 
     the fourth quarter after the subsidy ended; and
       ``(E) specifies the median earnings of eligible recipients 
     who received a subsidy who are in unsubsidized employment 
     during the second quarter after the subsidy ended.
       ``(6) Evaluation.--The Secretary, in consultation with each 
     State conducting a demonstration project, shall conduct a 
     high-quality evaluation of the demonstration project, and may 
     reserve funds made available under this subsection to conduct 
     the evaluation in accordance with the following:
       ``(A) Evaluator qualifications.--The Secretary may not 
     enter into a contract with an evaluator unless the evaluator 
     has demonstrated experience in conducting rigorous 
     evaluations of program effectiveness including, where 
     available and appropriate, well-implemented randomized 
     controlled trials.
       ``(B) Methodologies to be used.--The evaluation of a 
     demonstration project shall use experimental designs using 
     random assignment or other reliable, evidence-based research 
     methodologies that allow for the strongest possible causal 
     inferences when random assignment is not feasible.
       ``(C) Public disclosure.--The Secretary shall publish the 
     results of the evaluation on the website of the Department of 
     Health and Human Services in a location easily accessible by 
     the public.
       ``(7) Recommendations to congress.--The Secretary shall 
     submit recommendations to the Committee on Ways and Means of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of 
     the Senate on how to increase the employment, retention, and 
     advancement of individuals currently or formerly receiving 
     assistance under a State program funded under this part or 
     any other State program funded with qualified State 
     expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)).
       ``(8) Funding.--Of the amounts made available to carry out 
     subsection (b) for fiscal year 2018, the Secretary shall 
     reserve $100,000,000 to carry out this subsection.
       ``(9) Use of certain funds for career pathway programs.--
     The Secretary shall use 15 percent of the amounts reserved to 
     carry out this subsection, to fund programs that offer career 
     pathway (as defined in section 3(7) of the Workforce 
     Innovation and Opportunity Act) services.
       ``(10) Availability of funds.--Funds provided to a State 
     under this subsection in a fiscal year shall be expended by 
     the State in the fiscal year or in the succeeding fiscal 
     year.''.

     SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on October 
     1, 2017.

  The CHAIR. No amendment to that amendment in the nature of a 
substitute shall be in order except those printed in House Report 115-
187. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in 
the report, by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered 
as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report 
equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall 
not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for 
division of the question.


                  Amendment No. 1 Offered by Ms. Foxx

  The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 printed in 
House Report 115-187.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 2, line 2, before the period, insert the following: 
     ``in an in-demand industry sector or occupation identified by 
     the appropriate State or local workforce development board''.
       Page 5, after line 13, insert the following:
       ``(C) describes the State's policies in effect during the 
     fiscal year--
       ``(i) to ensure nondisplacement as required under paragraph 
     (4)(A); and
       ``(ii) to implement grievance procedures as required in 
     (4)(B), including information on the number of grievance 
     claims filed in the preceding fiscal year and the aggregate 
     results of those claims;''.
       Page 5, line 14, redesignate subparagraph (C) as 
     subparagraph (D).
       Page 5, line 18, redesignate subparagraph (D) as 
     subparagraph (E).
       Page 5, line 22, redesignate subparagraph (E) as 
     subparagraph (F).

  The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 396, the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chairman, this amendment to H.R. 2842, Accelerating 
Individuals into the Workforce Act, would make two changes to the bill. 
The first part of the amendment would encourage the demonstration 
projects created under this bill to direct beneficiaries toward jobs in 
an in-demand industry sector or occupation, as identified by workforce 
boards in their States and local communities.
  Today, in this country, there are approximately 6 million jobs that 
remain unfilled because they require technical skills and knowledge 
related specifically to an industry or occupation. If we want to help 
participants move from government assistance and hold a job, then we 
must set them on a path toward jobs and industries that are currently, 
and will remain, competitive in the evolving 21st century economy.
  The second part of my amendment would include in the reports from 
States that establish these demonstration projects information about 
their efforts to ensure nondisplacement of workers and to address 
grievance claims. Congress' future decisions related to similar 
programs will be enhanced by having access to this information and data 
reported from the States.
  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in 
opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
  The CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would 
further strengthen the protections against displacement of current 
employees. I think it is a goal that we all share to make sure that 
this bill expands employment, rather than just changing who is 
employed.
  I plan to support the gentlewoman's amendment, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chairman, as our economy continues to recover and 
evolve, it is critical that job seekers have the resources needed to 
gain the skills they need to compete for in-demand jobs. That was the 
aim of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity

[[Page 9790]]

Act that we passed in 2014, and my amendment encourages State agencies 
to coordinate with their workforce boards to continue these efforts.
  My amendment also would improve the information participating States 
submit about their demonstration projects, providing important data for 
decisionmakers in the future. I thank my colleagues for their 
consideration and ask for their support of this amendment and the 
underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).
  The amendment was agreed to.


                  Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Bost

  The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2 printed in 
House Report 115-187.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 2, line 20, after ``individuals'', insert ``, 
     including individuals displaced or relocated from a public 
     housing authority to an alternative public housing facility 
     or placed on rental assistance,''.

  The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 396, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.

                              {time}  0945

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise today to provide relief to the people of Cairo, 
Illinois, and other communities across the country who have fallen 
victim to corruption in their local housing authorities.
  Last year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development took 
control of Alexander County Housing Authority in my district after 
decades of fraud and mismanagement. Many of Cairo's public housing 
units were falling apart, rating somewhere between dangerous and 
unlivable. All the while, the housing authority's senior staff 
continued to cash in: excessive pay, great benefits, large pension 
payouts, and big consulting contracts for former executive directors. 
All of this was paid for with taxpayers' money.
  An investigation by The Southern Illinoisan newspaper found local 
residents coping with leaking roofs, moldy living facilities, broken 
heating and air conditioning, rats, and cockroaches--unbelievable 
living conditions.
  This didn't happen overnight. It happened after many years of 
neglect. The situation is so bad that the worst housing units in Cairo 
are being destroyed, and families are being required to move.
  Sadly, Cairo's story is not unique. Similar stories of mismanagement 
and fraud have occurred in housing authorities across the country. 
While I continue to fight for families in Cairo, we must work to help 
those who have been relocated at no fault of their own.
  My amendment would require the State applications include plans to 
help these families transition to their new communities and find work. 
This will be an important step forward for Americans already fighting 
to stay on their feet.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I want 
to say to everyone, if they can, to support this amendment.
  I want everyone to know also that it is my hope that both State and 
Federal authorities pursue, in this particular case, those who have 
abused the system, that they prosecute them, and that they are put in 
situations where they are in prison, because there they will receive 
better housing conditions than what they left these people with.
  Now, this amendment deals with the fact of allowing them the 
opportunity to work and to step them up into a better life. But I hope 
and I pray that the people who are responsible for Cairo and all these 
other facilities will be prosecuted to the full extent.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Bost).
  The amendment was agreed to.


                Amendment No. 3 Offered by Ms. Bonamici

  The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3 printed in 
House Report 115-187.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 2, after line 21, insert the following:
       ``(D) Describe how the State will coordinate subsidized 
     employment funded under this subsection with the Federal 
     Work-Study Program, career pathway (as defined in section 
     3(7) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) 
     services, and other Federal programs to help low-income 
     individuals complete education and training programs and 
     enter the workforce.''.

  The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 396, the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, the amendment I am offering with my 
colleague, Representative Susan Davis, strengthens coordination between 
subsidized employment through the Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families, TANF, program, other Federal workforce development programs, 
and the Federal Work-Study program.
  The goal of the Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act is to 
help low-income individuals gain the experience and skills necessary 
for long-term success in the workforce and access to family-sustaining 
wages. Yet studies of the long-term effects on unemployment from short-
term, subsidized employment programs demonstrate differing outcomes, 
which is why I commend my colleagues for including robust reporting and 
evaluation requirements in the underlying bill.
  We already know that other efforts have clear long-term benefits. 
Adults who attain postsecondary credentials and degrees are much more 
likely to be employed and much less likely to rely on public 
assistance. For example, about 90 percent of young adults who earn a 
bachelor's degree are employed. The employment rate for those who don't 
complete high school is just 48 percent. Not surprisingly, the vast 
majority--approximately 93 percent--of TANF recipients did not attain 
education beyond high school.
  Helping more low-income adults complete postsecondary credential 
programs and degrees is a proven strategy for reducing reliance on 
public assistance and promoting self-sufficient households. This is a 
bipartisan goal.
  Our amendment advances this goal by helping to give more low-income 
parents high-quality work opportunities while enrolled in postsecondary 
programs. Currently, the Federal Work-Study program provides part-time 
jobs to students. Studies show that those students who are lucky enough 
to get a Federal Work-Study job have higher completion rates and are 
more likely to work in a position that aligns with their program of 
study.
  Unfortunately, Federal Work-Study alone cannot meet the demand for 
connecting low-income students with valuable, work-based learning 
opportunities. In fact, only about 2 percent of community college 
students participate in Federal Work-Study.
  The subsidized employment program authorized in the bill we are 
debating today could help address this unmet need and target additional 
support to low-income student parents, helping them attain a credential 
or degree and vastly improving their long-term employment prospects.
  Administering the subsidized employment program in conjunction with 
the Federal Work-Study program requires coordination among State 
agencies and higher education institutions. My amendment encourages 
this coordination, and I encourage Members to support it.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition 
to the amendment, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
  The CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 
minutes.

[[Page 9791]]

  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment. It 
requires States to coordinate efforts under this bill with other 
Federal programs designed to help low-income individuals obtain the 
necessary skills to enter employment and climb the economic ladder.
  Our Federal welfare system is large, fragmented, and growing in cost. 
The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service estimates that we 
currently operate over 80 programs that provide food, housing, 
healthcare, job training, education, energy assistance, and cash to 
low-income Americans. Reducing bureaucracy and streamlining a State's 
administration of employment and training services to low-income 
Americans is a step in the right direction.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment as well 
as supporting the underlying bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, a number of State programs leverage 
Federal Work-Study funds to help TANF recipients who are enrolled in 
community college programs meet work requirements and get real-world 
experience in jobs that reinforce what they are studying.
  Additionally, the Government Accountability Office has recommended 
improving coordination between employment and training programs, and 
the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines on helping TANF 
recipients succeed in career pathways makes recommendations for using 
the Federal Work-Study program in conjunction with TANF to boost the 
attainment of industry-recognized credentials.
  There is precedent and widespread support for improving the 
coordination of programs that help low-income individuals gain work 
experience to subsidize employment. Again, our amendment does not 
require States to devote funds from TANF-subsidized employment programs 
to low-income student parents, but it does ask States to consider how 
they are using subsidized employment--whether through TANF or Federal 
Work-Study--in concert to give more people the opportunity to earn a 
higher education degree or credential and, thereby, a significantly 
improved chance at finding a long-term, living-wage job.
  Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support this commonsense 
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, again, I urge my colleagues to 
support this amendment as well as the underlying bill.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chair, I am proud to support this 
amendment which would align the TANF program and the federal work study 
program.
  TANF, or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, was 
created to help struggling families become self sufficient.
  We know that the best way to achieve this goal is to give people the 
resources they need to find quality jobs.
  This amendment would allow states to align employment efforts by 
coordinating with schools to help more students access work-study 
opportunities.
  And we know that these students are not the 18 year olds of decades 
past--they are older students with children, dependent parents, and 
more financial responsibilities.
  Helping these students elevates entire families; helping these 
families elevates entire communities.
  I hope we can come together to support this amendment and support 
more working Americans.
  The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).
  The amendment was agreed to.


             Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Krishnamoorthi

  The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 4 printed in 
House Report 115-187.
  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 5, line 9, before the semicolon, insert ``and the 
     percentage of such individuals whose employment is in an area 
     that matches their previous training and work experience''.

  The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 396, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment. I would like to thank 
my good friend, Congressman Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania, for helping 
me to introduce this amendment.
  Right now what is being taught in classes doesn't necessarily align 
with what is needed to get a job. Yesterday, the House passed a 
bipartisan bill unanimously that would make sure that there is stronger 
alignment and collaboration between career and technical education 
programs and the employers that will be hiring.
  Our amendment would require that States report the percentage of 
subsidized individuals whose jobs match their previous experience. 
Incentivizing States that opt into this pilot program expands on 
yesterday's bill to ensure that resources are being used as efficiently 
as possible by guiding students towards the jobs they were trained for.
  Mr. Chairman, I hope everybody will support passage of our amendment, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the 
amendment, although I am not opposed.
  The CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment. This 
amendment provides further information to ensure we have high-quality 
evaluations requiring States to measure how many recipients entered 
employment in the same field they received on-the-job training. The 
more we know about how these programs work and their return on our 
investments is important when we make decisions down the road.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment as well 
as the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his support.
  I urge all Members to support this amendment, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi).
  The question was taken; and the Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on 
the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois will be postponed.


                Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Davidson

  The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 5 printed in 
House Report 115-187.
  Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment.
  The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 5, line 21, strike ``and''.
       Page 5, line 25, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
       Page 5, after line 25, insert the following:
       (F) specifies the number of eligible recipients who 
     received a subsidy who concurrently received other Federal or 
     State means-tested benefits during their subsidized 
     employment.

  The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 396, the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Davidson) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
  Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment that, 
if enacted, would provide additional data on the performance and 
effectiveness of the programs created under H.R. 2842, the Accelerating 
Individuals into the Workforce Act.
  In particular, my amendment would require States to include in their 
annual reports to the Health and Human

[[Page 9792]]

Services Department whether individuals who participated in this 
demonstration project still need additional forms of Federal or State 
assistance after the fact. The data point really shows whether they are 
truly independent of the safety net.
  The most meaningful solution to poverty is a job. I believe the data 
point outlined in my amendment will further help Congress measure the 
performance of this program in the scope that should apply to all of 
our Nation's welfare programs: placing people into meaningful work and 
helping them and their families achieve self-sufficiency. We need this 
data to ensure the project is truly working.
  When I worked in manufacturing, data was a vital component to solving 
problems. It showed me what worked best, what failed, and, most 
importantly, what needed to be changed and how to get to the root 
cause. The same science applies to solving problems here and to this 
program.
  Too often we measure the success of our safety net programs based on 
dollars spent rather than effectiveness. Fixing our welfare system is a 
sentiment shared by both sides of the aisle. This is a bipartisan bill, 
and I believe this legislation is a great step forward.
  Additionally, my office has been working on another bill, the Welfare 
BRAC Act, which would create a bipartisan commission to review the 90-
plus means-tested programs that spent nearly $850 billion a year. I 
hope one day to have a vote on that bill just as we are having one on 
this today.
  We need more deeds and not just words. This bill is a great step 
forward to solving the problem. There is widespread agreement on both 
sides of the aisle that our safety net is not accomplishing all it 
needs to. If enacted, my amendment would help us here in Congress 
identify new methods to help our Nation's most vulnerable by getting 
them into the workplace.

                              {time}  1000

  It is crucial that everyone has an equal opportunity to engage in our 
communities and contribute by earning financial independence through 
the dignity of work.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of my amendment, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to 
the amendment.
  The CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would 
require States to collect and report information on whether 
participants were receiving income-related assistance like health 
insurance; child care assistance; school lunch; or the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits; rental subsidies; or 
perhaps even the earned income tax credit.
  The information the amendment requests is not relevant to what we are 
trying to learn from these demonstration projects, which is whether 
different approaches improve earnings and employment. Asking for it is 
an invasion of the privacy of the individuals, with no research 
benefit.
  Collecting this information also seems burdensome for States, and 
would likely require them to ask participating employers to ask their 
employees inappropriate personal questions that they would not ask of 
any other employee.
  Most importantly, I am concerned that requiring States to collect 
information on these important work supports would make some States 
think that they are supposed to discourage participants from accessing 
these supports.
  Both research and common sense clearly tell us that access to 
supports like child care assistance, healthcare, and wage supplements 
that pay for transportation and other work expenses make it more likely 
that individuals will succeed in work. We should do nothing that might 
discourage States from providing these supports to help workers 
succeed. We should do nothing that might cause individuals to not make 
use of what is available to them.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Davidson for his 
efforts.
  Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment. I hope that we can evaluate 
all of the programs that we have, coordinate among them, learn more 
about their effectiveness, and ultimately respect folks in need and do 
all we can that is appropriate to help lift themselves out of poverty.
  Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on 
this.
  Sunlight brings truth. Truth will set you free. My hope is truth will 
set folks free from the trap that many people find in multigenerational 
poverty. We really, truly want to help solve the problem and get the 
information that will help us make our systems work effectively.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Davidson).
  The question was taken; and the Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on 
the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio will be postponed.


                 Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mr. Khanna

  The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 6 printed in 
House Report 115-187.
  Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 6, line 4, after ``project,'' insert ``including an 
     analysis of the project's effect on eligible recipients who 
     received additional credentialing and training during their 
     subsidized employment or participation in an apprenticeship 
     or career pathways program,''.
       Page 7, line 10, insert at the end the following: ``Such 
     recommendations shall include recommendations on the effects 
     of additional credentialing and training provided during 
     subsidized employment or participation in an apprenticeship 
     or career pathways program.''.

  The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 396, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Khanna) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
  Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2842, the 
Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act. I would like to thank 
the sponsors of the bill, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Curbelo), and 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions).
  This bipartisan bill will assist low-income individuals by helping 
some of our most needy Americans to enter the workforce and maintain 
their employment. I believe one of the top priorities for Congress is 
to help our middle class by creating wealth in the middle class and to 
help the wages of the 50 percent of Americans who haven't had a wage 
raise since 1980.
  For far too long, many Americans have seen falling incomes, which 
have left working families behind. My amendment is simple. It adds a 
requirements for the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human 
Services to measure the effect that training and credentialing has on 
the recipients helped by this bill.
  The public report and recommendations to Congress are already 
mandated by the original bill. This amendment will not affect the 
overall cost.
  There is a body of research demonstrating that providing education 
and training to TANF recipients makes people more likely to obtain good 
jobs and increase their wages. They are more likely to stay employed.
  The projects funded by this bill provide a great opportunity to add 
to this research so we can know how to better assist TANF recipients 
and other unemployed workers.
  I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Washington, (Ms.

[[Page 9793]]

DelBene), for her amendment to the bill during markup by the Committee 
on Ways and Means. That amendment requires that at least one of the 
employment demonstration projects must be an apprenticeship program.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support my 
amendment that seeks to add information that can be used to modernize 
our job training, credentialing, and apprenticeship program to match 
those seeking employment with our current job openings.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the 
amendment, although I am not opposed.
  The CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment.
  This amendment simply requires that the high-quality evaluations 
include measurements or how many recipients participated in an 
apprentice or career pathway program, and any credentials earned along 
the way.
  Earn-and-learn models--those where an individual is getting on-the-
job experience, earning a wage, and learning new occupational skills--
are one of the best types of workforce development models the 
government can support. Apprenticeships, in particular, provide a 
combination of occupational on-the-job training and related 
instruction, helping to improve worker training and address critical 
skill gaps that align with the needs of industry.
  We know that the best way out of poverty is through work, and 
apprenticeships provide a pathway to obtaining a successful career.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment as well as 
the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Khanna).
  The amendment was agreed to.


                 Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. Kilmer

  The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 7 printed in 
House Report 115-187.
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 7, line 10, after the period, insert the following: 
     ``Such recommendations shall include recommendations on how 
     to address employment-related challenges in rural areas and 
     among members of federally recognized Indian tribes.''.

  The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 396, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Kilmer) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Chairman, I am here this morning to talk about the biggest thing 
on the minds of the folks that I represent: jobs.
  I am glad that we are having a discussion today about how to help 
people land a job that they can be proud of.
  Whether I am at a VFW or a county fair, in a lot of the parts of the 
region that I represent, this is the concern that I hear more than 
anything else.
  Today's bill would help people who are looking for work acquire 
skills that help them land a bigger paycheck and a better career. I am 
glad to offer an amendment with a fellow member of the Bipartisan 
Working Group, Representative Valadao, to make sure that the bill that 
is passed does some good for rural communities and for our tribal 
partners as well.
  I know firsthand the challenges that small towns across America are 
facing. I grew up in a timber town in Washington State and watched some 
of the parents of my friends and some of my neighbors lose their jobs 
as mills shut down. These men and women are the hardworking Americans 
that want work, want training, and want careers. In short, they want a 
shot at a better life.
  That is what this bill will do. I commend Mr. Curbelo and Mr. Davis 
for bringing it forward. With our amendment, we can make sure that shot 
is extended to all communities, no matter their ZIP Code.
  Our amendment directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
take a look at how to address employment challenges in rural areas and 
those challenges facing members of federally recognized Native American 
Tribes. It directs the Secretary then to provide recommendations to 
Congress on what fixes actually work best.
  When it comes to providing the training to get folks into quality 
jobs, we want to make sure that we are not flying blind. Our amendment 
makes sure that we have all the information we need to make the right 
decisions and give folks who want a quality job a shot at that.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the 
amendment, although I am not opposed.
  The CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment.
  The first hearing I held as chairman of the Ways and Means 
Subcommittee on Human Resources was on the geography of poverty. People 
often think of poverty only as they see it in cities, not realizing 
poverty today is more common than ever in suburban and even rural 
areas.
  People also underestimate poverty in rural and remote areas, not 
knowing the rates of poverty in these areas have, for decades, been 
higher than in urban areas.
  This amendment ensures the Secretary takes into account rural areas 
and Indian Tribes when making recommendations on how to address 
employment-related challenges.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment as well as 
support the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his support. And, 
again, I thank Representatives Curbelo and Davis for their work on the 
underlying bill, and the cooperation of Mr. Valadao for working to 
address this challenge.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support 
this amendment and the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Mitchell). The question is on the amendment 
offered by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).
  The amendment was agreed to.


                    Announcement by the Acting Chair

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, proceedings 
will now resume on those amendments printed in House Report 115-187 on 
which further proceedings were postponed, in the following order:
  Amendment No. 4 by Mr. Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.
  Amendment No. 5 by Mr. Davidson of Ohio.
  The Chair will reduce to 2 minutes the minimum time for any 
electronic vote after the first vote in this series.


             Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Krishnamoorthi

  The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a 
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Krishnamoorthi) on which further proceedings were postponed and on 
which the ayes prevailed by voice vote.
  The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
  The Clerk redesignated the amendment.


                             Recorded Vote

  The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 380, 
noes 32, not voting 19, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 320]

                               AYES--380

     Abraham
     Adams
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Allen
     Amodei
     Arrington
     Bacon
     Barletta
     Barragan
     Bass
     Beatty

[[Page 9794]]


     Bera
     Bergman
     Beyer
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (MI)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brooks (IN)
     Brown (MD)
     Brownley (CA)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budd
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Capuano
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carson (IN)
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Cheney
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coffman
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comer
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooper
     Correa
     Costa
     Costello (PA)
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crist
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davidson
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     Davis, Rodney
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Demings
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSantis
     DeSaulnier
     Deutch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donovan
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duffy
     Duncan (TN)
     Dunn
     Ellison
     Emmer
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Estes (KS)
     Esty (CT)
     Evans
     Faso
     Ferguson
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel (FL)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Fudge
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Gianforte
     Gibbs
     Gonzalez (TX)
     Goodlatte
     Gottheimer
     Gowdy
     Granger
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Grothman
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hanabusa
     Harper
     Hartzler
     Hastings
     Heck
     Hensarling
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice, Jody B.
     Higgins (LA)
     Higgins (NY)
     Hill
     Himes
     Holding
     Hollingsworth
     Hoyer
     Hudson
     Huffman
     Huizenga
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurd
     Issa
     Jackson Lee
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy
     Khanna
     Kihuen
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger
     Knight
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster (NH)
     Kustoff (TN)
     Labrador
     LaHood
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     Lawrence
     Lawson (FL)
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (MN)
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Loudermilk
     Love
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan Grisham, M.
     Lujan, Ben Ray
     Lynch
     MacArthur
     Maloney, Carolyn B.
     Maloney, Sean
     Marino
     Marshall
     Mast
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McEachin
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McSally
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Meng
     Mitchell
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Moore
     Moulton
     Mullin
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Nadler
     Neal
     Newhouse
     Noem
     Nolan
     Norcross
     Nunes
     O'Halleran
     O'Rourke
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Panetta
     Pascrell
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pittenger
     Pocan
     Poliquin
     Polis
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reichert
     Rice (NY)
     Rice (SC)
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney, Francis
     Rooney, Thomas J.
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rosen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Rouzer
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce (CA)
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Russell
     Rutherford
     Ryan (OH)
     Sanchez
     Sanford
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell (AL)
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Smucker
     Soto
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Suozzi
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Taylor
     Tenney
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tipton
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Trott
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Walters, Mimi
     Walz
     Waters, Maxine
     Watson Coleman
     Webster (FL)
     Welch
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yarmuth
     Yoder
     Young (AK)
     Young (IA)
     Zeldin

                                NOES--32

     Amash
     Babin
     Banks (IN)
     Barr
     Barton
     Biggs
     Bishop (UT)
     Brat
     Brooks (AL)
     Burgess
     DesJarlais
     Duncan (SC)
     Farenthold
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gohmert
     Graves (GA)
     Harris
     Jones
     Kelly (MS)
     Marchant
     Massie
     Messer
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Pearce
     Perry
     Poe (TX)
     Posey
     Weber (TX)
     Wittman
     Yoho

                             NOT VOTING--19

     Bridenstine
     Cummings
     Engel
     Gabbard
     Garrett
     Gosar
     Johnson, Sam
     LaMalfa
     Larsen (WA)
     Lieu, Ted
     Long
     Napolitano
     Pelosi
     Renacci
     Richmond
     Scalise
     Speier
     Tiberi
     Wasserman Schultz

                              {time}  1042

  Messrs. BURGESS, WITTMAN, POSEY, and PERRY changed their vote from 
``aye'' to ``no.''
  Messrs. WOODALL, REED, ROKITA, and LAMBORN changed their vote from 
``no'' to ``aye.''
  So the amendment was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now 
rise.
  The motion was agreed to.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Ferguson) having assumed the chair, Mr. Mitchell, Acting Chair of the 
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that 
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2842) to 
provide for the conduct of demonstration projects to test the 
effectiveness of subsidized employment for TANF recipients, had come to 
no resolution thereon.

                          ____________________