Title: Expressing support for approximately doubling funding for Federal career and technical education programs.
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
This resolution supports the doubling of spending on Perkins V and other innovative career and technical education programs over the next decade.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 613 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 613

   Expressing support for approximately doubling funding for Federal 
                career and technical education programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 31, 2021

    Mr. Krishnamoorthi (for himself and Mr. Langevin) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
                               and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing support for approximately doubling funding for Federal 
                career and technical education programs.

Whereas for much of the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the American 
        economy to a grinding halt, plunging the United States and the world 
        into the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression;
Whereas the American economy is now roaring back to life, thanks to historic 
        action by Congress and the President;
Whereas for many Americans, this post-COVID economic boom is an opportunity to 
        reskill and upskill, with American workers changing jobs and even 
        professions in historic numbers;
Whereas many other Americans continue to have difficulties finding work, with 
        more than 9,000,000 unemployed Americans currently unable to find a job, 
        including 4,000,000 long-term unemployed;
Whereas, at the same time, the landscape of the 21st century economy is 
        changing, as emerging new technologies and shifting demands create new 
        opportunities and challenges;
Whereas the infrastructure proposals currently under consideration reflect this 
        new economy, as do the science and technology bills put forth in both 
        the House of Representatives and the Senate, but there remains a crucial 
        and unaddressed need to train the workforce of this new economy;
Whereas, relative to inflation, Federal spending on workforce training and 
        employment services is at its lowest level in more than 50 years, and 
        funding for community college career and technical education has fallen 
        28 percent in the last 20 years alone;
Whereas now is the time to invest in American workers, as high unemployment and 
        historic turnover, combined with the tremendous economic energy of the 
        post-COVID recovery, present an unparalleled opportunity to retrain and 
        realign the American workforce for the new economy, while also providing 
        American workers with the necessary skills to earn higher wages and 
        attain long-term job security; and
Whereas the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
        U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), as reauthorized by the Strengthening Career and 
        Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (``Perkins V''), is the 
        primary Federal law developing and supporting career and technical 
        education programs in secondary and postsecondary education: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) affirms the importance of Perkins V and other career 
        and technical education programs for training the skilled 
        workforce of the future and for increasing the earning 
        potential and job security of American workers;
            (2) recognizes that the annual funding for Perkins V, 
        amounting to $1,334,800,000 in fiscal year 2021, is 
        insufficient to address the need brought on by the long-term 
        economic realignment and the near-term COVID-19 pandemic; and
            (3) urges $10,000,000,000 in new spending be set aside to 
        fund Perkins V programs and innovative evidence-based career 
        and technical education over the next 10 years, equaling 
        approximately double the amount currently appropriated by 
        Congress to such programs.
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