Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of the goals of National One-Stop Month.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 808) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of the goals of National One-Stop Month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 808.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, associations representing the local workforce development community have declared May National One-Stop Month. I rise this afternoon in support of H. Res. 808, which expresses the support of the House of Representatives for the goals of National One-Stop Month and supports the work of the Nation's local workforce investment boards.

The one-stop delivery system this resolution recognizes is a product of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, or WIA. WIA consolidated numerous Federal training programs and integrated employment and training services at the local level in a more unified workforce development system. Local business-led workforce investment boards now direct the activities of the system.

One of the hallmarks of WIA is the establishment of One-Stop Career Centers to provide re-employment services and job training to individuals looking for a new or better job. The centers were developed to increase access to Federal and State resources available to help individuals obtain employment of their choice.

While WIA funds are available for occupational training, there are numerous other Federal programs that provide employment assistance. These programs, including adult education, vocational rehabilitation, veterans employment programs and more, must make their services available through the centers. WIA created One-Stop Career Centers to provide a single point of access for individuals desiring services through these programs. The one-stop delivery system also provides labor market information regarding the kinds of jobs currently available in a local area, data on growing industries and job listings to assist individuals in making informed career choices.

Over 2,000 one-stop centers across the Nation have connected millions of individuals with the tools they need to find their next employment opportunity, while helping employers find the workers they need.

The economy is dynamic, and research shows that the types of growing industries are changing. The Nation's job training programs are critical to our ongoing effort to equip Americans with the resources and skills they need to find a new or better job in today's knowledge- based economy. Local workforce investment boards have responded to these challenges by creating comprehensive services to assist our workforce.

Approximately 5.2 million new jobs have been created since August of 2003. With solid and consistent job growth in high-wage, high-skill occupations, renewing and strengthening the Federal investment in workforce development and job training is more critical than ever. Last year, this House approved legislation to reauthorize WIA and renew the one-stop delivery system, and we hope for further action on that legislation to build upon the success already attained. Yet in the interim, we know our local community leaders remain committed to providing the best services possible for the Nation's job seekers.

I commend the chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, Congressman Ric Keller of Florida, for introducing this measure to highlight the critical assistance that the local boards and the one-stop delivery system provide.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close at this time. We have no further speakers. Again, I thank my colleague from New York for her support and the support of all Members across the aisle for this resolution.

Let me just close by saying that in the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, I personally visited some of these one-stop shops in my district and was really impressed with the work that they were doing.

They were very successful in matching up those in need of jobs with available jobs. And so this is a worthy resolution. I urge all Members to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 808, a measure expressing support for the goals of National One-Stop Month. As we stand here today we find ourselves in an increasingly competitive job market, one in which the knowledge and skills of each job seeker play a critical role in determining whether the individual will succeed. And while our economy has created more than 5.2 million new jobs since August 2003, we still have work ahead of us to provide the resources and training workers need to claim and keep these new jobs.

Testifying before the House Education and the Workforce Committee several years ago, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan told Members of our panel that providing ``rigorous education and ongoing training to all members of our society'' is essential for future job growth and worker security in the United States. His words ring all the more true today, as our workforce takes on the new realities of an increasingly competitive global economy.

Eight years ago, when Congress passed the Workforce Investment Act, we did so with an eye toward preparing our working men and women for the challenges of a turn-of-the-century economy. Indeed, the 21st century is no longer the age of machine and muscle but, rather, has become the age of the mind.

And central to our efforts in crafting the Workforce Investment Act was the establishment of the one-stop system. One-stop career centers are aimed at providing a single, convenient, central location to offer job training and other employment-related services. And they have been remarkably successful for countless Americans.

In my view, the establishment of one-stops in 1998 was the single most important federal job training accomplishment in a generation. We brought dozens of disparate services under one roof, providing a better deal for job seekers and a better investment for American taxpayers.

Last year, this House approved legislation to build upon the success of the one-stop system, and as we hope for further congressional action on that measure, we take time this month to celebrate the achievements of those who have been involved in the one-stops--including those providing services and those benefiting from them.

Mr. Speaker, May is National One-Stop Month, but for those seeking high-quality employment services, the one-stops are there for them all year long. I applaud them, and I look for them to play an even bigger role in our job training system in the decades to come. I thank my colleague Mr. Keller, the chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee, for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of National One-Stop Month. For over 30 years, Congress has worked hard on a bipartisan basis to create a job training system that works well for both employers and employees.

During the Clinton administration, job training advocates developed the idea of a universal system, a one-stop job training system that would provide needed job search, placement and training services to all job seekers who walked through its doors. The system would also be a one-stop system for employers, providing outreach and matching services to enable employers to find workers with the job skills that they need.

Approximately 2,000 one-stop centers and the workforce boards that oversee them now exist in all of our communities, providing a 21st century resource for all. This system is an investment in our economy and in our country.

But that investment is also under attack. For the past 6 years, the administration and this Congress have been cutting funding for the one- stop system. The one-stops have not had a single inflation adjustment in 6 years. The

one-stops have actually had their budgets cut about $700 million since 2001. This Congress has failed to reauthorize the one-stop system, and has insisted on opening it up to religious discrimination, which has never existed or been a problem for years. Most recently, in its 2007 budget request, the administration proposed effectively eliminating the one-stop system and turning it into a voucher program run by the Governors.

Democrats believe in job training to help workers improve their skills and find good-paying jobs to support their families. Democrats believe in helping employers find workers with the skills they need to compete in the global economy. In order to truly help employers and employees, we must adequately fund the one-stops and our job training system.

This is a low-cost investment in our future. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to support improved funding for a 21st- century job-training system.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.