Committee Statements

Good evening Chairman Miller, and thank you. It’s a pleasure to be back alongside you, leading this important panel at a time when the issues confronting our education and workforce systems are critical to economic recovery.

We have a history of civility and cooperation on this Committee, whether we agree on the issues or not. That’s a track record I’m proud of, and one that I expect we’ll maintain in the 111^th Congress.

For instance, higher education reform is one area where our shared goals were often able to trump partisan differences in the last Congress. Whether it was the bipartisan Higher Education Act reauthorization or the emergency legislation we passed to ensure students would have access to student loans amid this economic downturn, our work on higher education should be a model for cooperation going forward.

Looking ahead, I know that economic recovery is high on the agenda for both sides of the aisle, so I’d like to mention just one area where I hope we can work together: job training.

The Workforce Investment Act created a comprehensive system of one-stop centers where workers and job-seekers can get training and employment assistance. Unfortunately, WIA hasn’t been reauthorized since 1998. I hope we can demonstrate our commitment to cooperation early in the 111^th Congress by finally moving forward to reform this critical program.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I know that our schedule is tight this evening so I will simply conclude by once again thanking you and expressing what a privilege it is to serve on this great Committee.

 

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