by Laura Walling, Senior Director of Government Relations, Goodwill Industries International
Congressional leaders have agreed upon a $3.5 trillion cap for a forthcoming reconciliation bill that will include components of President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan that won’t be covered by the bipartisan infrastructure framework. In his initial proposal, the President called for $100 billion for workforce development activities over the next ten years. This type of investment is critical to preparing the workforce needed to improve the nation’s infrastructure.
Federal spending on workforce training and employment services is at its lowest level in more than fifty years, and workforce development has yet to receive funding in any of the previous three COVID-19 relief packages. Now is the time to invest in American workers. 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.
To ensure that any new infrastructure legislation this year includes a robust investment in workforce development, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) is circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter to call attention to this critical need and rally support around this proposal among other lawmakers. Please join us in asking members of Congress to support this letter calling on Congressional leadership to ensure that robust federal funding for workforce development is prioritized in the upcoming reconciliation package.
Click here to contact your Representative today.
