Democrats Introduce Jobs Bill to Address Long-Term and Youth Unemployment
WASHINGTON – Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and other Democrats of the House Education and the Workforce Committee introduced legislation today to help out-of-work Americans get a job and gain the skills needed to be successful in the global economy.
“With more Americans counted in the ranks of the long-term unemployed, Congress should be doing everything it can to get America back to work. Because we know the longer workers go without a job, the more difficult it becomes for them to ever find a job,” said Miller, the senior Democrat on the committee. “This legislation is a modest, yet important, effort to help some of those most impacted by today’s jobs crisis.”
The Pathways Back to Work Act (H.R. 3425) addresses this deepening long-term unemployment crisis by supporting job creation for working families, providing opportunities for young Americans in summer and year-round employment, and creating a competitive grant for work-related training programs.
The bill is similar to workforce initiatives proposed in President Obama’s American Jobs Act and recently introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Original cosponsors to the Pathways Back to Work Act include U.S. Reps. Dale Kildee (D-MI), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Tim Bishop (D-NY), and Dave Loebsack (D-IA).
Specifically, the Pathways Back to Work Act:
· Supports Job Creation for Struggling Working Families. The bill provides an immediate economic boost and relief to families who have been struggling with unemployment through a $2 billion fund to create jobs for unemployed adults.
· Provides Summer and Year Round Job Opportunities for Youth: The bill includes $1.5 billion in funding for programs to provide summer and year-round employment opportunities for youth.
· Creates Competitive Grant for Work-Related Training for Unemployed Adults and Youth: The bill invests $1.5 billion in work-based training or education programs for unemployed, low-income adults and youth.
A recent eForum on jobs initiated by committee Democrats, more than 700 Americans from across the country submitted stories on their struggles with the current economy, including long-term unemployment. Click here to read their stories and a full report on the eForum.
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