Congressional Record—House H1010
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H1010 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 29, 2016 This legislation, Mr. Speaker, will employers still cannot find the trained extensive leadership skills but can’t help to develop a skilled labor force, workers they need. find good jobs, and minorities who are trained to work in a wide array of sec- Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense not trained in the right way, this legis- tors, including renewables, energy effi- jobs bill that will help to match up lation goes a long way in providing the ciency, oil and gas, coal, nuclear, util- trained, qualified candidates with training that people need to find a good ity, pipelines, alternative fuels, as well good-paying jobs and careers that will job. as energy-intensive and advanced man- fit them and their families, help lift up I urge all Members to support this ufacturing industries. their community, help strengthen the legislation. I want to thank everyone Mr. Speaker, one of the challenges energy and manufacturing industry, who worked for it. that I have heard far too many times and will bolster the entire American Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance from my constituents is of individuals economy as a whole. of my time. participating in training programs that Whether you are a student pursuing b 1630 in many cases do not always lead to ac- your engineering degree at an HBCU or tually finding a job. With that in mind, a single mother taking classes at your The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Mr. Speaker, this bill will help indus- neighborhood community college, this question is on the motion offered by try, help schools, and help community- bill seeks to provide additional oppor- the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. based workforce development organiza- tunity to all those individuals who are WHITFIELD) that the House suspend the tions to identify candidates for enroll- out there looking to better themselves rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4583, as ment into training and apprenticeship and improve the financial situation for amended. The question was taken; and (two- programs, with the objective of ensur- their families. thirds being in the affirmative) the ing that the skills learned are imme- Mr. Speaker, when this bill becomes rules were suspended and the bill, as diately transferable to good-paying law and its provisions are imple- amended, was passed. jobs and good-paying careers within mented, it will help out-of-work coal A motion to reconsider was laid on the energy and manufacturing sectors miners retool and retrain for the jobs the table. regionally, nationally, and, indeed, all of the 21st century. This bill will also across this globe. help returning veterans use their skills f Mr. Speaker, as you well know, and and use their talents to find employ- AMPLIFYING LOCAL EFFORTS TO as all Members in this House know, the ment and provide a dignified future for ROOT OUT TERROR ACT OF 2016 energy and manufacturing industries their families. Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I are two of the most critical and fastest So, Mr. Speaker, again, I want to move to suspend the rules and pass the growing sectors both domestically as thank my distinguished colleague from bill (H.R. 4401) to authorize the Sec- well as internationally. The potential the great State of Michigan, Chairman retary of Homeland Security to provide of these two sectors can help bolster UPTON; my friend from the great State countering violent extremism training the American economy and are also of Kentucky, Chairman WHITFIELD; to Department of Homeland Security vital to the growing number of people Ranking Member PALLONE; my friend representatives at State and local fu- seeking middle class status all across from North Carolina (Mr. HUDSON); and sion centers, and for other purposes, as the developing world. all my colleagues on the Energy and amended. It is important, Mr. Speaker, that we Commerce Committee, as well as those The Clerk read the title of the bill. equip our citizens, those who need jobs who are on the Education and the The text of the bill is as follows: and those who are out of work, with Workforce Committee who helped H.R. 4401 the skills needed and necessary to meet bring us to this point today, where we Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- this growing demand so that we can are bringing forward this bill with this resentatives of the United States of America in tap into these tremendous opportuni- focus not only on underserved commu- Congress assembled, ties. This very bill before us today will nities, such as minorities, women, and SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. accomplish that goal. veterans, but also displaced and unem- This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Amplifying Why is the 21st century workforce ployed coal miners and out-of-work en- Local Efforts to Root out Terror Act of 2016’’ bill so very necessary? Mr. Speaker, ergy workers in other places. or the ‘‘ALERT Act of 2016’’. just last week, my office had yet an- I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, when SEC. 2. COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM other visiting delegation, a meeting this bill ultimately becomes law, it TRAINING. (a) AUTHORIZATION OF TRAINING.—The Sec- this time with an energy company out will go a long way in helping not only retary of Homeland Security is authorized to of the great State of North Carolina, communities that look like the one I provide training for personnel, including De- whose representatives informed me represent on the south side of Chicago, partment of Homeland Security personnel, that right now, today, as we stand here but every community in every district State, local, tribal, and territorial represent- in this great Chamber today, they have throughout this Nation. atives at State and major urban area fusion over 1,000 job openings that they can- Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance centers for the purpose of administering not fill because they cannot find of my time. community awareness briefings and related enough qualified skilled workers. Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I activities in furtherance of the Department’s The 21st century workforce bill will yield myself such time as I may con- efforts to counter violent extremism, iden- tify and report suspicious activities, and in- address that difficulty and be a solu- sume. crease awareness of and more quickly iden- tion to that and many other similar I would like to reiterate once again tify terrorism threats, including the travel problems all across our country. In that there were a lot of people involved or attempted travel of individuals from the fact, Mr. Speaker, my office has been in bringing this legislation to the floor. United States to support a foreign terrorist holding many of these same types of It would not have happened except for organization (as such term is described in meetings over the past 4 years with a the persistence and commitment of Mr. section 219 of the Immigration and Nation- variety of different energy and manu- RUSH of Illinois. So I want to thank ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189)) abroad. him again. (b) COORDINATION.—To the extent prac- facturing industries that are indeed ticable, in providing the training under sub- facing this very same predicament. I also want to say that every Member section (a), the Secretary shall coordinate At a time when African American of Congress comes to this floor, and we with the heads of other Federal agencies en- and Latino unemployment rates are talk about regulations and the impact gaged in community outreach related to still too high, when coal workers they have on creating jobs. We talk countering violent extremism and shall also throughout Appalachia and beyond are about uncertainty in tax policies, and coordinate with such agencies in the admin- finding themselves without work, when we talk about the ability of America to istration of related activities, including too many female heads of household be competitive in the global workplace. community awareness briefings. cannot find adequate employment to We talk about a lot of macro issues. SEC. 3. COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM AS- SESSMENT. take care of their families, and when But for men and women out there in (a) ASSESSMENT REQUIRED.—Not later than veterans returning home from defend- the country, like coal miners who are 120 days after the date of the enactment of ing our Nation still cannot find a job, losing jobs because of the policies of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Secu- it is a travesty and a shame that eager this administration, veterans who have rity, in consultation with appropriate State, VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 Mar 01, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K29FE7.013 H29FEPT1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with HOUSE February 29, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H1011 local, tribal, and territorial representatives, Just 3 short years ago, a group of do- Because fighting terrorism is not a shall assess the efforts of the Department of mestic terrorists were plotting attacks singular effort of the Federal Govern- Homeland Security to support countering in my hometown in northwest Georgia. ment, the ALERT Act provides in- violent extremism at the State, local, tribal, Federal law enforcement was informed and territorial levels. Such assessment shall creased community awareness of ongo- include each of the following: that these terrorists were trying to ob- ing threats. (1) A cataloging of departmental efforts to tain pipe bombs and other improvised Radicalization is also a clear and assist State, local, tribal, and territorial explosive devices. Once detonated, present danger to Americans. The num- governments in countering violent extre- these weapons could have destroyed ber of cases of homegrown terrorism is mism.