Curbelo's Bipartisan Welfare-to-Work Bill Passes House of Representatives
Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed Representative Carlos Curbelo's (FL-26) "Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act," bipartisan legislation that would help connect Americans looking for work with employers looking to fill job openings, including through apprenticeships and other forms of on-the-job training. H.R. 2842 passed with a vote of 377-34.
Curbelo recently introduced H.R. 2842 with Representative Danny Davis (D-IL). The bill was passed out of the Committee on Ways and Means last week. Following today's passage by the full House, the bill heads to the Senate for consideration.
Just before the vote, Curbelo spoke on the House floor in support of his legislation and called for bipartisan support from his colleagues.
Representative Carlos Curbelo: "Thank you, Mister Chairman. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2842, the Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act.
"Here, in the House, we have prioritized helping Americans escape poverty, and we are working to create policies that are focused on getting individuals into jobs so they can achieve self-sufficiency.
"A job is something that dignifies the human condition. It is an opportunity for every individual to make a contribution to their families, their local communities, and to our country. This bill is an innovative solution that will give more people access to that opportunity. Through proposals like H.R. 2842, we can help struggling Americans find work and get on a path to success.
"This bipartisan legislation connects Americans looking for work with employers looking to fill job openings, including through apprenticeships and other forms of on-the-job training. It uses $100 million from the TANF Contingency Fund for grants so states can conduct demonstration projects intended to assist TANF recipients in entering the workforce and maintaining employment.
"Importantly, this legislation requires that states meet certain criteria to ensure they achieve their intended goals. This includes a description of how local governments will coordinate these efforts with others that assist low-income individuals.
"States must also report on the outcomes of the demonstration projects and provide evaluations to determine whether such employer-led partnerships were effective.
"This bill empowers states, giving them the ability to take into account their own unique challenges and design programs that meet both their employers and job-seekers' needs, rather than a top-down Washington approach.
"This legislation has support from our business leaders.
"I would like to ask for unanimous consent to insert into the record a letter from the Business Roundtable articulating that support."
"Mr. Chairman I was happy to partner with Representative Danny Davis on this effort to move individuals from welfare into long-term employment, and I am proud of the work we have done together.
"I would also like to thank Chairman Brady and Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith for their leadership and hard work, as well as Rosemary Lahasky, Anne DeCesaro and the rest of the House Committee on Ways and Means staff who have worked on this legislation.
"And if I may add one thing, Mr. Chairman. Last week in the wake of the tragic shooting against Members of Congress, we all vowed to come together, to find common ground. The Committee on Ways and Means answered that call and I'm very confident that this House will do the same later today. The American people expect us to have our differences, our disagreements, but they also expect us to find common ground, and Republicans and Democrats have done this today in favor of those who need it most -- welfare recipients, needy families in our country. So I'm very proud to sponsor this legislation, to support it, and I would ask all of my colleagues to do the same.
"Thank you and I yield back."
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