Bobby Scott

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, these amendments generally ensure accessibility for those with disabilities, increase equity, and increase opportunities. They are not controversial, and I would hope they would be accepted. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford), who actually ran a program in Nevada to increase job skills.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer), the chair of the Joint Economic Committee.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call up the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020. Our economy continues to permanently lose jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it is estimated that 7 million of those who lose jobs during the pandemic will not return to those jobs. Congress has a responsibility to help workers not only find jobs, but also prepare them for long-term employment. Expanding the registered apprenticeship system, our most successful workforce development initiative, is the proven solution we need. Each year, hundreds of thousands of workers count on registered apprenticeships to learn in-demand skills, earn wages that grow along with those skills, and receive nationally recognized credentials that lead to rewarding careers. Registered apprenticeships are also so successful that 94 percent of apprentices are employed upon completion and earn an average starting wage of more than $70,000 a year. Despite the growing demand for apprenticeship opportunities, Congress has not reauthorized the National Apprenticeship Act since it was first passed in 1937. The legislation before us will invest $3.5 billion in our apprenticeship system; ensures consistency and quality across programs; increases opportunities for diverse groups of workers who have not traditionally been included; and expands registered apprenticeships in emerging sectors, such as healthcare, finance, and technology. This investment alone would create approximately 1 million apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and youth apprenticeships, and it would yield roughly $10.6 billion in benefits to taxpayers through higher tax revenues and decreased spending on social safety net programs. Construction trades and their industry partners have long proven that the registered apprenticeship model works. It is long past time that we expand registered apprenticeship opportunities to benefit workers across other industries and across the country. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, November 5, 2020. Hon. Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Scott: This is to advise you that the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the provisions in H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection to your including them in the bill for consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to waive sequential referral, with the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject matters. In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the right to request an appropriate number of conferees to address any concerns with these or similar provisions that may arise in conference. Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the House majority leader.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis), chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment and the lead sponsor of the legislation we are considering today.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross), a graduate of a registered apprenticeship program himself and a member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a senior member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild), a member of the Education and Labor Committee.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 1224, I rise to offer amendments en bloc No. 1.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. These are expected to be noncontroversial. The amendments generally expand the industries to be affected by the opportunities for apprenticeships and adds veterans service organizations as partner organizations. I hope that we would adopt these, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated--and several have spoken on their amendments--I would hope that we would adopt the amendment en bloc, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 1224, I rise to offer amendments en bloc No. 2.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Lamb).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I support the three amendments en bloc. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, along with these three amendments. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on H. Res. 1153.