2013: Schweikert Voted To Overhaul Workforce Investment Act Employment And Training Programs, Consolidating 35 Of Them Into A Single State Funding Stream. In March 2013, Schweikert voted for a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have "reauthorize[d] through fiscal 2020 the Workforce Investment Act and consolidate[d] 35 employment and training programs into a single funding stream for state and local use. As amended, it would [have] authorize[d] the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study to determine the administrative cost savings realized through elimination or consolidation of WIA programs under the bill. It also would [have] require[d] that the authorization for WIA be reduced by 10 percent for the next fiscal year if reports due to Congress evaluating WIA programs are not submitted in the time periods specified, and by an additional 10 percent each fiscal year until the report is submitted." The vote was on final passage. The House approved the bill by a vote of 215 to 202, but the Senate took no action on the bill. [House Vote 75, 3/15/13; Congressional Quarterly, 3/15/13; Congressional Actions, H.R. 803]
GAO Found 44 Of 47 Job Training Programs Run By Federal Government Overlapped And That Consolidation Would Increase Efficiency. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The government operates 47 job training programs across nine agencies under the 1998 [Workforce Investment Act] law, and the Government Accountability Office found in 2011 that 44 of the programs overlap. In its report, the GAO wrote that 'consolidating administrative structures' would help increase efficiencies." [Congressional Quarterly, 3/15/13]
Supporters Of SKILLS Act Said Current System Was Unmanageable And That Obama Had Called For Such Reform In State Of The Union Address. According to Congressional Quarterly, "[Rep. Virginia] Foxx [R-NC] said during floor debate Friday that 'the jumbled state of today's workforce development system is unmanageable,' [. . .] Republicans have argued that the bill answers President Barack Obama's request in his 2012 State of the Union address that there should be 'one program' to replace the 'maze of confusing training programs.'" [Congressional Quarterly, 3/15/13]
Rep. Kline Called The SKILLS Act "A Commonsense Solution To Help Fix A Broken Job Training System." According to a House Education and the Workforce Committee press release obtained via States News Service, "Education and the Workforce Committee Republicans, led by Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), today released a comprehensive proposal to reform federal job training and employment assistance. The Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act, which will be formally introduced on February 25, streamlines federal programs and creates a single source of employment support for employers and job seekers [...] House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) noted the urgent need for reform. 'The SKILLS Act is a commonsense solution to help fix a broken job training system,' said Chairman Kline. 'We have tried the Washington-knows-best approach for decades and it hasn't worked. In the process, we've squandered taxpayer dollars and failed to provide workers the help they need. The status quo is no longer acceptable.'" [House Education and Welfare Committee press release via States News Service, 2/21/13]
The White House Opposed The Bill, Said Merging The Job Training Programs Would Result In Lost Funding For Programs Targeting The Homeless, Veterans And Workers With Disabilities. According to Congressional Quarterly, "But the White House is not on board, saying in a statement of administration policy released Wednesday that it "strongly opposes" the GOP bill. 'The bill would eliminate, or allow the consolidation of, many targeted programs, without providing the critical assistance needed by vulnerable populations...' the statement said. Democrats agree, arguing that job training efforts set up to help such underserved populations as the homeless, veterans and workers with disabilities would lose funding under the bill. They further claimed that the majority seized on the GAO report as a reason eliminate certain programs, without further analysis. 'This bill is a political product. It puts ideology over practical solutions and evidence-based reforms,' said George Miller of California, ranking Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee." [Congressional Quarterly, 3/15/13]
Democrats Walked Out Of A Committee Hearing On The SKILLS Act, Accusing Republicans Of Refusing To Negotiate. According to the Huffington Post, "Several House Democrats walked out of a committee vote in protest on Wednesday, accusing their Republican counterparts of refusing to negotiate in a bipartisan manner over a job training bill. While it's common for members of Congress to simply not show up for committee meetings, it's rare for them to actually boycott one. 'We didn't come to this decision lightly,' said Reps. John Tierney (D-Mass.), Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas) and George Miller (D-Calif.), members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, in a statement. 'Unfortunately, we viewed boycotting this proceeding as our only alternative after many months of repeatedly requesting bipartisan negotiations and being rebuffed by committee Republicans.'" [Huffington Post, 3/8/13]