April 9, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 61 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H3148-H3151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 BUILDING ON REEMPLOYMENT IMPROVEMENTS TO DELIVER GOOD EMPLOYMENT FOR 
                              WORKERS ACT

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1759) to amend title III of the Social 
Security Act to extend reemployment services and eligibility 
assessments to all claimants for unemployment compensation, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1759

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Building on Reemployment 
     Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act'' or 
     the ``BRIDGE for Workers Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-123) 
     improved program accountability for effectively serving 
     unemployed workers and made a significant new investment in 
     reemployment services.
       (2) Research shows the longer workers are out of work, the 
     harder it can be to maintain their skills, professional 
     network, and stable home life.
       (3) Reemployment services give workers who might otherwise 
     struggle to find new jobs the tools that they need to get 
     back to work--such as individualized career counseling and 
     job search help as well as local labor market information--
     and they can serve as an entry point to the workforce 
     development system.
       (4) Reemployment services have been demonstrated to reduce 
     the number of weeks that program participants receive 
     unemployment benefits by improving their employment outcomes, 
     including earnings.
       (5) Unemployment benefits replace less than half of working 
     income, on average, so workers who find new jobs quickly 
     suffer less financial hardship.
       (6) Combining targeted reemployment services with 
     unemployment benefits helps keep people attached to the labor 
     force who might otherwise become discouraged and drop out.
       (7) The Congressional Budget Office estimates that, over 
     time, investments in reemployment services create savings for 
     taxpayers and unemployment trust funds by reducing spending 
     on unemployment benefits.
       (8) Many different types of workers can benefit from 
     reemployment services. Reemployment services should be used 
     to shorten the duration of unemployment for workers even if 
     they are not projected to fully exhaust their unemployment 
     benefits.

     SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY FOR REEMPLOYMENT SERVICES.

       Section 306(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     506(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``individuals referred to reemployment 
     services as described in section 303(j)'' and inserting 
     ``claimants for unemployment compensation, including 
     claimants referred to reemployment services as described in 
     section 303(j),''; and
       (2) by striking ``such individuals'' and inserting ``such 
     claimants''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) and the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. 
Walorski) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1759, the BRIDGE for Workers Act, continues our 
committee's bipartisan work to help Americans who are receiving earned 
unemployment insurance benefits to get back to work faster.
  Unemployment benefits are a vital lifeline for Americans who have 
lost their jobs, helping them keep the lights on and pay the rent while 
they search for work. But unemployment benefits replace less than half 
of a worker's paycheck, on average. Especially for lower paid workers, 
who may not have any savings to fall back on, the best outcome is to 
find a new job as quickly as possible.
  When you lose your job, it can be difficult to find a new one, 
especially if you are older, haven't looked for a job in a long time, 
or have made mistakes in the past. Reemployment services give people 
looking for help the personal help they need to overcome those 
barriers.
  For instance, States might provide assistance targeted to a 
claimant's needs, things like customized career and labor market 
information, help with application materials, or allowing them to 
practice for tough job interviews.
  Last year, we passed important legislation to improve reemployment 
services and eligibility assessment grants, or RESEAs. Our legislation 
added important worker protections, gave States incentives to improve 
the quality of the services being provided for workers, and ensured 
that sufficient funding is available in every State and territory.
  When I asked how RESEA grants were being used in my home State of 
Illinois, they told me about Tara, who struggled to find a new job 
after she was laid off, both because her skills weren't up to date for 
the current labor market and because she had a criminal record. The 
Illinois RESEA helped her upgrade her job skills and find a job with an 
employer willing to take a chance, a chance on someone who had made 
mistakes. She is now working and going to school to get an associate's 
degree in welding, so she will have better pay and benefits in the 
future.
  The BRIDGE for Workers Act would add important and needed flexibility 
to allow States to serve all workers who could benefit from 
reemployment services, not just those who are expected to run out of 
benefits before finding work.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the National 
Association of State Workforce Agencies endorsing the BRIDGE for 
Workers Act.

                                     National Association of State


                                           Workforce Agencies,

                                   Washington, DC, March 13, 2019.
     Hon. Stephanie Murphy,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Jackie Walorski,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Xochitl Torres Small,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Darin LaHood,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representatives Murphy, Walorski, Torres Small and 
     LaHood: We are writing on behalf of the National Association 
     of State Workforce Agencies

[[Page H3149]]

     (NASWA) to endorse the BRIDGE for Workers Act and express our 
     appreciation of your bipartisan effort to authorize the 
     Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) 
     program as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 
     115-245).
       Until the passage of the Act, RESEA had been limited to a 
     widely-successful pilot grant program. Today, States around 
     the nation now have the ability to accelerate unemployment 
     insurance (UI) claimants' transition back to employment 
     faster than non-participants, which is particularly important 
     in an economy desperately in need of skilled workers.
       To enhance these efforts, we are pleased to see the 
     proposed minor statutory fix proposed in the BRIDGE for 
     Workers Act that reflects your intent to ensure any UI 
     claimant, not just those most likely to exhaust their 
     benefits, are eligible for RESEA services and assessments. 
     The current language in Section 306 of Act needs to be 
     modified to ensure this intent is actualized and while the 
     Appropriations Committee made such a modification in their FY 
     19 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill, a permanent fix would 
     provide clarity and stability for states actively focused on 
     helping claimants return to work expeditiously.
       NASWA is the national organization representing all 50 
     state workforce agencies, D.C. and U.S. territories. These 
     agencies deliver training, employment, career, and business 
     services, in addition to administering the unemployment 
     insurance, veteran reemployment, and labor market information 
     programs. NASWA provides policy expertise, shares promising 
     state practices, and promotes state innovation and leadership 
     in workforce development.
       Thank you for your consideration of this request.
           Sincerely,
     Jon Pierpont,
       NASWA Board President, Executive Director, Utah Department 
     of Workforce Services.
     Scott B. Sanders,
       NASWA Executive Director.

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the BRIDGE for Workers 
Act will ensure that more workers who need reemployment services get 
them. Those individuals and workers, like Tara, will get back to work 
faster, in better jobs, and on a path to a better future.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the BRIDGE for Workers 
Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1759, the Building on 
Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act, 
also known as the BRIDGE for Workers Act, which I have worked on with 
my colleagues, Representative Murphy and Representative LaHood.
  This legislation builds upon the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, where 
we made a significant step forward in helping those unemployed, through 
no fault of their own, by pairing unemployment benefits with services.
  Over the last few decades, there has been a focus on automation that 
has removed all human interaction from the benefit claims process. 
Beneficiaries have become nothing more than a number entered into a 
spreadsheet or into a computer database.
  During the last recession, we saw that merely providing 99 weeks of 
unemployment benefits was not enough to help individuals return to the 
workforce. That is why, in 2012, we offered reemployment services and 
eligibility assessments, known as RESEAs, to the long-term unemployed 
based on successful State efforts to engage UI beneficiaries.
  Since the recession, many States have rebranded unemployment to 
reemployment, and focused on efforts to promote rapid reemployment, 
because it is better for workers, their families, and an economy where 
we have 1 million more job openings than we have employed.
  The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 provides States with funding 
certainty, so they can invest in these services and serve greater 
numbers of workers. That is why H.R. 1759 is so important. It makes 
permanent a technical correction first made in FY 2019 appropriations.
  This bill clarifies that reemployment services and eligibility 
assessments shall promote quicker reemployment to shorten benefit 
durations for all unemployment insurance claimants, not just those 
likely to exhaust unemployment benefits.
  In my home State of Indiana, RESEA was redesigned in 2016 to assist 
UI claimants through early intervention to aid in a quicker return to 
meaningful employment and eliminate UI fraud.
  Indiana's RESEA program is two-fold. The initial RESEA expects 
beneficiaries to make an in-person visit to a WorkOne Center on 
approximately the sixth week of benefits. During that visit, they 
attend an orientation to learn more about these services, and then meet 
with a RESEA counselor for a one-on-one assessment interview to develop 
an individual reemployment plan. That plan may include workshops to 
improve job search or interviewing skills, or referrals to other 
supports or services beyond the UI agency.
  Any of the RESEA initial participants who are still collecting at the 
15th week of their UI claim are contacted for reengagement as part of 
the subsequent RESEA program. These long-term claimants are brought in 
for a one-on-one reassessment interview to determine if additional 
barriers to reemployment are present. At any point in the process where 
it becomes apparent that additional, more intensive services are 
needed, the customer then moves into the workforce system to gain more 
skills.
  RESEAS are a valuable reemployment tool for those who have lost their 
job, through no fault of their own.
  Again, I urge support of H.R. 1759, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to 
yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy), the 
sponsor of the bill.
  Mrs. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud sponsor of this 
bill, the BRIDGE for Workers Act. I want to express my gratitude to the 
three original cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation: Congresswoman 
Walorski, Congresswoman Torres Small, and Congressman LaHood. I also 
thank Chairman Neal and Ranking Member Brady for their leadership on 
the committee, and Chairman   Danny Davis and his staff for all the 
work they have done on this bill to prepare it for floor consideration.
  Mr. Speaker, no American worker wants to be unemployed, and it is 
vital for our government to provide cost-effective support during that 
challenging and stressful time. Our focus should be on giving 
unemployed workers the skills and resources required to return to the 
workforce as quickly as possible. We want everyone to feel the sense of 
dignity that comes with earning a paycheck, providing for their family, 
and contributing to our economy.
  One way we support unemployed workers is through the Reemployment 
Services and Eligibility Assessment program. This program, administered 
by the Department of Labor, makes annual grants to States and 
territories to provide a range of services to recipients of 
unemployment benefits. Services include individual career counseling, 
assistance with job searches, and information on the local job market.
  Under current law, States can only use these grants to assist workers 
who are expected to exhaust their unemployment benefits without having 
found a job. That is an unnecessary restriction that prevents many 
unemployed workers from getting valuable assistance.
  Our bill would remove this restriction and allow States to use their 
grants to provide support to any individual receiving unemployment 
benefits, as long as the State believes these services would help the 
individual return to work more quickly. We provided a 1-year patch in 
the 2019 appropriations bill to make this change temporarily, but this 
bill would make it permanent.
  This is a critical step because research shows the longer workers are 
out of work, the harder it can be to maintain their skills, their 
professional networks, and a stable home life. By combining targeted 
reemployment services with unemployment insurance benefits, we will 
help keep people attached to the labor force who might otherwise become 
discouraged and give up looking for a job.

  In my home State of Florida, it is estimated this bill could provide 
up to 25,000 additional individuals claiming unemployment benefits each 
week with access to reemployment services.
  Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to support the 
bipartisan BRIDGE for Workers Act.

[[Page H3150]]

  

  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. LaHood).
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Walorski for her hard work on 
this particular piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1759, the BRIDGE 
for Workers Act, also known as the Building on Reemployment 
Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act. I am also 
proud to join Congresswoman Murphy, Congresswoman Torres Small, and 
Congressman Davis, my colleague from Illinois, in being part of this 
bipartisan legislation.
  Since becoming a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I have been 
focused on closing the JOBS Act, improving workforce development, and 
removing barriers to employment.
  It is incumbent upon our Federal Government, in coordination with 
States and local governments, to ensure that those looking for a job 
have the necessary tools and skills they need to get back into the 
workforce.
  Last Congress, we worked in a bipartisan fashion to codify into law 
the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments program, 
bolstering its funding and improving the effectiveness. These 
reemployment services include career counseling, resume support, 
individualized reemployment plans, and access to trainings for those 
receiving unemployment insurance.
  The goal of this program is to promote rapid reemployment and, 
ultimately, shorten benefit durations for all unemployment insurance 
claimants, not just those most likely to exhaust all benefits.
  This bill makes a technical correction to ensure that States have the 
flexibility to provide reemployment services to all insurance claimants 
from a variety of backgrounds and help them return to work more 
quickly. This legislation builds on the recent law that improved the 
reemployment service program and will ensure that those in need of 
these services will be able to access them.
  With over 7 million unfilled jobs in this country, it is crucial we 
work with our States, including my home State of Illinois, to provide 
the necessary resources to fill these jobs. Finding skilled workers is 
one of the number one issues in my district and many districts across 
the country: finding enough relief welders, truck drivers, construction 
workers, machinists, nurses, technicians, just to name a few.
  Empowering individuals to get off the sideline and back into the 
workforce is something this body should always strive to achieve. Every 
week that a person is out of work, through no fault of their own, is a 
week too long. This bipartisan fix to reemployment will help these 
individuals get back to receiving what they want most: a job and a 
paycheck.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee 
for their support on this legislation, and I urge its passage in the 
House.

                              {time}  1330

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu).
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the BRIDGE 
Act, which would ensure that all unemployment insurance beneficiaries 
could use reemployment service grants to get back to work sooner. 
Currently, only unemployed individuals who are likely to exhaust their 
unemployment benefits have access to these grants.
  I know this change will make an impact in my district. In Pasadena, 
California, the Employment Development Department administers this 
program, which offers an orientation to dislocated workers. At the 
orientations, these clients are given a tour of all the services 
available, including partner services under the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act, and they are then able to pick out a service that 
best fits their needs.
  But this change would allow all individuals to have access to this 
program and will help coordinate services better so that staff can help 
these individuals so that they don't have to figure it out on their 
own, and then more dislocated workers in my community could find work 
more quickly.
  It would help people like Hector. Just last week, I met with the Los 
Angeles Workforce Development Board and they told me his story.
  Hector lost his job as an account manager, where he was making $44.71 
per hour. This forced him to seek public assistance to make ends meet 
for himself and his family.
  Through the help of the staff at the East Los Angeles/West San 
Gabriel Valley America's Job Center of California, Hector was able to 
receive a referral for an interview with the Maintco Corporation and 
was provided a bus pass that enabled him to get to the interview. He 
was able to quickly secure employment as a finance controller and is 
now making $55 an hour, which is $11 more than when he lost his job.
  We must pass this bill to make sure that individuals who lose their 
jobs are not out of the workforce for too long. I applaud my colleague, 
Stephanie Murphy, for introducing this bill, and I urge my colleagues 
to vote for it.
  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Estes).
  Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. 
Walorski) for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to mention that I, too, rise today in support of 
H.R. 1759, the BRIDGE for Workers Act. This technical correction bill 
builds on the progress we made in last year's budget act to provide 
reemployment services to help get more people back to work faster and 
easier.
  While the intent of last year's law was to allow job counselors to 
consult with unemployed individuals as soon as possible, oftentimes 
implementation of the law led to this happening only in cases where 
unemployment benefits were set to expire.
  Today's bill realigns reemployment services and eligibility 
assessment with the original intent of their mission to assist 
unemployed individuals as soon as possible to get people back to work.
  I know, in my district, case managers at the Workforce Centers of 
South Central Kansas provide a critical service connecting people with 
jobs or skills training to further their careers.
  At a time when our economy is growing at historic rates and we have 
more job openings than ever before, the work these centers provide is 
extremely important to help make sure all Americans can participate in 
this economic revival.
  I want to thank my fellow Ways and Means Committee members for 
working to bring this bill to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to 
support it.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), a member of our subcommittee
  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Danny K. Davis).
  Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely delighted to rise in support of H.R. 
1759, the Building on Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good 
Employment for Workers Act, also known as the BRIDGE for Workers Act.
  I do want to congratulate the authors of this bill, Mrs. Walorski and 
my colleague Mrs. Murphy, for their effort in putting this forward.
  This bill aims to provide workers receiving unemployment benefits the 
support they need to not only get back into the workforce as soon as 
possible, but to prevent them from being unemployed in the first place.
  This legislation is so important because it would extend reemployment 
services and eligibility assessments to all claimants of unemployment 
benefits, rather than limiting these benefits to only those who are 
expected to run out of benefits. Helping all unemployment insurance 
claimants reenter the workforce is vital for a robust economy that will 
only thrive with a skilled workforce.
  Mr. Speaker, research shows that the longer workers are out of work, 
the harder it can be to maintain their skills. Reemployment services 
equip workers with important tools, such as individualized career 
counseling and job search assistance, to find a job well matched to 
their skills and experience more quickly. This helps to stabilize 
families' income.
  These are the kinds of services that we need to invest in as a 
nation, especially since we know that not all boats are rising in this 
economy.
  In my own State of Wisconsin, funding to the Department of Workforce

[[Page H3151]]

Development's Reemployment Services Program was bolstered for fiscal 
year 2019, with an increase of nearly $722,000. Already, we have seen 
improvements in the program's effectiveness for Wisconsinites in need 
of just a little bit of extra assistance with finding suitable 
employment.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also note that the BRIDGE for Workers Act was a 
bipartisan effort, so important for getting things done. We are pleased 
with the overwhelming cooperation on both sides of the aisle, and I 
urge my colleagues to support its passage.

  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how 
much time I have remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois has 9 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Torres Small), a cosponsor of this 
bill.
  Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express 
my full support for H.R. 1759, the BRIDGE for Workers Act, led by 
Representatives Murphy, Walorski, LaHood, and myself.
  Mr. Speaker, my State of New Mexico continues to suffer from one of 
the highest unemployment rates in the country. In one county in my 
district, the unemployment rate is 17 percent.
  As lawmakers, we must prioritize policies that will help counties 
across the Nation like Luna County combat systemic problems that are 
preventing a swift return to the workforce.
  Research shows that the longer workers are out of work, the harder it 
can be to maintain their skills and the more likely workers will fall 
out of the labor force entirely.
  When I was in college, my dad lost his job to funding cuts. My 
parents and I had just taken out loans so that I could go to college. I 
remember sitting in class, worried. I was homesick, and I felt 
powerless to do anything to help my family through that difficult time.
  My dad is one of the hardest working people I know. On his own, he 
got the training he needed to find a job in our hometown, but it took 
years. We all made sacrifices in the meantime.
  I worked multiple jobs, and I graduated in 3 years to help limit that 
debt, and I took on my parents' loan payments to help out.
  Now my dad is a schoolbus driver, and the kids he drives to school, 
the colleagues he serves as a union president, and our community are 
all better because of the work that he does. I just wish he had found 
his second calling earlier.
  This bill will help. The earlier we retrain people, the earlier they 
find new careers. This helps people in their most vulnerable moments. 
It supports families, and it builds stronger communities.
  That is why I am proud to help lead the BRIDGE for Workers Act, which 
will help unemployed individuals find a job faster so that they can 
provide for their families and get back on their feet as soon as 
possible.
  This would fix a flaw in the current law that limits reemployment 
services to only those expected to remain unemployed after their 
benefits run out.
  Reemployment services are essential, as they give people without a 
job the tools they need to get back to work through programs offering 
targeted job search assistance, career counseling, and interview and 
resume workshops. With greater access to these services, unemployed 
individuals will be more likely to find a job faster and rejoin the 
workforce.
  This bill is also cost effective. Since it allows States to use their 
reemployment services grants more effectively, individuals will return 
to work quicker, which will generate more savings for our government.
  When Americans who want to work hard get the support they need to do 
just that, we all succeed. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle to support this legislation and help unemployed Americans 
across our Nation get back on their feet.
  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).
  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand as a member 
of this subcommittee to support the BRIDGE for Workers Act.
  Mr. Speaker, no person wants to be without a job. I think that the 
hardest and most important thing that we as Members of Congress can do 
is to support the American worker to not only stay employed and find 
jobs, but, when they have to lose their job, that they are helped to be 
retrained--and that is exactly what this bill will do.
  This bill will provide better reemployment services. Right now, they 
are limited. By expanding it, we will help American workers who are 
unemployed get back to work quicker and faster.
  I want to acknowledge that this is a bipartisan bill. It is exactly 
what the American people need to see us do, which is to help workers 
maintain their dignity by not only staying employed but, when they lose 
their job, getting reemployed.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan piece of 
legislation and want to thank the chairman of our subcommittee and the 
ranking member of our subcommittee for bringing this bipartisan bill to 
the floor.
  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. I am prepared 
to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, as you have heard today, the ability to pair benefits 
with services can have a profound effect on the lives of workers and 
their families. At a time with more than a million more jobs than we 
actually have unemployed, this effort is especially critical. This bill 
gives States the flexibility they need to make reemployment services a 
great success.
  Again, I urge support of H.R. 1759, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I came to this session with the simple notion of coming 
to do a job and to go do my work. Listening to my colleagues' 
representations and their articulation of experiences and what this 
bill really means, I am renewed, and I am delighted because it is an 
important bill, seriously important.
  Yes, in many places the economy is good; people are able to work. But 
bridges connect and transport, and this bridge connects people to the 
opportunity to get a job, to go back to work, to be able to take care 
of their families, to have money so that their children can go to 
college or they can sustain themselves while their daughter is 
completing her education.

                              {time}  1345

  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleagues, Mrs. Murphy and Ms. Torres 
Small; the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mrs. Walorski; and Mr. 
LaHood, my colleague from Illinois, for their ingenuity, creativity, 
and for the introduction of this tremendous piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1759, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the 
yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________