INTRODUCTION OF THE PROMOTING NATIONAL SERVICE AND REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT ACT; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 9
(Extensions of Remarks - January 15, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E41]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTRODUCTION OF THE PROMOTING NATIONAL SERVICE AND REDUCING
UNEMPLOYMENT ACT
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HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
of the district of columbia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Promoting
National Service and Reducing Unemployment Act to address one of the
greatest workforce tragedies resulting from today's economy--our
unemployed young people--and to spur economic growth and to alleviate
strain on state and local governments. This tragedy is not only harming
our young people, but it is also costing our government billions of
dollars each year in lost productivity, lost tax revenue and other
costs. Although total unemployment has reached a relative low (3.5
percent), the unemployment rate for young people is eight percent.
These young people have not had a fair chance to use the high school or
college education we strongly urged them to obtain.
What is particularly disappointing, particularly in today's low
unemployment economy, is the high unemployment rate for young people
who heeded our advice to graduate from high school and college. The
total unemployment rate is currently eight percent for people 16 to 24
years old, 4.5 points higher than the overall employment rate, and
hundreds of thousands of them now compete for unpaid internships
wherever they can find them. By significantly expanding AmeriCorps, my
bill would need no new administrative structure or bureaucracy but
would allow unemployed young people to earn a stipend, obtain work
experience and develop a good work history to help secure future
employment. The net cost of the expansion would be low because these
young people would be providing urgently needed local services that are
being eliminated or curtailed because of state and local budget cuts,
such as after-school programs, tutoring and assistance for the elderly.
The bill would significantly expand job opportunities for young
people who have done what they could to enter into the job market, but,
despite their best efforts, remain unemployed in this economy.
AmeriCorps participants receive a living allowance and are also
eligible for an education award equal to the value of a Pell grant,
school-loan forbearance, health care benefits and child care
assistance. By expanding AmeriCorps, we would reduce the number of
unemployed young people, provide them with work skills and experience
and help cash-strapped state and local governments provide services
that they would otherwise have to cut or eliminate altogether.
For some time, it has been clear that policies to address the most
stubborn forms of unemployment need to be targeted in order to be
effective. Without significant targeting, many young graduates will
continue to face their first years as adults without jobs and with no
way to acquire necessary work experience. They deserve a better start
in life as adults. I ask my colleagues to support this urgently needed,
targeted assistance for young, unemployed Americans.
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