Bipartisan Workforce Bills Moving in Congress

In December, Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.)—chairwoman and ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce respectively—announced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Manufacturing Institute publicly commended the committee on its efforts and is pleased to see many of the policy priorities we identified addressed. Details on the legislation can be found here.

More good news: In addition to the WIOA bill, the committee also announced a bipartisan agreement that expands Pell grant eligibility to shorter-term job training and education programs and provides a quality assurance framework for those programs focusing on outcomes. Both of these bills were reported favorably out of committee with broad support in December.

Stay tuned: This bipartisan agreement in the House demonstrates that policymakers are looking for common-sense updates to our nation’s workforce and education policies. The MI looks forward to supporting these bills on the House floor in 2024 and working with the Senate to enact companion legislation.