Over 30 senators sign on in support of workforce.

Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) circulated last week a “Dear Colleague” urging members of the Senate to join them in asking the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee to restore funding for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Wagner-Peyser Employment Services, and Perkins Career and Technical Education programs to 2010 levels.  Twenty-nine Senators signed the bipartisan letter:

And three additional offices—Senators Landrieu, Mikulski, and Casey—decided against signing on to the Dear Colleague, but suggested they would include support for workforce funding in their own letter to the appropriators. 

Congress cut more than $1 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 funding for federal job training and employment programs, and the House is expected to propose even further reductions in FY 2012, slashing funding for these critical services while eliminating or consolidating key workforce programs. If enacted, these proposals would significantly reduce access to needed skills training and related services for the nearly 16 million unemployed or underemployed workers across the country, and would stifle economic growth by reducing the ability of employers to fill current and future job openings. It is extremely important to demonstrate strong support for these investments, and the Blumenthal-Collins Dear Colleague is a great step in the right direction. 

Thank you to everyone who weighed in with their Senators and helped make this letter a success!