(Like Al Gore has always said, the climate crisis is both a danger and an opportunity. As an aside, here at yKos, Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Reid were held up by Shrub’s FISA demands. We here at Calitics wish Rep. Solis the best of luck in helping to advocate a reasonable and balanced approach towards the use of eavesdropping. Rep. Solis is always somebody we can count on to work for good, progressive public policy. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)
Well, the Republican Minority is intent on obstructing our progress on important health, appropriations, and energy bills, so we find ourselves in session on this Saturday morning.
Today the House is considering H.R. 3220, The New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act. I’m very pleased that Title I of this comprehensive bill is the Green Jobs Act, legislation (H.R. 2847) I introduced to authorize $125 million for workforce training targeted at veterans, displaced workers, and individuals – including at risk youth – who seek employment pathways out of poverty. Training would be for jobs in such sectors as green building, energy efficiency and retrofit – jobs that can lead to self-sufficiency and prosperity through higher wages, access to benefits and more career choices.
The Green Jobs Act also creates groundbreaking “Pathways Out of Poverty” grants to specifically target individuals in families under 200 percent of the federal poverty line or self-sufficiency standard for local areas where the training occurs. The Pathways Out of Poverty grants will help ensure that this new and profitable green collar sector of the American workforce is open to all Americans, regardless of their current income level. With proper training and targeted work force investment, we can help retrain existing workers whose current jobs are becoming obsolete and lift low-income workers out of poverty and into the expanding field of green collar jobs.
The strength of our nation’s economy depends on the availability of a highly skilled and well trained workforce. We owe it to future generations to have the courage and commitment to choose a path toward a sustainable, secure energy future through a commitment to a green collar economy.
I look forward to the House passing this important legislation today and urge you to contact President Bush to express your support for it too.
www.house.gov/solis
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