Administration 'strongly opposes' GOP job training bill

The White House says it “strongly opposes” a House GOP bill that would consolidate job training programs.

In an official release, the Obama administration said the Republican bill – the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act – “takes some positive steps” and stopped short of an official veto threat.

But with a final House vote on the bill expected this week, the White House also said that the SKILLS Act would streamline programs without ensuring that veterans, young people, those with lower incomes and other populations get the assistance they need.

“Any effort to streamline the current system must allow for sufficient funding to meet the needs of workers and job-seekers, as well as adhere to certain core principles,” the statement of administration policy said.

“It must improve services; provide easy one-stop access to those services, including for vulnerable populations; reflect employer and regional economic needs; enhance accountability and transparency; and promote continuous innovation and improvement.”

The administration also said that the federal government should be doing what it can to help people find jobs, and that it is exploring the possibility of reorganizing current government jobs programs.

The SKILLS Act is part of Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) latest attempt to rebrand the House GOP’s agenda, as Republicans try to broaden their focus from debt and deficits.

Cantor and other top Republicans – like Rep. John Kline, the chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, which cleared the SKILLS Act – are holding an event in Virginia on the measure on Thursday.

Democrats on the Education panel walked out of a committee vote on the bill last week, saying the GOP’s efforts on the bill were merely public relations.

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