House Passes Congresswoman Cori Bush’s First Pieces of Legislation, Amendments to the National Apprenticeship Act
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed two of Congresswoman Cori Bush’s (MO-01) amendments to the National Apprenticeship Act (H.R. 447). The first amendment, #30, introduced by the Congresswoman and cosponsored by Congressman Jamal Bowman (NY-16) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), would add child care as an eligible transitional assistance service for formerly incarcerated people entering the workforce through the registered apprenticeship system.
“I am a former child care provider who couldn’t afford to send my own children to the very child care center I worked in,'' said Congresswoman Cori Bush. “We know that more than 80 percent of women in jail are mothers to minor children and are their primary caretakers. We cannot allow child care to be yet another barrier for formerly incarcerated people entering the workforce. My amendment is a vital step towards ensuring that anyone who is returning home from prison or jail has the resources they need to reunite with and provide for their families.”
The Congresswoman gave remarks on the House floor earlier today in support of her amendment, #30. To watch and download the Congresswoman’s remarks, click here.
The second of the two amendments, #22, which the Congresswoman co-led with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), would make renewable energy jobs an occupation that qualifies for nontraditional apprenticeship qualifications that may receive grants.
“We are in the decade of the Green New Deal. That means we must bolster the green jobs workforce in St. Louis and across the country. I want communities like ours to be at the heart of the clean energy revolution and my amendment will increase opportunities by providing grants for renewable energy jobs through the registered apprenticeship system.”
“St. Louis — these two amendments mark our first pieces of legislation to pass the House of Representatives,” Congresswoman Bush, continued. “As we continue our work in Congress, I will ensure that your voices are heard in every discussion and included in every piece of legislation the House considers.”
About the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021
During a time of record unemployment, the bipartisan National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, invests more than $3.5 billion over 5 years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships. The proposal would create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities on top of the current expected growth of the apprenticeship system. It would also yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased workers productivity and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance.
The National Apprenticeship Act was first signed into law in 1937 during the Great Depression. In addition to creating pathways to the middle class and beyond, this reauthorization would help our nation recover from deepest economic decline since that time. Investing in this proven workforce system now will provide more Americans with a paid pathway to high-quality employment opportunities.
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Congresswoman Cori Bush represents Missouri’s First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. She serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She is also a Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She is a registered nurse, single mother, and an ordained pastor. Following the murder of Michael Brown Jr. by a now-terminated Ferguson police officer, she became a civil rights activist and community organizer fighting for justice for Black lives on the streets of Missouri and across the country.