{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-mciver-reintroduce-bill-protect-and-prepare-workers", "Reps. Cleaver, McIver Reintroduce Bill to Protect and Prepare Workers for Economic Impact of AI", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", "cleaver", "https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Tech Initiative, along with Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), reintroduced the Workforce of the Future Act, legislation that would require a detailed study to grow our understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), its impact on the economy and workforce, and determine the skills necessary for workers to succeed. Additionally, the bill would provide workers, teachers, and students with the resources to develop integral skills required to participate in the workforce of the future. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).\n\n\u201cWhile there is much excitement about the potential of AI and the benefits it can bring to our communities, there is also much concern about the impacts it will have on American workers, their jobs, and their wages. It is critically important that we take steps today to prepare our nation and our workforce for the economic consequences that are rapidly approaching with the growing adoption of AI,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver. \u201cThe Workforce of the Future Act will provide the investments necessary to ensure American workers are ready and able to capitalize on those opportunities and that nobody is left behind.\u201d\n\n\u201cWorking people deserve innovation that expands opportunity\u2014not eliminates it. Strengthening our understanding of how AI is impacting jobs in real time and investing directly in education makes sure Americans are not caught flat-footed as AI accelerates,\u201d said Rep. McIver. \u201cBy prioritizing training that delivers economic gains to young people and underrepresented communities, the Workforce of the Future Act puts power back where it belongs: with the people who keep our economy running.\u201d\n\n\"Artificial intelligence is increasingly disrupting our economy, contributing to layoffs and occupational changes,\u201d said Senator Blunt Rochester. \u201cBuilding off the work done by Senator Laphonza Butler in the last Congress, I\u2019m proud to introduce the Workforce of the Future Act alongside Senators Hirono and Schiff and Representatives Cleaver and McIver. This bill allows us to remain proactive, protect workers who are most impacted by the technology, and supercharge the future of work by ensuring our future workforce has the skills they need to succeed. As Delaware\u2019s former Secretary of Labor, I have spent my career ensuring people can access and maintain stable, good-paying jobs. I will maintain this commitment in the Senate as we race to confront the challenges of tomorrow.\u201d\n\n\u201cAI is already transforming every corner of our economy in California and across the country. That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical the federal government do more to evaluate how AI will impact workers, while also investing in job training programs to prevent AI-related job displacement,\u201d said Senator Schiff. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to join Senators Blunt Rochester and Hirono as well as Representatives Cleaver and McIver on the Workforce of the Future Act. We must act now to gain a full understanding of the impact of AI on the workplace, so we can ensure access to good paying jobs for the American people even as technology changes how we work.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs advanced and emerging technologies\u2014including AI\u2014become rapidly integrated within society, it is imperative that we prepare our workforce for these changes,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cSpecifically, we must ensure advances enabled by AI are used to strengthen, not weaken, the workforce. I am proud to introduce the Workforce of the Future Act to better prepare and equip workers with the skills necessary to adapt to AI and a rapidly-changing work environment.\u201d\n\nWithout proper guardrails, the impact AI could have on our economy is wide-ranging. According to studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), AI could replace nearly 12 percent of the workforce. Currently, many recent college grads report being unable to find work. This legislation addresses the most pressing concerns behind AI\u2019s rapid advancement in our workforce while also providing resources to prepare individuals to succeed in advanced technology sectors.\n\nThe Workforce of the Future Act will:\n\nRequire the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Educationto jointly and efficiently prepare a report analyzing AI\u2019s impact on the economy and workforce that must identify critical information, including what industries and jobs will be most impacted, how job quality will be impacted, necessary skills for workers, and recommendations for preparing the 21st century workforce.\n\nAuthorize the Department of Education to award $160 million in grants to support expanding access to emerging and advanced technology education. Grants will help support foundational and innovative STEAM learning for students who need this knowledge to participate in the 21st century workforce.\n\nGrants must leverage information and recommendations from the report and may be used for teacher training and recruiting, high-quality learning materials, reducing gaps in access for underrepresented groups, engaging industry, and providing necessary support for student success.\n\nAuthorize the Department of Labor to award $90 million in grants to support workforce training for workers most impacted by AI.\n\nGrants must leverage information and recommendations from the report and support the training of workers to prevent AI-related displacement and provide immediate support and training to workers who experience job loss in AI-impacted industries.\n\nThe Workforce of the Future Act is co-sponsored by Representatives Dan Goldman (D-NY), John Larson (D-CT), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).\n\nThe Workforce of the Future Act is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Anthropic, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Microsoft, the National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), OpenAI, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).\n\nOfficial text of the Workforce of the Future Act is available.\n\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cleaver-mciver-reintroduce-bill-protect-and-prepare-workers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.035176381468773, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}