{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://houchin.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-houchin-introduces-bill-prioritize-evidence-based-programs", "Congresswoman Houchin Introduces Bill to Prioritize Evidence-Based Programs", "2023-08-01", "2023", "2023-08", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Erin Houchin", "H001093", "houchin.house.gov", "houchin", "https://houchin.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-Ind.-09), a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee and the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, introduced the Prioritizing Evidence for Workforce Development Act. The bill requires workforce development funding be prioritized for programs with proven success, like the Goodwill Excel Center in Clarksville, Indiana.\n\nIn committee, Congresswoman Houchin has focused on the need for workforce programs to re-engage the 40% of able-bodied adults who are not currently participating in the workforce.\n\n\u201cThroughout my travels across the district and meeting with business owners, workforce shortages are always at the top of their list of challenges. That\u2019s why my first bill in this committee focuses on re-engaging the 10 million American adults who are not participating in the workforce. We have seen successful models like Goodwill Excel Centers that educate and assist with the employment of non-traditional students. This bill ensures these and other programs like it will be prioritized in receiving funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorization. This will be a big first step toward rebuilding the economy and growing the workforce, and I thank Senator Braun for working with me on this important issue,\u201d said Congresswoman Houchin.\n\nCongresswoman Houchin introduced this legislation alongside Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) who introduced the same legislation in the Senate earlier this year, making the bill bicameral.\n\n\u201cWorkforce shortages are top of mind for Hoosier businesses when I travel the state. The best solution for this issue lies in effective, evidence-based education and workforce development programs to prepare Americans to fill these jobs and close the skills gap. I\u2019m glad Congresswoman Houchin is introducing this legislation in the House to ensure that evidence-based workforce programs are prioritized across the nation,\u201d said Senator Braun.\n\nIn April, Congresswoman Houchin visited the Excel Center in Clarksville. In May, Congresswoman Houchin highlighted the Excel Center\u2019s great work in the House Education and Workforce Committee as she discussed the need to improve the current skills gap and address the workforce shortage. Watch the hearing video, here.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve been there and seen it firsthand and the Goodwill Excel Center is doing amazing work by taking that marginalized population and providing them an education and opportunities that they might not otherwise have,\u201d said Congresswoman Houchin in the hearing.\n\n\"We applaud and appreciate Congresswoman Houchin for introducing this common-sense change to our adult education system. Prioritizing improvements based on evidence will help students and families achieve economic prosperity. As a provider of adult education through Adult High Schools, we welcome the increased emphasis on ensuring that our programs are serving our clients well,\u201d said Senior Vice President Betsy Delgado of the Goodwill Excel Center National Office.\n\nIn addition to Senator Braun, the legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Lisa McClain (R-MI-09), Mary Miller (R-IL-15), Larry Bucshon (R-IN-08), John James (R-MI-10), Aaron Bean (R-FL-04), and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17).\n\n\u201cThe workforce shortage in this country continues to be a crisis with no end in sight\u201d said Congresswoman McClain. \u201cI am proud to cosponsor the Prioritizing Evidence for Workforce Development Act to remedy this problem and support young folks that are wanting to enter the American workforce.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Prioritizing Evidence for Workforce Development Act is a common-sense approach to addressing our workforce challenges, closing the skills gap, and helping to fill the 11 million job openings in the United States. Michigan\u2019s 10th Congressional District currently faces significant workforce challenges, and this bill would directly address these challenges while encouraging Americans to develop new, practical skills for future employment,\u201d said Congressman John James.\n\nThe Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), enacted in 2014, was the most recent update of the public workforce system and was designed to connect skilled workers with employers.\n\n\u201cToo many times in government, we continue to throw money at programs without much thought to tying funding to the outcomes we seek to achieve. Previous workforce reform prioritized connecting job seekers to employers. In today\u2019s economy, if you are seeking a job, you can find one. The current workforce challenges have outgrown the 2014 WIOA, and we must change our approach. This legislation is one piece of our plan aimed squarely at that goal,\u201d said Congresswoman Houchin.\n\nAs the Education and Workforce Committee considers WIOA reauthorization, Congresswoman Houchin is pushing for the need to prioritize funding for proven evidence-based programs.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:30:18Z"]], "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://houchin.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-houchin-introduces-bill-prioritize-evidence-based-programs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.9809401128441095, "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"}