{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://bit.ly/2kAx1XF", "Congressman Thompson Sends Letter Urging Department of Labor to Terminate Proposal to Reduce Job Corps Centers Across the Nation", "2013-04-15", "2013", "2013-04", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie Thompson", "T000193", "bit.ly", null, null, "legacy", "Press Releases\t \n\t \n\t\t\tCongressman Thompson Sends Letter Urging Department of Labor to Terminate Proposal to Reduce Job Corps Centers Across the Nation\t\t \nFor Immediate Release \nLeMia Jenkins \nApril 15, 2013 \n(202) 225- 5898 \nCongressman Thompson Sends Letter\nUrging Department of Labor to Terminate Proposal to Reduce Job Corps Centers\nAcross the Nation\n\nWASHINGTON, DC  Today,\nCongressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), joined by 33 of his colleagues,\nrequesting that the Department of Labors Employment and Training\nAdministration (ETA) terminate the agencys proposals to reduce Job Corps\ncenters capacity nationwide. He released the following statement:\n\nThe decision by ETA to reduce\nstudent slots is extremely shortsighted and seems to be another attempt to\nbalance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable population - our\nchildren. With the current unemployment rate for ages 16-24 hovering around 16\npercent, ETA should focus on job creation for our youth, rather than job\nelimination. America needs a well-trained workforce to foster economic\ndevelopment; this is a time for innovation in industry and a focus on people. I\nam committed to holding ETA and other agencies accountable for reducing\nemployment, particularly at the expense of our youth, said Representative\nThompson.\n\nIf\nimplemented, ETAs plan would result in 500 of the approximately 836 students\nacross Mississippis three Job Corps Centers in Crystal Springs, Batesville and\nGulfport being denied entry into the program. Many of their roughly 450 staff\njobs would be placed in jeopardy. On January 28, 2013, ETA announced the first,\nindefinite, nationwide enrollment suspension in the almost 50-year history of\nJob Corps. ETA Assistant Secretary Jane Oates stated that the action was needed\nto address a $61.5 million Program Year 2012 Job Corps shortfall that ETA\nadmitted to Congress was caused by their mismanagement of the Job Corps budget\nand poor financial controls. With the recent passage of H.R. 933 (P.L. 113-6),\nwhich requires the transfer of at least $10 million to Job Corps to ensure the\nprograms solvency, a reduction in Job Corps Centers capacity is unnecessary", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://bit.ly/2kAx1XF"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4644968323409557, "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"}