releases: https://woodall.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletter-archive/washington-watch-112320
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| https://woodall.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletter-archive/washington-watch-112320 | Washington Watch - 11/23/20 | 2020-11-23 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Republican | Senate | GA | Rob Woodall | W000810 | woodall.house.gov | legacy | HAPPY THANKSGIVING As we head into this year's holiday season, I want to wish you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. This year has been, without a doubt, a difficult one for so many in our country due to COVID-19. And celebrations around the dinner table will undeniably look different this year compared to most, with many families across the country opting to observe this day with one another virtually in order to best protect friends and loved ones. The CDC has issued updated guidelines on how to best observe Thanksgiving this Thursday, and I encourage you all to continue to follow public health and social distancing protocols to help prevent this virus' spread. Giving thanks in times like these can be difficult, yet we are all blessed in unique ways. Thanksgiving remains a time to reflect on those blessings. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the Seventh District for the past ten years, and I am thankful for your support, your instruction, and your encouragement every step of the way. May God bless each and every one of you and your families this Thanksgiving season. HOUSE MISSES OPPORTUNITY FOR BIPARTISAN APPRENTICESHIP REFORM Members in the House returned to Capitol Hill this past week and brought forward a bill H.R. 8294 to update the National Apprenticeship Act. Over 80 years ago, Congress enacted the National Apprenticeship Act, which created the national registered apprenticeship (RA) system under the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeships prepare workers for specific and highly-skilled occupations through paid on-the-job training and related educational instruction. At a time when more than 45 million Americans hold over $1.5 trillion in federal student loan debt, apprenticeships have and will continue to be an increasingly viable career option, creating an alternative pathway to high-paying jobs that ensure our workforce is well-trained and highly skilled. The National Apprenticeship Act serves a critical role in the apprenticeship space, graduating more than 80,000 apprentices last year in more than 1,200 recognized apprenticeable occupations. Most impressively, more than 94 percent of program graduates go on to retain their employment, virtually debt free, with an average starting salary of $70,000 a year. Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly agree about the merits of this program, and I was pleased to talk about those merits when managing rule debate for H.R. 8294 on the House floor. However, it is clear that there is room for improvement to modernize the national registered apprenticeship program to meet our needs in the 21st century. We were within an inch of passing a truly bipartisan bill, and I am disappointed that the Majority failed to adopt, both in Committee and when offered on the floor, any Republican amendments to cut down on the bureaucratic hoops to register more apprenticeships in the federal program. Businesses need the ability to tailor these programs to meet their individual needs, and we had an opportunity to provide 21st century updates to this 20th century. Unfortunately, for reasons that I simply cannot explain, the majority choose to jam through a partisan bill that will now go nowhere instead of working on a bipartisan bill that could pass the Senate and be signed by the President. You can listen to my remarks by clicking the picture below. Rep. Rob Woodall Manages Rule Debate for H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 In the time we have remaining in the 116th Congress, it is shame that our work continues to focus on pushing bills that have no future in the Senate and are ones that the President has indicated he won't sign. We need to focus on delivering for the American people, which means getting bills signed into law. As I said on the House floor, opportunities for that success exist in a bipartisan agreement on police reform, bipartisan appropriations bills for funding the government for Fiscal Year 2021, bipartisan support for COVID-19 testing and vaccines, and additional support for businesses and workers, including renewing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). We can do better, and I will continue to call on Speaker Pelosi and the White House and Senate leaders to get it done. HOUSE RESOLUTIONS STRENGTHEN U.S. RELATIONS ABROAD While the American people wait on House Democratic leadership to come to the negotiating table to deliver COVID-19 relief for our hospitals and local businesses, my colleagues did come together to pass a number of bipartisan resolutions under suspension of the rules last week, a process which expedites the oftentimes cumbersome legislative process. I am always pleased to see Congress speak in a unified voice on some of the most critical issues of our day, including the rising threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other key geopolitical issues. First, the House passed several resolutions condemning the CCP's draconian human rights record, especially with respect to the citizens of Hong Kong and Tibet. The first, H.Res. 1033, expresses solidarity with the people of Hong Kong and condemns the Chinese government's brutal crackdowns on peaceful protests there. The second, H.Res. 697, similarly expresses solidarity with the people of Tibet and their peaceful quest for real autonomy, despite brutal repression by the CCP. It is critical that the United States government continues to stand in support of human rights around the world, and I was encouraged to see both of these statements pass with resounding bipartisan support. I was also pleased to see the House come together by way of H.Res. 809 and H.Res. 1012 to express our support for the U.S. South Korea relationship, a geopolitical alliance that has, over time, strengthened into a true friendship based on shared ideals of democracy and respect for human rights. The former resolution also recognized the incredible contributions of Korean-Americans in our country. The U.S.-Korea relationship is truly unique, and I look forward to seeing the global impact this partnership will have in the years ahead. RECOGNIZING PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Many of you may have seen friends and neighbors across our community, and across the nation, dawning purple these last few weeks as part of a coordinated effort to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer. That's because November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and this past Thursday was World Pancreatic Day a time aimed at bringing renewed attention to combatting this cancer. Pancreatic cancer is projected to be the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States this year, and 2020 has reminded us why it is as important as ever to raise awareness and support to combat it. As many of you know, just this year, our nation lost my friend and colleague, Congressman John Lewis, to pancreatic cancer, along with roughly 47,000 Americans. With nearly 60,000 Americans diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, a focus on basic research and early detection is needed, and I am proud of the increased commitment I have seen over the last decade in Congress in that endeavor. The bipartisan commitment we have seen to ensuring our leading federal research institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are best equipped to fight this cancer, and the many other diseases and disorders that plague Americans, is significant. I was glad to join my colleagues in pressing for additional NIH funding, and I expect we will see increases again this year as Congress works to pass its final appropriations bills before the funding deadline on December 11th. CONSTITUENT SPOTLIGHT: ADVANCING BIPARTISAN BILLS THROUGH THE HOUSE While it is undeniably true that political disagreements stand in the way of achieving some of our collective legislative goals, it is also true that you hear less about those bills that have wide support from Members on both sides of the aisle. Below are messages I have received from individuals back home about targeted bills and issues they would like to see Congress address. Jamie from Peachtree Corners: As a constituent and a member of the food allergy community, I'm asking that you co-sponsor the (FASTER) Act (H.R. 2117), a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by over 90 House Members. This bill is crucial to me as it protects the estimated 1.5 million Americans allergic to sesame by requiring sesame to become the ninth allergen listed on food labels. James from Cumming: Each year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean -- the equivalent of a full garbage truck being dumped into the sea every minute. This plastic waste litters our beaches, contaminates waterways and threatens marine wildlife. I urge you to support forthcoming legislation and to do all you can to help move our country beyond plastic. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As I described earlier, passing bills under suspension of the rules is a procedural mechanism that the House can deploy to bring legislation to the floor. Passage of these bills require two-thirds support of House Members and is used to advance those pieces of legislation that have broad, bipartisan support. While these bills are often smaller measures compared to the larger bills that pass through my desk on the Rules Committee, they comprise much of the House's bill load and are often common-sense, targeted fixes that can better serve Americans. Last week the House came together to pass more than 50 suspension bills, which you can read HERE. Among those bills passed this week was the bill that Jamie supported the H.R. 2117, the FASTER Act. This bill directs the Food and Drug Administration to add sesame the ninth most common food allergen to its list of eight major food allergens that are required to be identified on food packages. The bill also requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand the collection of information about food allergies in the United States. Additionally, as James mentioned, the desire to protect our oceans from harmful pollutants is a shared one, and the House passed H.R. 4636, the PLASTICS Act, which directs the State Department and USAID to further their pollution reduction programs to reduce plastic pollution globally. Lastly, I was glad to see the Chamber pass several bipartisan Transportation and Infrastructure bills, including H.R. 8408, the Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act, which I spoke about in a previous newsletter and will update Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight, strengthening our aviation safety standards. With the end of the 116th Congress drawing near, it is good to see bipartisan action across multiple committees and areas of jurisdiction. I hope that trend continues when my colleagues and I return to Washington soon for our last legislative stretch. HONORING GEORGIA'S 2021 ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR The Seventh District truly is home to some of the most remarkable students, faculty, and staff in some of the best schools in the state of Georgia. That tradition of excellence means I am never short of opportunities to highlight that good work, including the recent announcement that Forsyth Central High School's Dr. Josh Lowe was recently named as Georgia's 2021 Assistant Principal of the Year. The Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals selected Dr. Lowe for this honor because of his long record of servant leadership in education. After 20 years as a teacher, coach, athletic director, and now as an assistant principal, Dr. Lowe is still as enthusiastic and service-minded as he was in the very beginning. From mentoring new administrators to working collaboratively with teachers, Dr. Lowe hopes to continue to build on Forsyth County Schools' outstanding record of academic excellence. We ask a great deal of our teachers and administrators who we task with our children's educational upbringing, especially during this time. When there is an opportunity to recognize those who go above and beyond in that mission, we must seize it and let those servant leaders among us know how much we appreciate them. That is why I hope you will join me in congratulating Dr. Lowe and his team at Forsyth Central High School on this great achievement. GWINNETT COUNTY LAUNCHES NEW EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM The efforts to address the harmful public health and economic effects caused by COVID-19 have demanded an all-of-government response that brings together federal, state, and local leaders to provide assistance. With federal support from the CARES Act's Coronavirus Relief Fund which provided $150 billion in assistance to state and local governments, Gwinnett County has launched Project Reset a program providing past due rent payments to help families facing eviction. Project Reset is a partnership between HomeFirst Gwinnett and the Gwinnett Magistrate Court, aimed at addressing the 400 active dispossessory filings currently in Gwinnett Magistrate Court where eviction for families is imminent. The second phase of the program will seek to help renters in the pre-eviction face and before eviction notices are filed. I encourage those of you in need of this assistance to call 770-847-6765 or emailMagistrateCourtProjectRESET@gwinnettcounty.com to learn what relief options may be available to you through this program. THE WEEKS AHEAD As Congress takes a brief recess for the Thanksgiving holiday, there is still much left for us to complete before the end of the year. In the coming weeks, we will hold a series of elections to determine committee leadership for the 117th Congress, which in our case will determine the new ranking members for committees that I have served, including Budget. Additionally, the House must take up a number of legislative items including the Water Resources and Development Act, funding the federal government for Fiscal Year 2021, complete our work to finalize the sixtieth consecutive National Defense Authorization Act, and potentially an additional, much needed COVID-19 relief package to address the increase in cases of Coronavirus, the anticipated rollout of vaccines and therapeutics, and assistance for small businesses as we enter the winter months of the pandemic. I believe all of my colleagues share the same desire to complete consideration of all these major bills before the end of the year, and I am hopeful we will take these next few weeks to hunker down and get it done. Sincerely, Rob Woodall Member of Congress | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |