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Floor Speech
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Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, I rise today to shine a light on Donald Trump's dismantling of yet another critical program that Nevadans and young people across our Nation rely on--the Job Corps Program.
Job Corps was established by Congress to provide young people with the skills training that they need to access good-paying, in-demand jobs. It is the largest residential career training program in the entire country, providing young people--many of whom were previously homeless or at risk--with housing and skills training in fields like manufacturing, construction, and healthcare.
Once they graduate, they enter the workforce and contribute to our communities and our economy. They learn the skills necessary to build their lives, to build their futures. It is truly a great program that has helped more than 3 million people have a chance at the American dream since 1964.
Unfortunately, Job Corps centers across the country received a stop work order at the end of last week that instructed them to close their doors and send all of their students back home, including Nevada's Job Corps campus, the Sierra Nevada Job Corps Center, in Reno, NV. This is going to be devastating--devastating--for the tens of thousands of young people who are currently enrolled in all 50 States.
The Trump administration--well, it claims it supports trade schools and job training, but, frankly, if this administration really knew anything about the Job Corps Program, they would know that they are trade schools. They are centers where students go, where they study, where they work hard, and where they earn their certifications that allow them access to good-paying jobs. So why is Donald Trump closing down this program and taking away the opportunity for these students to work? It just doesn't make any sense.
Shutting down this program will also immediately evict more than 300 students at the Nevada campus alone, many of whom have nowhere else to go, students like Samuel, who wrote to me, saying:
I am a nineteen-year-old student who attends Sierra Nevada Job Corps. I happen to be a paraplegic who was adopted at the age of seven. Since then, I've had many health issues and trials, which made it very difficult for me to do all of my school classes. . . . Then I came to Job Corps eight months ago and am actually doing very well.
Job Corps has provided me with more than just an education and vocational training; it has offered me a safe haven, a community, and a path forward.
The comprehensive support [allows] me to focus on my personal and professional development without the constant worry of where I will sleep or how I will eat. For individuals like myself, Job Corps is NOT merely a program; it is a LIFELINE. The prospect of its closure is not just a policy issue; it is a PERSONAL CRISIS.
Without Job Corps, I face the grim reality of UNEMPLOYMENT, of HOMELESSNESS, and the continuation of a cycle of POVERTY that has been difficult to break.
When rumors of the Trump administration's cruel plan came out, countless Nevadans who care about Job Corps immediately reached out to my office, many sharing their stories of students this program helps.
Job Corps is life-changing, lifesaving for these young people. Since the stop work order went into effect, those students themselves have been reaching out and speaking out too, students like Selena from Reno, who wrote in, saying:
Since being at Job Corps, I have earned six credits in the three months that I have been here. . . . I also have received my chainsaw certification and respirator certification. . . . If Job Corps closes, I won't have any other chance at an education. I'll leave with an incomplete trade and be unemployable in what I trained in, and I'll leave with no diploma.
And Pamela said:
I worked SO hard to get where I am now. Months ago, I was struggling, trying to figure out life. I didn't know what to do. I was working from warehouse to warehouse until I heard about Job Corps.
That's when I knew if I came here to Job Corps, I could do something with my life and show my son that it is NEVER too late to accomplish your goals. . . . Now, I'm here working with 100 percent of my strength and energy. . . . But if Job Corps closes, I will have no other education opportunities.
These stories are heartbreaking. They are hard to hear. These young people and so many more like them have gained hope and confidence. This administration is going after kids who want to grow, who want to learn, who want to work, who are trying to do the right thing, students who are trying to do what they have been told their whole lives to do: Get an education, work hard, and get a good-paying job to be able to live the American dream.
This closure is not only going to hurt those kids, this closure is going to hurt those looking to serve our Nation, those young folks who wish to join our military, students like Anthony, who wrote:
I was recommended to go to Job Corps by my older brother, who had graduated from here back in 2013, and he is now working as a contractor for the United States Air Force, and he believes it's all thanks to Job Corps.
If Job Corps closes, I will be at a disadvantage in my pursuit of joining the military, which is my goal. Without Job Corps, I will be unable to earn my diploma and unable to leave with the required certifications for the career that I think will be amazing for my future.
So now just imagine tens of thousands of students just like Samuel, just like Selena, Pamela, and Anthony who are working on building a better life for themselves, working hard. They want to build a better community for everyone. That is who the Trump administration is sacrificing, students like Samuel, Pamela, Selena, and Anthony, kids who want to build a life for themselves. And for what and for whom? Tax cuts for the ultrawealthy--that is who.
As I share these stories, students at Sierra Nevada Job Corps are walking across the stage right now, which could be their final graduation. Meanwhile, sadly, this administration is working overtime to give billionaires like Elon Musk more government contracts, more money, and more tax breaks and putting the American dream out of reach for thousands of students in need. It is putting their future and the future of our communities at risk. Again, I say, for what and for whom is the sacrifice of our kids? It is to give billionaires a bigger tax break.
This program has support from both sides of the aisle. There are Job Corps centers in blue States and red States. Since 1964, this program has helped literally thousands of young folks build a career and build a life. We cannot allow Donald Trump to end Job Corps and kill the dreams and opportunities for young people across our country.
Mr. President, I urge my colleagues in both parties to join me in supporting Job Corps and pledging to do everything we can do to fight back against any and all efforts to defund this critical trades program--a critical program for the lives of our young students.
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