[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14] [House] [Pages 19958-19959] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]IRONWORKER TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NATIVE AMERICANS Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6685) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6685 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. IRON WORKING TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NATIVE AMERICANS. (a) In General.--To the extent funds are made available for this purpose, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, shall annually provide a grant to an eligible entity to provide an iron working training program for members of federally recognized Indian tribes. An eligible entity that receive a grant under this section shall provide a program that meets the requirements of subsection (b) and may require such other criteria of the program and participants of the program as the eligible entity considers appropriate to further the goals of the program. (b) Requirements.--A program funded by a grant under this section shall-- (1) provide specialized training in iron working skills to adult members of federally recognized Indian tribes; (2) provide classroom and on-the-job training; and (3) facilitate job placement for participants upon successful completion of the requirements of the program. (c) Eligible Entity.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, an entity shall-- (1) have proven experience in providing successful iron working training programs to Native American populations; and (2) have the facilities necessary to carry out such a program with a grant provided under this section. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam. General Leave Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Guam? There was no objection. Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, H.R. 6685 would provide an authorization for appropriations that has been made for many years for an Interior [[Page 19959]] Department program which makes grants available to fund a Native American ironworker training program. This program would provide members of federally recognized Indian tribes with both classroom and on-the-job ironwork training. With unemployment rates increasing to a staggering rate of over 80 percent on some Indian reservations, this program is desperately needed. It will provide the program participants with the knowledge and the ability to join a skilled labor force as a career. I want to commend our colleague Mr. Lynch of Massachusetts for his hard work and for his dedication to this piece of legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support its passage. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 6685 reauthorizes a vital educational grant program to train members of federally recognized Indian tribes to become ironworkers. By the way, they are outstanding ironworkers, and they always have been. They built the City of New York and New Jersey, itself, and I have to recognize their capabilities. This apprentice program has trained thousands of Native Americans over the years, providing graduates with careers, earning above-average wages. Graduates of this program have been a significant source of economic support in their tribal communities. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I urge all Members to support this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6685. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ____________________