Robert Greenway, Rep. John Carter (R-TX)
Central Texas has become a sterling example of how America can restore its manufacturing capacity and industrial strength, which is central to our defense industrial base and national security. A recent visit to meet with local and state stakeholders revealed that public-private partnerships can effectively overcome the obstacles and impediments to expand and return industrial productivity, accelerating economic growth, creating jobs, and safeguarding our military capacity.
Unfortunately, our visit also made clear that the policies of the Biden-Harris administration impede growth, obstruct workforce development, constrain employment, and have placed our defense industrial base and national security at risk.
One of the main problems is that the United States no longer trains and educates workers to sustain the needs of the defense industry.
This is largely due to the federal government’s heavy subsidization of colleges and universities through federal student aid, grants, and contracts, amounting to over $100 billion annually. This outsized support has come at the expense of technical colleges and trade schools. When the federal government attempts to unlawfully forgive student loans or increase college accessibility by pouring billions into the system without guiding students toward economically viable degrees or certifications, it only makes matters worse and ultimately does the country a disservice.
The United States has a great need for more doctors, engineers, and scientists, but it also has a need for welders and workers in advanced manufacturing. Unfortunately, liberal policies from the federal government are discouraging millions of Americans who are not planning on getting a four-year bachelor’s degree from training and entering the advanced manufacturing workforce. It would be better to redirect a portion of federal education funding toward instructing people in the skilled trades.
Another good step would be for federal lawmakers to decouple federal financing from higher education accreditation. Colleges and universities must receive an “accreditation stamp” to access federal student aid dollars. » Read More
https://www.heritage.org/jobs-and-labor/commentary/texas-shows-how-build-jobs-while-biden-and-harris-hold-us-back