Trump admin backtracks on closure of Job Corps program after bipartisan opposition from Congress
Trump administration backtracks on closure of Job Corps program after bipartisan opposition from Congress
By Lisa Rein June 19 at 9:36 PM
The Trump administration on Wednesday scrapped plans to kill a U.S. Forest Service program that trains disadvantaged young people for rural jobs after a bipartisan outcry from Congress.
The decision came after weeks of heavy pressure from lawmakers from Montana to Kentucky, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). The Forest Service had planned to begin layoffs of 1,110 employees by September, believed to be the largest number of cuts to the federal workforce in a decade.
The offices of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, whose agencies oversee the 25 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers and dozens of others in urban areas, said in a joint statement that the administration is committed to making the program better and stronger.
For the time being, USDA does not intend to transfer these centers to [the Labor Department] to allow management to determine a pathway that will maximize opportunity and results for students, minimize disruptions, and improve overall performance and integrity, the statement said.
The administration will conduct a robust organizational review to determine the appropriate course of action, keeping in mind the [Forest Service] mission, the students we serve, and the American taxpayers.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-administration-backtracks-on-closure-of-job-corps-program-after-bipartisan-opposition-from-congress/2019/06/19/64cea1b8-92ea-11e9-aadb-74e6b2b46f6a_story.html