Hoyer Delivers Remarks at Business 2 Business Luncheon at the "Nine Innings of Networking" Southern Maryland Hiring Event
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) delivered remarks at a luncheon for community and business leaders at the "Nine Innings of Networking" Southern Maryland Hiring Event and introduced the keynote speaker, Deputy Secretary of Labor, Christopher Lu:
"Thank you, and I'm so glad to be here today as job-seekers from across Southern Maryland meet and network with area businesses looking to hire.
"Creating good jobs right here in Maryland's Fifth District remains my number one priority as your Representative in Congress. And we've been making strides when it comes to growing our regional economy, investing in a top-notch workforce, and creating the conditions that attract innovators and entrepreneurs.
"Today, though, is about making sure we can connect those job-creators with the workers they need. That's why hiring events like these are so important and why I'm proud to partner with the Tri-County Council, the Job Match Re-Employment Project, the Southern Maryland Workforce Investment Board, Southern Maryland Job Source, and the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, Regulation, and our many sponsors to make today's networking program possible.
"It's also why I've been leading an effort in Congress called Make It In America, which – in addition to promoting job growth – seeks to invest in building new links between workers and employers by partnering institutions of higher education with local manufacturers and expanding opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, and training for in-demand job skills.
"We must do a better job as a nation of ensuring that education is the first step on a pathway to a career – and that those who lose their jobs mid-career have the resources they need to find new jobs quickly.
"Make It In America is a bipartisan plan that has a two-fold purpose – to help our businesses make ‘it' here, by producing the goods that make the world run, and to help more workers and their families ‘make it' here.
"What does it mean to ‘make it' in America?
"It means having a good job that pays well and opens doors of opportunity that lead to a secure place in the middle class. Those who have lost jobs as a result of the recession and budget cuts know how precarious their place in the middle class can be. But it ought not to be.
"That's what Make It In America is all about.
"The Obama Administration understands this well, which is why the Labor Department, under the leadership of Secretary Tom Perez and Deputy Secretary Chris Lu, has been working tirelessly to promote partnerships between potential employers and job-seekers as well as to create programs ensuring that job-seekers are able to train in skills that employers need.
"We are so fortunate to have Deputy Secretary Lu here with us today as our keynote speaker, and it is my distinct honor to introduce him to you.
"Prior to joining the Labor Department in April, Deputy Secretary Lu served as the White House Cabinet Secretary – essentially the President's chief liaison to the executive departments.
"He first served President Obama in the Senate, first as Legislative Director and then as Acting Chief of Staff. He worked as a Congressional aide to Rep. Henry Waxman of California and clerked for Judge Robert Cowen on the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
"Deputy Secretary Lu holds degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
"Please join me in welcoming him to Maryland's Fifth District."