Support H.R. 6655 A Stronger Workforce for America Act to re-authorize The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to support federal investment into the WIOA to its authorized levels to enable a local, employer-led and demand driven national workforce system to increase the skills of the American workforce and our businesses’ ability to have the skilled workforce they need to innovate and increase productivity.

• Make workforce data expectations clear.

• Ensure that training programs are market-driven and aligned to the needs of employers focusing on high demand skills and occupations.

• Support incentives, including tax credits, that expand partnerships between employers, education, and the workforce that result in employer-led work-based learning opportunities or high demand educational scholarships. This should include investment in employer aligned innovative strategies to increase apprenticeships.

Support H.R. 6585 The Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, S. 2920 Tax-Free Pell Grant Act and S. 722/H.R. 1477 Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act to expand access and increase funding for the Pell Grant to support short-term credentials sought by local employers and expand eligibility to allow individuals to pursue short-term, high-quality education and training programs to address the worker shortage.

• Index Pell Grants to match inflation, increasing the maximum award to help ensure low-income students can attend post-secondary education or training.

   

Support funding and solutions to address the barriers to entering or re-entering the workforce such as affordable housing, high quality childcare, transportation, healthcare, food security and broadband access.

Support H.R. 6401 The Upskilling and Retraining Assistance Act to expand and modernize employer educational assistance programs to advance solutions for training and re-training the workforce and efforts to unlock and retain more workers.

Support federal funding for postsecondary education research grants and opportunities.

Support policies that reduce long-term debt – with attention to the debt to GDP ratio – to achieve long-term fiscal stability, curb inflation and promote economic growth.

Support pro-business environmental and labor laws that keep costs low for employers, prevent regulatory uncertainty by providing the needed clarity and predictability and promote job growth and innovation.

Support modeling corporate tax benefits for small businesses in a way that is congruent with larger corporate entities to achieve fair and equitable taxation across all business sizes.

Support H.R. 7024 The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 to increase the child tax credit, promote economic growth and innovation, expand the American workforce, and strengthen the competitiveness of American businesses of all sizes.

Oppose any regulations or policies that incentivize able-bodied workers to not join or return to the workforce.

Support maximizing the available federal resources from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and additional legislation and federal funding sources for viable transportation projects including federal funding for the city of Waco’s Speegleville Road Bridge Replacement Project.

Support re-authorization of The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 and additional legislation and funding sources that work to facilitate water reuse and conservation projects that will help meet our area industries’ water needs and conserve valuable water resources now and for the future including federal funding for the city of Waco’s Flat Creek Reuse and Recycling Project.

Support federal regulatory and permitting reform that would streamline water, energy, transportation, and other infrastructure permitting projects to provide the needed predictability for efficient, timely projects.

Support programs that support and fund diverse aspects of vital infrastructure projects including air transportation, broadband, energy, air quality improvements, transportation, and water infrastructure.

Support an all-of-the-above energy approach and the domestic production of efficient energy sources to further Texas’ position as a global energy leader.

Support S. 1557/H.R. 3238 Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023 and S. 657/H.R. 3940 The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act to advance solutions and funding focused on increasing access and expanding the affordable housing supply.

Support legislation and funding for programs and agencies that aid small businesses and entrepreneurs that provide greater access to capital and fosters community development and economic impact, including the Economic Development Agency, the Community Development Block Grant and the Small Business Administration’s 504 and 7(a) programs.

Support international trade policies that encourage economic development, reduce trade barriers, protect U.S. intellectual property, eliminate unfair trade practices, and expand market access for U.S. supply chains.

Support comprehensive Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) legislation to ensure a level, equal playing field in college athletics that prioritizes:

• Prohibits the Use of NIL as an Inducement

• Utilizes Existing Structures, including Preserving the Role of Institutions

• Ensures Student-Athletes are not Employees

• Preempts All Current and Future State NIL Legislation

• Provides a Narrow Safe Harbor

Support legislation that promotes the impact and role of community banks in providing access to capital and supporting small businesses and protects against the enaction of burdensome regulations.