Transcripts For CSPAN Interior 20240704

Comcast. Do you think this is just a Community Center . No. Its way more than that. Comcast is partnering with a thousand Community Centers to create wifi enabled lists so families can have the too they need for anything. Comcast supports cspan. Along with these other Television Providers giving you a frontrow seat to democracy. Julie su signed memorandums of understanding with interior secretary deb haaland and Environmental Protection agency chief of staff dan utecht at the Labor Department in washington, d. C. It focused on creating union jobs and a clean energy. And well hear from stakeholders on advancing these goals. [applause] good afternoon, everyone. I want to start the program with a warm welcome to the department of labor to witness our partnership across the federal government with the signing of two separate memorandums of understanding between the department of labor and department of interior and Environmental Protection agency. I am theresa acuna, Deputy Director of the Good Jobs Initiative here at d. O. L. The Good Jobs Initiative helps support collaborations between these agencies as we aim to realize the vision of President Biden. And through the leadership of our respective leaders. This work and today would not be possiblefit were not for the countless people in each of our agencies who believe we can act on Climate Solutions and create good and equitable union jobs for all. [applause] i want to give a special shout out to our colleague at interior and e. P. A. You know who you are. In the audience. For your partnership and trust as we work together. Today you will be hearing from our Agency Leaders on their vision for creating good jobs and a clean economy as well as a Panel Discussion with leaders making our goals real on the ground. Now its my pleasure to introduce our esteemed leader at the department of labor. Acting secretary julie su. Acting secretary su is a nationally recognized expert on workers rights and civil rights who has dedicated her legal career to advancing justice on behalf of poor and us enfranchised communities. She previously served as the d. O. L. Deputy secretary and secretary of the California Labor and Work Force Development agency. Every day, acting secretary su challenges us at the department to think of the best ways to unleash the full power of the department of labor and act on it. Shes a sincere thought partner and true collaborator and is the first to recognize that it will take our collective action to see this moment, making today that much more important to us. So with that, i welcome acting secretary su to the stage. [applause] julie thank you, theresa. Thank you so much. I want to echo her welcome to all of you for being here but also thank her for her incredible efforts and her leadership inside the department. Along with the rest of my team at d. O. L. , the department of interior, and the Environmental Protection agency. What we are talking about today is a Historic Collaboration between our departments. And how work is going to impact workers, our climate and tomorrows work force. That would not be possible without the incredible work represented by the people in this room. So our department of labor building is named for Francis Perkins who was the first woman cabinet secretary for any president. And by all accounts, the most consequential labor secretary in history. Thats why im particularly excited to welcome secretary deb haaland to our building todayer. The secretary of the interior. Who is also, shes the first native american to serve in any cabinet, under any president. Yes. You can give that a hand. [applause] she is a Laguna Pueblo citizen and was the first native American Woman to be elected to lead a state party in her home state of new mexico and one of the first native american women to serve in congress. So shes a living embodiment of something that i have seen throughout my career and my life and experienced in everywhere i go, which is that diversity and excellence go hand in hand. So thank you very much, secretary, for being here. And that idea that diversity and excellence go hand in hand is also fundamental to President Bidens vision for what a strong and resilient economy looks like. He talked about and challenges us all to build an economy from the middle out and the bottom up. And in order to do that, we have to be very cleareyed about who has for too long been at the bottom. Who are the communities, who are the individuals, who are the families where workers do not enjoy a just days pay for their hard days work . Where a worker gets up in the morning and isnt sure he or she is going to come home safely at the end of the day. Where whole communities have been shut out of opportunities in the past and today and shut out of the opportunities to get good jobs due to discrimination or occupational segregation or other forms of marginalization. It is also not an accident that those same communities who suffer from poor jobs also suffer the worst effects of our Climate Crisis. So, we are here today to talk about how we can address those harms together, because we cannot build the economy that President Biden envisions unless we fix those things. So we have a moment, we have a moment that were in now, with historic investments in our nations infrastructure, in our nations manufacturing, p in our nations clean energy, and by the president s vision in our nations workers. So investing in the investing in america agenda, the president and cabinet have been out across the country talking about what investing in america means. Were here to do that right here at the Francis Perkins building for the department of labor because we are trying to deliver on a once in a generation moment of solving a whole bunch of challenges in this country all at the same time, including the need for good jobs and the need to combat the Climate Crisis. We have prioritized federal infrastructure investment, Regional Economic development, swept innovative Work Force Development opportunities to answer this question, are we going to have the workers for all these good jobs that are being created . And key to all of this, as you hear the president say and i believe in strongly and everyone across the cabinet does too, the right to form or join a union in the workplace is fundamental to what it means to have a good job, Strong Community and a good life. [applause] so the work thats going to come out of the partnership were talking about here today are part of the proof that we do not have to choose between workers and our climate. We dont have to choose between good jobs and the environment. So. Weve seen this in some of the progress made under bindomics but theres a whole bunch more work to do and our partnership is going to continue to allow us to roll up our sleeves together and get that work done. We are going to do it with great intentionality to make sure the workers and communities left out in the past are not left out in the economy that we build going forward. The partnership has allowed us to will allow us to continue to embed job quality and equity criteria in the trillions of dollars of federal funding going out into communities. The m. O. U. s were going to sign today are going to allow us to focus resources and expertise of not just the leadership but our entire department to ensure we are taking all the correct actions to leverage the froths ability to move action the federal governments ability to move action on the ground, to what we say need to be done with federal dollar, but also to listen to and build on expertise of communities and work in communities on fielding equitable, strong economies and Work Force Development programs. So im just so excited ability this partnership with secretary haaland, with dan and the e. P. A. , all of you here. We know that this that successful Work Force Development happens with work rooted in community, going work to understand what the challenges and the abilities and talent that was been left out in their communities are. So with that, im going to actually ask our panelists to come up because were going to talk about some examples of people who are doing this work on the ground the right way in a way that really reflects the president s vision of how to build a strong economy. While they come up im going to tell you who they are. Thank you so much for being here. We are joined today by frank howard iii. [applause] and wayne. Go ahead, have a seat. Frank has been treasurer of howard pumping company inc. , a Family Company founded by his father. Since 2006. Hes been a fixture in the howard offices for his entire life. Howard pumping company inc. Is a Specialty Contractor with unique expertise in the drilling and grounding of abandoned coal mines to prevent ground substances, working with numerous abandoned mine programs throughout across the United States and howards work force includes Union Laborers including pile drivers. Thank you for modeling what it means to build the economy that President Biden envisions. Lee is the regional programming more for the labor climate project in ohio and she is a member of u. S. W. Local 1046 in louisville, ohio. A 24year maintenance employee with a bachelors degree from Kent State University which she completed while working full time in the shop. So [applause] her parents were steelworks and her grandparents were union members. Last but not least, commissioner richardson is the Strategic Partner for labors Eastern Region and the leader of path to membership, which provides a path out of poverty through union membership. Thank you all for joining us. I want each of you to do a quick lightning round, 90 seconds, of what you see as the opportunity now given your background in this space for beth addressing our Climate Crisis and our good jobs crisis in this country. Frank, ill start with you if thats ok. Frank i think the important thing is that we have a time and history in history where we can come together and meet and theres funding opportunity to do work that is very hard to do, that takes a lot of unique skillsets. And expertise. And that traditionally doesnt have funding. At the same time we can invest in work Forest Development which is from a business perspective very difficult to do. And there is a long tale to doing that. That is to stay the investments in work force dont pay off right away. So it has to be an ongoing investment. So i think the vision that we have here and the funding available is really a unique opportunity to get some of this work done and done well. Lee thanks, thank you all for this opportunity, super excited youre doing this. Im a boots on the ground gal. Blue Green Alliance is a coalition of labor and Environmental Partners who believe as you mentioned, secretary su that we do not have to choose between good jobs and a Clean Environment they go hand in hand. So weve been at this, b. G. A. Has been at this for 17 years. I for 10 in ohio. I started when i was 12. [laughter] and heres what i see from on the ground, is education, trust building, relationship building, making sure the right people are at the table, and this opportunity that youre doing today will only broaden the folks that we can bring in to the table and all speak from the same place. Wayne wayne richardson. Happy to be here. Thanks to all of you for coming. Thanks for putting this together. One of the things that i see that we need to do when we talk about infrastructure dollars and all of these things that are going to happen, going to be so wonderful. Weve got to make sure that the people who, secretary su mentioned who have been marginalized get a real opportunity. And ive been a part of these good job summits in the past and one of the things that ive said and i hold to that right now, those who control the money make the rules. So youve got to make sure the rules are in place that will connect the jobs and all of the things that President Biden is attempting to do in Holding People accountable, the folks who are going to receive the money. So its not just putting the money out there. And we have to train the work force which is one of the things that the laborers are doing now with our pathway to apprenticeship. Mike sure they have a real opportunity to get into the trades, get into the union. And thats one of the things that were doing thats going to be essential. Were going to need the work force. Going to be a lot of money but we have to be ready and trained when that money hits the ground. Julie thank you so much for that. Lee, im going to ask you a question based on what you said about the need to put all the pieces together. Can you say a little bit more about why its so important to bring climate, environmental folks together with labor as we implement the funding . Lee yes. So, you know, it takes a long time to build trust between different organizations, right . And what this historic legislation has given us the opportunity to do on speed is to bring those folks together and explain to them that we have to work together. And we have to trust one another. And i think, you know, throughout the country, this is going on. But i know for sure its going on in the state of ohio. Our abandoned land mine work, we have the lay borers at the table, we have the operate the laborers at the table, the operators at the table. Ohio valley river organizations at the table. Our youll utility scale solar work. We have developers, i. B. W. At the table. All talking to one another. Singing from the same himmal. Its been an amazing thing to see. And youre right, the Apprenticeship Program, the folks that have been left out, we need to double down our efforts and bring them along as well. Julie i love that. The way you put it, when there are rules in place for how people are supposed to operate, we have a fair game. And you know, just to follow up, because your work on abandoned land mines, theres such an overlap between what the department of superiors funding opportunity of interiors funding opportunities create and what youve been doing what does a partnership between the department of labor and department of interior mean for you . How does it affect your work when there are standards in funding at the front end . Lee can i call out a couple of people from d. O. L. And d. O. I. Who have been instrumental in this . Wendy in the front row, ruku, there she is back there julie can you stand up when she says your names, please . [applause] lee these gals, these gals have joined an over other week call with 20, 25, 30 folks from respective states, mostly in appalachia, had the patience to explain this program, encourage us to bring folks along to this program, it has obviously not been codified until today but it has been such a pleasure working with them, and they have theyve made friends. Our labor in kentucky, lonnie, likes to call out winnie and say, winnie, what do you think about this . These folks are just salt of the earth folks that are that are going to bring these folks along in. August in ohio were having a round table, webinar discussion, with signatory contractorsed on how to bid this work. This is historic. Theyve never they dont know this program. Theyve never been made aware of this program. And here we are going to tell them that this funding is going to come for at least the next 10 years. And its going to be your work. Its really something to be part of. Julie thank you, lee. What youre saying is when there are criteria, conditions at the beginning, it creates opportunities for the work to be done the right way and to make sure that workers can do that work. Come out of programs. Lee and the right people are at the table. Weve all heard, if youre not on not at the table youre on the menu . Weve got them at the table. Julie frank, to that point, i often say theres vast Common Ground between whats good for employers and whats good for workers. And you and the company that has been in your family for generations is a very good example of that. You use union labor. You talked about the Business Case for Work Force Development. Can you tell us why your business sees value in Union Partnership and the value in respecting your workers rights to join a union . Frank sure. I think its two very important elements. Clearly, it is about providing quality Career Opportunities for individuals. I mean, the union work force, its good wages. Its healthy benefits. Its robust retirement. So its training opportunities. Its an opportunity to better yourself. Its an opportunity to make a good life without necessarily having to need a college education. So thats point one about the Union Tradesmen and the union work force. From a Business Owners perspective, i think its important to call out, especially in the construction rem, and im generalizing a little bit but if youre looking at Union Tradesmen versus nonUnion Tradesmen youre getting a more professional result by going with the Union Tradesmen. Were talking about safety. Awareness of safety. More safety training. So thats good for everybody. Were talking about Quality Control and quality assurance, so the projects are built faster and at a better quality. And then finally, its what were all talking about, its about Work Force Development. And really unions are set up to do that very well, where especially with doctorrors that are contractors that are smaller or mediumsized its difficult to do Work Force Development well. Because its a significant investment. And like i said, in the intro, theres a long tail associated with it. Thats really thes by case for being a Union Contractor versus a nonUnion Contractor is you have all those benefits, you can attract a good quality work force. And im proud to say that were Union Contractors. I know my folks are out there working hard every day and im proud that theyre making a good living doing that. Julie frank, youve just described something we believe in deeply which is that when Labor Management, partnership, coalesce in work Forest Development it leads to the best outcomes. I wonder what would you say to to other companies who are trying to solve the issue of how youre going to have the workers to do the work that we have, especially in a moment of historic growth where employers are going to see more work. More opportunity. What how describe, it may seem so obvious to you but from a going back to the real basic, could you just talk about how you came to the realization that working with the workers, with the best way to build a work force, keep the work force and talk a little bit also about apprenticeships for that. Frank sure. Theres a lot to unwind there but i think really what it comes down to is collaboration. With our signatory unions. Thats where the real benefits start to accrue. Work force development, it takes time. Its not difficult. Apprenticeships are key. The unions and in particular id like to call out local 66 operating engineers in pittsburgh they do a fabulous job. We have a great relationship. We work, we talk, when i have a need, i call them. I call the leadership. They know what im looking for. And they understand my needs. But they do a really fabulous job with the apprenticeship, their apprenticeship facility is first class, world class. It has classroom, lots of handson learning opportunity, it has a shop, its great. Its a great opportunity for training, its a great opportunity for career advancement. And we in the construction industry, we have a particular challenge in that we have failed to attract the younger generations into our work force. So as we look forward to one of the challenges that, you know, we have in all this investment and to into a clean any economy is that we need to get young people interested. And unions are really a great way of doing that. They have the economies of scale that allow them to do Work Force Development in an effective way. So you know, i think that when im talking to other contractors who maybe dont see the benefit of union, i would have them seriously take a look at that for sure. But at the end of the day, the challenges that every company faces, it has to be met with planning and it has to be met with collaboration with your partners. Julie yeah. Thank you for that. I think that do you want to Say Something about that . Wayne i want to echo what was just said by my colleagues here, its about having the right people at the table, but having an inviting table so that you can were talking about building coalitions here, right . Coalition building is exactly what were talking about. Youve got to invite everyone and have everyone who wants to participate who has a shared goal sit at the table and have a discussion. Figure out how to best move things forward collectively. Because you cant do it as individual labor union or individual company. You have to invite others to make it inviting for folks who, companies who dont have a relationship with labor unions can talk to Company Owners who do and make it they can understand, let them know what the benefits are. And there are a lot of benefits to having union labor on your projects. Lee if somebody would raise your hand if youve ever been to an Apprenticeship Program of my of the trades. Are they amazing . Yeah, and they want you to come if you didnt raise your hand and want to see Something Like that, please put it on your next tour of stops. Its amazing, its really good stuff. Wayne one last thing. When we talk about union labor, union jobs, were talking about careers. Were not just talking about a job. Were talking about having a long career with benefits, health care, pension, and if you dont know what a pension is, a lot of young folks probably dont, you know about a 401k but ill put my pension up against your 401k any day. [laughter] julie yeah. So to summarize a little bit of this, so much of Work Force Development is about plan, as you said, right, but on the day that you need the workers to start is too late to think about where theyre going to come from. So the planning and creating a table for planning is so important. When you have a Labor Management relationship, theres someone to plan with, not just for the future jobs, but for the future of the industry that youre in, in really valuable ways. And it also neverbeforeseens means that that work force is demand driven, theres a specific job to be done that training will lead to, thats a different way of thinking about Work Force Development, right . For a very long time Work Force Development was just about training for skills that maybe would lead to a job. And now people would wonder why dont people come to those programs . Its a very different thing to do a Training Program in which theres an employer at the table also who knows that what they need and are going to hire you at the end of that program and apprenticeships are a good example of that also. So thank you all for sharing just like how we think about the most effective ways of answering these questions are there going to be enough workers in the job. Im going to let you brag a little bit we know what you have done when you were president of local 55. You worked with the city of new fork, new jersey, to overcome a lead crisis. Under your leadership there the union supported the city as it replaced 100 of the lead service lines. It was over 23,000 of them. [applause] and just let me brag a little bit before you brag on yourself. You made sure those were done by good, union workers. Those were union jobs. And that they were accessible to women, to people of color, to black, indigenous an other communities that have been left out and underserved workers in the community so thats sort of the trifecta of the things we think of as the key to bindomics. How do we immediate to bidenomics. How do we meet needs and make sure these are accessible to everyone. And you supported womenowned and minorityowned contractors. The bipartisan infrastructure law provided e. P. A. With 15 billion to invest in the water sector. We want everyone who turns on the faucet in their home to have clean water coming out of it. So please talk about how community can lef rablg e. P. A. Investments today to support Work Force Development, equity and Good Union Jobs in the water sector. Wayne build a coalition. Bring the municipality, the unions, environmentalists, everyone from the community, have a conversation at the table. It has to be inclusive. Right . The mayors and the folks of these municipalities have to have the willingness to want to work with unions. All right. What we were able to do in newark, because the mayor, he came from a union, teachers union, he understands understood, you know, the value of the of being a union member. So through my relationships with the community, with the administration, the affirmative action, with the hiring rules of the city of newark, and 472, the laborers 472 who actually did the work, we were able to come to an agreement where they brought in apprentices from the laborers, who are still working today, theyre still working for 472 even though that job is finished, they built good careers. We were able to build that coalition and groundswell around thousand do this the right way. Talk about people being marginalized. The mayor was insistent. Youre going to hire a certain amount of minority contractors. Period. And youre going to hire a certain amount of minorities from the city of newark, period. Else you general contractors are going to take the work away. There was no ifs, ands or buts. There was no best effort. It was, this is what youre going to do if you want this work. When i talk about language and those who control the money, make the rules, the rules cant be that good faith effort that we know doesnt work. Right . It has to be a dictatorship. You have to say this is what this is what we want to see, right . This is the number that youre going to meet or else youre not going to be on the job, period. Because thats the only way that the folks who you want to attract, who you want to give an opportunity to, will get an opportunity. Because we dont do that, the big boys are just going to split it all up like they normally do. Julie thank you. Im going to ask you a question and ask everyone else to weigh in on it too. I do think its hard to dispel misconceptions about what it means to work with unions. Oftentimes. And that includes, you know, like you said the project Labor Agreement on a project, right. Weve talked about some of the benefits of that. Could you talk, speak to companies who are unfamiliar with tools like the things that youve mentioned we know and frank as mentioned this too, they actually cut cost, it cuts costs overall to do things the right way from the front end. It cuts costs to invest in and create partnership with your workers. It results in a welltrained work force that wont only be able to do the job, thats going to be retaind for the next job. Can you just talk about how communities can use p. L. A. s on projects in the water sector and more broadly how to dispel the notion that bring a union in creates more costs or more complications. Can you address that for us head on. Wayne sure. One of the misnomers, so initially it may cost you more. Right . A union worker versus a nonunion worker. But what do you get in that union worker . You get a skilled, trained, safe worker who is going to be more effective and more efficient. So while you may be paying x amount for this nonunion worker or your work force and youre paying a little more for your union work force, nine times out of 10 the union work force is going to finish that job more effectively li and more efficiently on time and underbudget so youre going to save money in the long run. Thats what people dont understand. They just see the initial investment of what its going to cost. But you have to weigh everything. And unions finish 15 , 20 cost less in the long run at the end they have project than nonunion outfits. Project aboar agreements, what we have to do a better job, let me just say this. Unions have to do a better job of giving certain people an opportunity. We have to do a better job of opening our doors and opening our books to minority communities and im not going to name any names but they know who they are. And they just need to do a better job of giving folks an opportunity. Ill leave that right there. Julie thank you. Lee . Lee i would weigh, in to piggyback off wayne, these folks are in your community, right . They buy the pizza at the local pizza shop they go and have their hair done at the local salon they coach their sons in little league. Many times youll find with a nonunion work force theyre either airlifted in or outside of that rem. And so these folks that when you bring a p. L. A. Into the picture, most times those folks are from that community. And giving back to that community. In so many ways that go unnoticed and unrecognized. Julie thank you. Frank . Frank the only thing i think i can add, ill echo the statements of my fellow panelists, but my experience with p. L. A. s is usually on very large construction projects. So these are complex projects. Thousands of craft workers on site at one time. Multiple contractors. Very usually difficult schedules, tough projects, and having that p. L. A. In place not only ensures all the things weve talked about, a level Playing Field for all contractors, good opportunities, good careers, but it also provides the rules that we can all get the job done safely, on time, and done well because construction is a difficult its a difficult job. Its often combative. Theres problems that nevittly come up. Theres disputes. Having that framework in place gives you a way to solve those problems and solve those disputes before they get out of hand. Julie thank you. So much. Frank, lee, wayne, thank you for all the sharing your experiences. Also making the Business Case, the worker case, the Community Case for hoe howe we can do this right. I want to ask a very quick question to bring it all home for us. What makes you hopeful in this moment for all the things you have been working toward . What makes you hopeful, theres work to be done, no question. I know youre thinking about that too, can you in 10 seconds. Lee opportunities like this. What youre doing here today and im not sucking up in any way. [laughter] this is historic, right . And to be able to sit here and represent so many of the folks that are out there in the field doing this hard work and knowing that its going to make a difference in their lives, thats what makes me hopeful. Julie wayne or frank . Wayne President Biden. [applause] wayne giving folks an opportunity who may have never had an opportunity. The most unionfriendly president in my lifetime they have thing hes putting in place, and i like bidenomics. It works for me and it works for people who look like me and its going to people who look like me are going to do better under this president than any president that i can remember. So President Biden. Thank you for creating pathways out of poverty. [applause] frank i would just say shared interests. We have disparate groups here coming together and realizing we all have common goals. [applause] julie lets give our panelists another round of applause. Thank you, thank you. All right. Wonderful. So now the moment that were all gathered for. Were going to sign the m. O. U. s between the department of labor and our sister agencies. Im going to first ask dan utech to come up. Hes chief of staff at the Environmental Protection agency. Dan, come on up. When i was first nominated to be u. S. Labor secretary, i sat down with administrator michael wee began who is the wiegan, the first africanamerican man to run the e. P. A. , hes all in on the president s agenda and the ability for us to collaborate together. Im so glad, dan, youre able to join us here today to be part of the affordable entry of the relationship weve been in in for a while. Id like to turn over the podium to you beforehand. [applause] dan good afternoon, everybody. Great to be here. With colleagues from across the administration and with partners in labor and environmental movements. Proud to represent e. P. A. And the administrator here at this event. Its an honor for know share the stage with acting secretary julie su, shes an incredible, dynamic leader. Secretary haaland, it is an honor to be here with you as well. Thank you. [applause] so administrator egan wanted to be here. As it happens at this moment hes in baltimore with the vice president. Where hes announcing a 20 billion grant opportunity, call it the Greenhouse Gas reduction fund, its going to Fund Clean Energy projects all around the country so the focus today on creating good jobs with federal investments could not be more timely for us at e. P. A. Good jobs and a clean economy. Thats what we think about every day at e. P. A. And across the administration, its important to us and more importantly its important to workers all around the country so when i think about a good job, i think about a worker who isnt anxious about living paychecktopaycheck because they have a stable source of income that compensates them fairly for their hard work. I i i think about a worker who has a sense of security because they have paid sick leave. And insurance. I think of a worker who feels safe because their work site is free from harassment and discrimination. And workers who are free to organize. Were making sure our federal investments, historic investments, create jobs that treat workers with dignity and we reward them for hard work. As President Biden says, its growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up. E. P. A. For me is where i started my career. Its always been a great place to work. Theres never been a better time to be e. P. A. Than right now. Thanks to President Biden, e. P. Ample has put forth 100 billion to invest in america. Its unbelievable with that funding were going to tackle climate change, advance Environmental Justice and create jobs all around the country. Were moving as quickly as we can to get this funding into American Communities and were already seeing results. Just last week, the administrate yorvited grand rapids, michigan, where lead pipes are being replaced, waip, something you know a lot about. He said superfund sites where cleanup is under way after years of delay. And hes visited communities where electrics buts are already taking kids too and to and from schools. These things will happening all around the country and its possible because of the president s investing in america agenda. As we continue to move to a cleaner economy you know we have to focus on the workers who will carry out this transition. We can and we will have good paying union jobs and expand opportunities for workers with two who have too often been left behind. At e. P. A. Were pushing ourselves to think creatively and ambitiously about this work, creating high quality disbroshes a diverse and skilled American Work force. In that work were benefiting from support of our department of labor colleagues including the team behind the Good Jobs Initiative so thank you to them. I also want to recognize Rachel Zuckerman and john who are here from e. P. A. In particular and thank them for their work. [applause] were hard at work to realize this vision. Ill tick off a couple of examples. When e. P. A. s office of water released guidance last year, urged states to use project Labor Agreements, Community Benefit agreements and invest in registered apprenticeships. Two weeks ago, the administrator announced 7 billion solar for all grant competition. And that competition emphasizes work Forest Development and high quality jobs including asking to include letters of support from labor unions with their applications. For our climate pollution reduction grant program, a program that runs through states. The 46 states that have opted in and are going to be doing planning, planning work with grants from e. P. A. , that competition requires them to do a work force analysis as part of their Climate Action plans. This requirement will encourage states to think proactively and wholistcally about impacts to their work force and how partnerships with labor, Community Based organizations and educational institutions can help create high quality jobs. With our 5 billion clean schools but program were asking School Districts to demonstrate how theyll prepare their work forces for the transition to clean buses without replacing or displacing their current workers. Were continuing to explore mechanisms for strong labor practices at the manufacturers who are building these buses, and with the expertise of our partners at the department of labor, our current grant competition included a questionnaire about Work Force Development and job quality practices and this information will help School Districts find schools but suppliers whose values match their own. Finally we updated our master grant terms and conditions to make clear you cant use e. P. A. Funds to oppose union organizing, period. [applause] so we made some progress, we want to go even further and for e. P. A. , this signing of the m. O. U. Is not just the beginning of our efforts, its a commitment to ensure that the transition to a clean any is a Just Transition with a strong emphasis on good jobs. We cant do it alone, we appreciate the support of the department of labor and everybody in this room. On behalf of administrator regan were proud to sign this today. Thank you very much. [applause] [applause] julie all right. And now, i want to invite the amazing, the historic, the impact. Secretary deb haaland of the department of interior to come up and talk about all the work shes doing. [applause] deb hello, everyone. I am so proud to be here, proud to to partake in this amazing event and its an honor to join all of you, thank you so much, acting secretary su, my friend and colleague, for hosting us, and thank you to lee, wayne, and frank for sharing your stories because stories are what move us forward, and so happy to meet you as well, dan. Thank you all so much. Its important to hear stories. Because these because these are stories of how familysustaining job creation can combat environmental injustice and advance a Clean Energy Economy and so thank you again. Since day one of the bidenharris administration, the department of the interior has led the way in creating goodpaying jobs in the Clean Energy Economy that so many of us are working to provide for our country and its future. With funding from the president s investing in america agenda, were putting Historic Resources into the work force throughout our nation to support conservation, legacy pollution cleanup, Outdoor Recreation and our collective effort to address the Climate Crisis. Im thrilled that our new memo, memorandum of understanding, with the department of labor will support cooperative efforts that help us draw on the strength and creativity of every worker in america. As our administration implements historic funding opportunities, we are putting workers first and making clear that when we invest in our people and strengthen working families, we see Economic Growth that benefits all americans in all of america. Key to this effort is the historic 16 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to tackle legacy pollution. This is particularly critical to lift up communities that have historically borne the brunt of environmental injustices. My community in the pueblo of laguna is one of these communities. There we are still dealing with the after effects of a mine that left behind damage that ruined the health of so many people. Its rewarding to travel the country to see cleanup get under way in communities that have been left behind. Its especially rewarding to know that these local communities have a direct say in how this work gets accomplished. On a recent trip to pittsburgh, a Small Business owner told me that hes been able to nearly double the wages of his workers and he expects to hire even more employees because of the amount of work generated by these funds. And were just getting started. As we make new funding available, were encouraging states to use project Labor Agreements and a union work force to keep trained workers and Economic Opportunity at the center. Our Clean Energy Goals also present enormous opportunities for new familysustaining jobs. Through innovative lease stipulations and bidding credits we are launching a robust, resilient, domestic offshore Wind Supply Chain and the jobs that come with it. We are already seeing success with our administrations commercial offshore wind projects which are being built with union labor. Just last week the Departments Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved ocean wind one, our third offshore wind project which is expected to create more than 3,000 goodpaying jobs. Were excited about this new m. O. U. That will help put workers and communities at the center of our clean energy transition. Thank you all so much again for joining us today. Thank you for sticking with us and thank you for everything you do for our communities, now and in the future. Thank you. [applause] [applause] [applause] [laughter] [applause] julie thank you all so much for being here. With know these dont happen by accident. Weve been very intentional about all the things we talked about. Thank you all for sharing this with us. [applause] [captioning pe republican president ial candidates have been hitting the campaign trail. Tonight, south carolnator tim scott talks to supporters in dat, iowa. And then miami suarez campaigns in manchester, new hampshire. And then well hear Florida Governor ron desantis. You can watch it on cspan. Our free video app cspan now and online at cspan. Org. Cspans washington journal. A live forum involving you discussing the latest issues in government, politics, and Public Policy from washington, d. C. And across the count