Click here to view video of Murphy’s remarks. 

WASHINGTON — During a U.S. Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on Thursday, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) touted the success of the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative and invited U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta to eastern Connecticut to see the program firsthand. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Murphy helped secure funding for the manufacturing initiative. Murphy emphasized the importance of investment in job training to keep manufacturing jobs in America. 

The Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative is a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor and local manufacturers that has resulted in nearly 1,000 job placements at local manufacturers, including over 700 jobs at Electric Boat. 

“Your department has had a longstanding, very important partnership with the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative, which is a really innovative program in which Electric Boat, the local workforce development port, and the Department of Labor have aligned resources … And given the fact that Electric Boat is going to be asked to do more, this pipeline now becomes more important than ever, because if we can’t find these workers to do this work here in the United States, either we won’t deliver the product or we’ll be forced to buy more of this stuff overseas,” said Murphy. 

Murphy continued, “I would love to have you come at some point and see the very smart investment that the Department of Labor has made in the [program.]”

Highlights of Murphy’s exchange with Secretary Acosta are below:

MURPHY: “Second question is on the interaction and integration that you have with the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense has been given a slug of new resources. They’re going to be purchasing a lot more from suppliers and contractors all across the country. That will be happening in Connecticut, where we are going to be asked – and are glad to be asked – to produce an additional undersea capacity for the Navy. 

“Your department has had a longstanding, very important partnership with the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative, which is a really innovative program in which Electric Boat, the local workforce development port, and the Department of Labor have aligned resources that have resulted in [over 700] job placements through this pipeline ending up at Electric Boat. And given the fact that Electric Boat is going to be asked to do more, this pipeline now becomes more important than ever, because if we can’t find these workers to do this work here in the United States, either we won’t deliver the product or we’ll be forced to buy more of this stuff overseas – especially the parts that go into the submarine. And I could tell you the same story with respect to jet engines or helicopters.

“I would love to have you come at some point and see the very smart investment that the Department of Labor has made in the Eastern [Connecticut] Workforce Pipeline Initiative, and I just wanted you to comment on how important it is to make sure that this new military programming gets done in the United States because we’ve made investments in workforce.”

ACOSTA: “Senator, I am a big fan of having it done in the United States, and I’m happy to commit to visit. I try to visit various places both to learn – you know, I see great partnerships sometimes with community colleges, as I mentioned to Senator Baldwin – and I think it’s important to get out there, so I’m happy to commit to that.”

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