Youth Employment Legislation Statement on House of Representatives Approval of the Legislation.

The President expressed his deep appreciation to Speaker O'Neill and Members of the House today for their overwhelming support of H.R. 6711, the Youth Act of 1980. The President has stated that youth employment legislation is one of his top domestic priorities, and he is extremely pleased with the broad, bipartisan endorsement that the bill received. The President especially praised Chairman Carl Perkins and Gus Hawkins and Congressmen Jim Jeffords and Bill Goodling for their support of the legislation.

The President believes this $2 billion initiative to provide job skills and basic education to more than I million disadvantaged and unemployed young people is the key to lowering the unacceptably high rates of youth unemployment. He is hopeful that the Senate will soon take up this legislation and that a bill can be enacted before the October recess.