President Trump Signs Thompson’s Career and Technical Education Bill into Law in Oval Office Ceremony

WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump signed U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson’s career and technical education bill Tuesday during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House.  

Last week, the House unanimously passed H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which overhauls the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. The $1.2 billion program hasn’t been reauthorized by Congress since 2006.

The bipartisan bill was approved unanimously by both the House and the Senate. U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) cosponsored the bill with Rep. Thompson.

“I was proud to join President Trump Tuesday for the bill signing in the Oval Office because this bill truly is a win for the American worker,” Rep. Thompson said. “This bill has been a longtime coming and I am pleased that it has been approved unanimously by the United States Congress and now signed into law by President Trump.

“Given the dramatic evolution of our nation’s workforce, it is imperative that we create clear pathways to education and training for students interested in pursuing careers in high-demand industries and technical fields. As Co-Chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am proud of this bill, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act — a well-engineered, bipartisan reauthorization aimed at permanently closing our nation’s skills gap. This law will work to restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity for every American regardless of age or background.”