mr. chairman , i rise to support the tierney amendment , and i thank the distinguished gentleman from michigan ( mr. kildee ) xz4002160 for yielding me this time and also for his leadership . 
i also want to thank the gentleman from massachusetts ( mr. tierney ) xz4004070 for his leadership . 
i know he was very thoughtful in this amendment . 
particularly when we talk about these programs , what comes to mind , and i heard the gentleman from michigan ( mr. kildee ) xz4002160 be so eloquent in the committee on rules about the effectiveness and the importance of a training program , number one , for the new jobs of the 21st century . 
i am reminded of the fact that i spent a good part of my time as a locally elected official on the houston city council promoting the job training programs of our community that came down through the workforce board commissions in texas . 
when you eliminate summer jobs , you are literally undermining the opportunities for inner-city and rural youth to move to the next level of opportunity . 
you are extinguishing the right and the exposure that they have for career preparation . 
you go into these youth training programs and you look at the smiles on the faces of individuals who have come from experiences where there was no work , where their families are unemployed , and where there is no hope and opportunity . 
i am very disappointed , in addition , to the cut in youth programs , and the fact that we are now getting rid of the veterans ' preference for job training , actually cutting funds . 
what an outrage . 
with a million people having served in afghanistan and iraq ; with the devastation of the impact of those returning veterans , with their emotional problems and injuries , and now we are suggesting to them that they are not worthy of a job preference . 
let me also say that when you block-grant these dollars , you block-grant job training away . 
that is what this program does ; and in particular , it sends away this opportunity . 
my last point is that i might beg to differ with the chairman of this particular distinguished committee . 
there is discrimination in this bill . 
and , frankly , i think we should follow the kildee model , who said that he knew a priest in detroit who had a job training program who made sure that there was no discrimination , whether someone is a muslim , whether they are jewish or catholic or protestant . 
a program that is based upon religion and allows someone to deny you the opportunity for a job or a training position under the auspices of being a particular faith and being in charge of that particular program is discrimination under title vii in the 1964 civil rights bill or under any discrimination law that has been passed in america and that exists today . 
frankly , i believe this bill , even in its presence on the floor of the house , should go no further than this house ; and i ask my colleagues to support the tierney amendment , but to oppose the underlying bill . 
