The Alliance for Opportunity (A4O) firmly supports the Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026 and commends Congressman Tim Walberg, Chair of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, for introducing this important legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) as of April 6, 2026.

A4O—led by the Georgia Center for Opportunity, the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation—is reimagining the social safety net to help Americans escape dependence and achieve lasting economic stability. We are creating a multi-state coalition that demonstrates effective models at the state level and drives federal reform based on proven results.

In the states, we are also on the front lines of workforce development, and we have seen how the current laws constrain innovation, limit the ability of governors and state leaders to align workforce programs with the modern economy, and trap our most vulnerable citizens in dependency.

This proposed legislation includes a vital state flexibility, the Make America Skilled Again Grants, which are included in the President’s budget as well. These grants were also introduced by Congressman Burgess Owens, Chair of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, in his One Door to Work Act. The grants would finally allow 10 states to follow the Utah model and integrate their safety net and workforce systems. 

Under the federal WIOA statute, Utah has had this authority for nearly 30 years, after being grandfathered in to the One Door to Work strategy. This has empowered the state to serve its citizens by focusing on job training first and benefits eligibility second. 

Utah’s results speak for themselves: the state has the lowest percentage of any state population enrolled in Medicaid and one of the lowest percentages of the population enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Even more importantly, Utah has outpaced the national labor force participation rate by an average of 5.3%, and in 2025, the state was 5.6% above the national average. Additionally, as the Heritage Foundation reported on Utah in 2024, “The state’s employment-to-population ratio is currently 67.4%; for the entire U.S., it’s 60.1%.” 

The leaders of A4O’s founding organizations offer their full support to the Stronger Workforce for America Act and to the Make America Skilled Again Grants:

“Prolonged unemployment doesn’t just hurt the economy—it erodes the dignity and well-being of real people and families. The ‘Make America Skilled Again Grants’ gives states the flexibility to actually solve this problem through meaningful work, benefiting individuals and communities,” said Daniel J. Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy.

“Every state deserves the ability to design an integrated system that enables people to thrive. Right now, every wasted hour navigating disconnected programs is an hour that could have been spent building a better future. This bill ensures that states can rethink the status quo and create pathways to opportunity for every citizen,” added Randy Hicks, President and CEO of the Georgia Center for Opportunity.

Greg Sindelar, CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, added, “A productive workforce fuels both economic growth and social well-being. With millions of available jobs and stagnant workforce participation since the pandemic, the ‘Stronger Workforce for America Act’ is essential to help our country grow and thrive.”

Every state should have the same workforce flexibility as Utah. That authority would give states the tools to help their citizens find meaningful work and would spur economic growth across the country. Through the changes it proposes, the Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026 would move the nation’s workforce system in the right direction, and we urge its enactment.