WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Wednesday to eliminate more than 80 federal job-training and vocational programs and replace them with grants to the states.
In the 95-2 vote, Democrats agreed with Republicans to give the states funding and responsibility for such programs. Democrats have opposed GOP plans to give states similar block grants for welfare and crime-fighting.
"It offers a better approach to job training and job education that are the heart of our efforts to improve the skills of American workers in the modern economy," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee.
Among the programs that would be ended by July 1, 1998, are the Job Training Partnership Act, the Adult Education Act and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act.
