Protesters hold signs outside a forum on jobs held by Rep. Joe Heck. (FOX5)
Rep. Joe Heck talks to reporters at a Las Vegas jobs forum. (FOX5)LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
A congressional panel on job creation led by Joe Heck was interrupted several times by hecklers Tuesday.
It was all part of an organized protest that had picketers outside and certain people inside who were looking for work.
The disruptions were calm and they asked for some answers before Metro police asked them to leave.
"I want to hear from Joe Heck what he intends to do about job training and jobs," yelled one protestor.
"Where the heck are the jobs?" asked Linda Overbey, an unemployed construction worker. "I guess we'll just yap around their ankles until they think we're a big dog, because the more of us that do it the bigger the dog it's gonna seem."
"I feel their frustration," said Rep. Joe Heck, R-NV. "I mean everybody's frustrated at the chronic unemployment we've seen, especially in southern Nevada. Everybody has their opportunity to express their concerns. Certainly you wish that it wasn't in the middle of a formal hearing. But if that's what they felt they needed to do to get their message across, message heard, we're working on it."
Heck believes the re-implementation of the Workforce Investment Act would help by re-training people for new careers where federal jobs are available.
And he says it's a non-partisan issue.
"What we did here today is hear from the folks that are involved in trying to get people back to work, what they need from this law to help them," Heck said.
When Congress goes in session next week the Workforce Investment Act will go to committee and head to a vote in the House and then if successful sent over to the Senate.
Heck believes it could get passed before the first of the year.
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