Recognizing James D. Rodriguez

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the service of James D. Rodriguez, the U.S. Department of Labor's Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS). The Assistant Secretary has been a critical resource for the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and we all owe him our gratitude for his life of public service.

Mr. Rodriguez enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1988. Over the course of his 21-year career in the USMC, Mr. Rodriguez deployed several times, including as part of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Mr. Rodriguez's post-military career has centered around supporting our Nation's Veterans. After separating from the USMC, he entered the private sector, spearheading Government Relations initiatives with companies like BAE systems and Deloitte. While at BAE, Mr. Rodriguez served as a liaison for the White House Joining Forces initiative while developing a program to hire Veteran employees. The program ultimately led to the hiring of more than 1,500 Veterans.

In 2014, Mr. Rodriguez transitioned to a new role at the Department of Defense, serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Office of Warrior Care Policy. Here, he developed a strategic roadmap to align business processes and procedures for WCP while working alongside international partners to enhance warrior care.

In his current role with DOL, Mr. Rodriguez is responsible for preparing America's veterans, service members and their spouses for meaningful careers. During his tenure with DOL, he expanded DOL VETS' Vision statement to be inclusive of our reserve & Guard components and Military Spouses while aligning with the White House's Defense Industrial Base strategy to address critical labor shortages. He further served as the Department's Designee for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and co-chaired for the White House's taskforce on suicide prevention.

For his efforts supporting Veterans and labor initiatives, Mr. Rodriguez recently received the University of Maryland's Global Campus' 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award, the highest alumni award granted at UMGC.

Beyond his professional accolades, Mr. Rodriguez is a proud father to two daughters, Courtney and Casey Rodriguez, and a husband to Vanessa Rodriguez--who is also a Marine Veteran.

I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Rodriguez for his outstanding professional achievements and his dedicated service to our Nation and its Veterans.

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