Providing for Consideration of H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. 50, Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Ms. DelBENE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question so that we can consider my proposal to boost education and job training for our veterans.

Everyone in this Chamber can agree that we have an obligation to care for those who risk their lives and make sacrifices for our freedoms.

Unfortunately, there are too many veterans struggling to find work today, and we are not doing enough to help. Last year, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans stood at more than 7 percent, substantially higher than the national rate; and across all age groups, there were more than 500,000 veterans out of work in 2014.

This is unacceptable. Congress must do more to meet its commitment to these brave men and women. That is why I encourage my colleagues to join me and more than 40 of my colleagues in supporting the Manufacturing Jobs for Veterans Act.

My bill will establish State-based manufacturing employment programs to provide skills training in manufacturing jobs for veterans and servicemembers who are reentering the workforce.

These pilot programs would support on-the-job training opportunities, apprenticeships, and certification classes for unemployed veterans; and it will encourage manufacturers to recruit, hire, and train our Nation's heroes.

With as many as 600,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs, we have an opportunity to connect employers with a pipeline of skilled, capable workers.

Instead of voting on yet another partisan bill, we should be focused on real solutions that help the American people, grow our economy, and strengthen the middle class. I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so we can take up this important bill and put our veterans back to work.

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