Washington, D.C.—Today, Representative Julia Brownley’s (D-Westlake Village) bipartisan resolution supporting the Joining Forces Initiative passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Putting our veterans back to work needs to be a top priority,” said Representative Julia Brownley. “Our world-class military provides our men and women in uniform with specialized skills that are incredibly valuable in the workforce, and we owe them every opportunity to translate that experience into a job when they return home. Today’s passage shows that when Congress works together we can find solutions to our nation’s most difficult problems, including the unacceptable veteran unemployment level.”
Currently, a servicemember who operated a truck in the military may be required by the state to complete additional training to obtain a commercial driver’s license once they return home. A military spouse working as a nurse may be required to earn a new certification if the family relocated to another state. To address these issues, Brownley’s amendment urges state governments to streamline approaches for assessing the equivalency of military training and experience so that servicemembers, veterans, and their spouses do not have to repeat education and training requirements when they leave the military or move to a new state.
Representative Brownley originally introduced the resolution supporting the Joining Forces Initiative with Representative Paul Cook in March. To ensure its prioritization and swift passage, Brownley included the resolution as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2014.
Issues: 113th Congress, Jobs, Economy, and Small Business, Veterans' Affairs