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Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of H.R. 3114, as stated by my colleague, a bipartisan bill, introduced along with my colleague, Congressman Rodney Davis from Illinois, to permanently authorize available funds from the Army Corps of Engineers to hire veterans for curation and historic preservation of archaeological sites, items of historical value during their excavation and during other related activities.
It is very notable that, on the legislative week immediately following Veterans Day, the House is considering important legislation to provide job training assistance to hire and train our veterans.
As part of our government's effort to protect our Nation's archaeological heritage, Federal agencies are required to provide curation and preservation services to professional museums and archival practices.
In 2009, the Army Corps of Engineers began training veterans in archaeological processing activities, using temporary funds provided by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, otherwise known as ARRA.
For 6 years, veterans have enrolled in the program, and have been acquiring valuable job skills, including but not limited to computer database management, records management, scanning, and photographing records and artifacts. These are skills further preparing our veterans for today's competitive job market by giving them valuable, hands-on experience.
As of earlier this year, 231 veterans have gone through the program, and currently they have 38 veterans in this current class.
As a direct result of the program, 139 veterans have obtained permanent employment; 39 have continued their education, either at colleges, universities, or in certificated programs.
Not only does the Corps' Veterans Curation Program educate, train, and employ veterans, the program's jobs are tailored to fit the capabilities of disabled veterans. The Corps undertakes these activities in three facilities across our country, located in Georgia, Virginia, and Missouri.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I are grateful for the chance to provide our veterans an opportunity to continue healing by carrying out meaningful work and job training that is helping them and their families reintegrate, become more productive, and that is so beneficial to our Nation.
I urge all my colleagues to support making this worthwhile program permanent and joining me in passing this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, this is a program that is very worthwhile. It is one of the agency's many efforts to continue helping our veterans be able to get job training, get job skills, and be able to sustain their families in a way that may make them feel whole again. I do ask all my colleagues to support this.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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