Supporting Veterans in Stem Careers Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support S. 153, the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act.

The future of this Nation will be driven by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM careers are among the fastest growing and highest-paying occupations. Despite these trends, we are failing to produce enough STEM workers to support the current pace of growth and innovation and ensure we continue to lead the world in science and technology development.

As a Nation, we are forever indebted to the men and women who choose to serve in the military and put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that we hold dear. At a minimum, we must ensure veterans interested in pursuing STEM careers here at home have the support that they need.

Veterans are uniquely positioned to contribute to our STEM workforce, often having training in cybersecurity, avionics, nuclear physics, and medicine. However, significant obstacles often stand in their way when transitioning to a civilian STEM career.

S. 153 establishes an interagency working group to identify these obstacles and develop a plan for addressing them. The bill also directs the National Science Foundation to improve its outreach to veterans and report on veterans in the STEM workforce. These are important steps for honoring our commitment to our veterans and for ensuring we have a competitive STEM workforce.

I want to thank Representatives Dunn and Lamb, and our colleagues in the Senate, Senators Rubio and Klobuchar, for their leadership on this important issue. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following exchange of correspondence between myself and Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Takano. I appreciate his willingness to work with us to pass this bill today and send it to the President for signature. House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington DC, January 24, 2020. Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman, Science, Space, and Technology Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairwoman Johnson: I am writing with respect to S. 153, the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act. Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Veterans' Affairs regarding the matters in S. 153 that fall within the Committee's jurisdiction.

As a result of your consultation with us on this measure and in order to expeditiously move the bill to the floor, I forego further consideration of S. 153. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs takes this action with our mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs during any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation.

Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding regarding S. 153 and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Committee Report and the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the measure. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Mark Takano, Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC, January 24, 2020. Chairman Mark Takano, Committee on Veterans' Affair, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Takano: I am writing to you concerning S. 1S3, the ``Supporting Veterans in STEM Career Act,'' which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs on December 19, 2019.

I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this bill. I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. I acknowledge that your Committee will waive further consideration of S. 153 and that this action is not a waiver of future jurisdictional claims by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs over this subject matter.

I will make sure to include our exchange of letters in the Congressional Record. Thank you for your cooperation on this legislation. Sincerely, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

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