Training in High-Demand Roles to Improve Veteran Employment Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2523, as amended, the Training in High-Demand Roles to Improve Veteran Employment Act, or THRIVE Act.
This legislation would make needed improvements to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It would also make several technical corrections to the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Improvement Act of 2020.
COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our economy. It has closed small businesses across the country and left millions of Americans unemployed. That includes an estimated half a million veterans. Before the pandemic, the veterans unemployment rate was at a near record low. Today, it is almost double that.
We must help our veterans get back to work. I introduced the Veterans Economic Recovery Act earlier this year to do just that. That bill created the Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program, or V-RAP. V- RAP allows veterans who are unemployed because of COVID-19 to receive rapid retraining to compete for high-demand jobs.
The bulk of the Veterans Economic Recovery Act was enacted as part of the American Rescue Plan. Unfortunately, because Speaker Pelosi used the reconciliation process to pass the ARP, there were several provisions of V-RAP that were not included. That is why I was pleased to work with Chairman Levin on the bill before us today. It would finish the job and ensure that V-RAP is set up for success.
Specifically, the THRIVE Act would allow the VA to add jobs to the in-demand occupations list so the training leads to meaningful employment; require the VA to work with the Department of Labor and nonprofit organizations to ensure that V-RAP participants are provided employment services once their training is over; require the GAO to report on the overall effectiveness of V-RAP; and make changes to how the VA pays schools for training that participants receive so that it can be used by the veterans very quickly.
While I am glad the changes are being made, it is unfortunate they were not initially addressed in the ARP.
The THRIVE Act also includes the text of the bill by Representative Torres of California. Her bill would add information to the GI Bill comparison tool to let the veterans know if schools have a religious affiliation or have historically served a particular minority population. This will help veterans be better informed when they decide to use their GI Bill benefits.
I thank Representative Torres for her work, and I am glad that we were able to include her legislation in this bill.
I am grateful to Chairman Takano and Congressman Levin for working with me on the THRIVE Act. I am confident that it will help veterans get back on their feet.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Cawthorn).
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Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I want to thank all the Members who were involved in moving forward with this legislation, especially Chairman Takano, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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