Providing for Further Consideration of H.R. 4435, Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015; And Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3361, USA FREEDOM Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for two amendments I am submitting to the National Defense Authorization Act.

The first I am offering would require the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress no later than 30 days after the enactment of this law on the barriers to implementing audit reporting requirements and recommendations in order to ensure reporting deadlines are met. This would ensure that taxpayer money is being well spent.

The second, offered by me and Mr. Cook, would create a pilot program to take the California National Guard's Work for Warriors job placement program nationwide.

Since the State of California created the program in 2012, more than 2,500 Guard members have been placed in jobs and at only $500 per placement, far cheaper than any other employment programs, which can cost as much as $10,000 per placement.

Placing 2,500 California guardsmen in jobs is a great start, but I know that that number can multiply many times over if the Work for Warriors program is expanded nationwide.

I urge my colleagues to support these amendments.

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