Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in cosponsoring the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act, which passed the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously this week. This legislation would assist veterans reentering the workforce by directing the National Science Foundation to encourage veterans to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
“Nevada’s veterans have unique skills, training and experiences that make them exceptionally well prepared to take advantage of the Silver State’s good-paying jobs in science, math and technology. Unfortunately, many of our country’s veterans still face barriers when reentering the civilian workforce, especially when looking to enter STEM fields. I’m proud to cosponsor legislation to help ease their transition and provide veterans with the training and resources they need to bring their talents to the 21st century economy.”
BACKGROUND:
The Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act would also require the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an interagency working group to improve veteran and spouse equity and representation in STEM fields, and to develop a strategic plan to address the barriers that veterans face when reentering the workforce. The bill is supported by The Manufacturing Institute, Samsung, TechNet, Verizon, and the Consumer Technology Association.
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