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Sponsor asks Congress to adopt veteran apprenticeship hiring goals; Alaska committee reports resolution
Summary
The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee heard Representative David Nelson’s second presentation of House Joint Resolution 20 urging Congress to set hiring goals for apprentices and veteran apprentices on DOD construction projects; a committee member moved to report the resolution with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note and no objections were heard.
Representative David Nelson urged the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on May 8 to back House Joint Resolution 20, a nonbinding plea to Congress to establish hiring goals for apprentices and veteran apprentices on U.S. Department of Defense construction projects.
"This resolution aims to assist veterans who are preparing to transition from military life to civilian life," Nelson said, summarizing the resolution’s purpose and asking the committee to move the measure to the floor.
During public testimony, Kyle Kaiser, president and founder of Viper Transitions and a membership-development representative for IBW Local 1547, said Alaska faces a large pipeline of construction work and lacks federal mechanisms to ensure veteran access to those jobs. "I was briefed the other day…projects coming to Juneau here locally to the tune of like $7,000,000,000," Kaiser said, adding that hiring goals could help veterans transition and, he asserted, reduce suicide rates among veterans.
After discussion closed, a committee member moved "to report House Joint Resolution 20…from committee with individual recommendations and the attached fiscal note." Chair Bjorkman called for objections; none were heard and the resolution was reported from committee by voice consent. The committee took a short at-ease to sign paperwork before proceeding to the next agenda item.
The resolution is nonbinding and asks Congress to consider hiring goals; if advanced by the Senate, it would be transmitted to Alaska’s congressional delegation for their consideration.
