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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) applauded the signing of their bipartisan Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act (S.153) into law, which will assist veterans re-entering the workforce by directing the National Science Foundation to encourage veterans to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent on December 19, 2019, and passed the House of Representatives unanimously by voice vote on January 27, 2020. Representative Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-FL), who introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives, joined Rubio and Klobuchar in applauding the bill being signed into law.

“I thank my colleagues in the Senate and House for unanimously supporting this bipartisan effort to ensure our nation’s veterans have the skills and opportunities to succeed in STEM careers, and I applaud President Trump for signing it into law,” Rubio said. “Veterans who are returning to civilian life are uniquely qualified to excel in STEM roles, and the 21st century workforce will be dominated by these jobs. This bipartisan bill will ensure the skills our veterans attain during their service to our nation are put to good use for decades to come as they successfully transition back to civilian life.”

“Our servicemembers come from all different professions to serve our nation – and they bring with them a wealth of experience when they return to civilian life. Now that the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act has been signed into law, we can provide veterans with the tools to secure well-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math through STEM career training. Our bipartisan legislation will not only help veterans to succeed, but also enable employers to better meet their hiring needs and strengthen our economy and our nation,” Klobuchar said.

“President Trump recognizes the importance of keeping our promise to America’s heroes and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed in civilian life. STEM related jobs are growing at an unprecedented rate in the United States and many of our veterans have the unique skills to excel in these fields,” Dr. Dunn said. “By expanding education and job opportunities for our veterans in STEM fields, my legislation eases the transition from active duty to civilian life, while keeping America at the forefront of the world’s ever-growing technology arena. Getting this important legislation signed into law has been one of my top priorities and I am thankful that we have a President who values our heroes’ dedication to our country.”

“Thanks to the leadership of the original co-sponsors Senators Rubio and Klobuchar and Congressmen Lamb and Dunn, and the support of additional Senate and House members who helped pass the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act (S. 153). This important legislation will help service members and their families as they transition into their next careers in manufacturing and technology,” David Steel said, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Samsung Electronics America. “As we all look to build and strengthen our pipeline of skilled technical workers, this action will help ensure Veterans are a critical component.”

“Supporting STEM career paths for veterans is something all sides can agree on, and we applaud Senators Rubio and Klobuchar for their excellent work on this bipartisan bill. S.153 will make it easier for America’s veterans to transition their skills into a career in the technology sector—giving the opportunity for fulfilling and lucrative careers as civilians. By streamlining the government STEM and military job transition programs, S.153 takes an important step toward helping veterans compete for some of the best jobs in the 21st century,” Gary Shapiro said, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association.

“Eighty percent of our nation’s veterans face a period of unemployment when transitioning to civilian life, an unacceptable reality that this new law will help address,” Alex Burgos said, TechNet Senior Vice President for Federal Policy, Government Relations and Communications. “Ensuring veterans have a smooth transition to civilian life and cultivating an inclusive, homegrown STEM talent pipeline are top priorities for the technology industry. We thank Senators Marco Rubio and Amy Klobuchar and Representatives Neal Dunn and Conor Lamb for their bipartisan work on this legislation, and President Trump for signing it into law.”

“There are over 200,000 service members who return to civilian life every year and about half a million open jobs in manufacturing,” Carolyn Lee said, Executive Director of The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce and education partner to the National Association of Manufacturers. “This legislation will help prepare our nation’s heroes for the modern manufacturing careers that await them in an industry in need of their unique skills and talents.  Both the Manufacturing Institute and Samsung—a founding sponsor of our own Heroes MAKE America initiative that connects the military and manufacturing—have been proud to support it.”

“Verizon recognizes the competitive advantage that our team members with military experience provide – that’s why more than 10,000 veterans contribute their skills, discipline and leadership across our entire business. We thank Senators Marco Rubio and Amy Klobuchar for sponsoring an effort that will help match veterans to STEM professions where their skills are in high demand,” said Robert Fisher, Senior Vice President, Federal Government Affairs, Verizon.

Related:

• January 27, 2020: Senators Rubio, Klobuchar, and Representative Dunn Applaud House Passage of Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act

• December 19, 2019: Rubio, Klobuchar Applaud Senate Passage of Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act 

• July 10, 2019: Rubio, Klobuchar Applaud Committee Passage of Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act

• May 17, 2019: ICYMI: Our Nation’s Veterans Are a Perfect Match for STEM Jobs 

• January 18, 2019: Rubio, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Support Veterans Re-entering Workforce