[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 146 (Monday, September 8, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3874-H3875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRANSITIONING RETIRING AND NEW SERVICE MEMBERS TO PORT OCEAN RAIL AND
TRUCK JOBS ACT
Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3055) to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop
an action plan on members of the Armed Forces eligible for
preseparation counseling and veterans becoming supply chain employees,
and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3055
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transitioning Retiring And
New Service Members to Port Ocean Rail and Truck Jobs Act''
or the ``TRANSPORT Jobs Act''.
SEC. 2. VETERAN TO SUPPLY CHAIN EMPLOYEE ACTION PLAN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, and Secretary of Labor, shall develop and
make public an action plan to be known as the ``Veteran to
Supply Chain Employee Action Plan''.
(b) Contents.--In developing the Veteran to Supply Chain
Action Plan, the Secretary of Transportation shall--
(1) identify--
(A) barriers members of the Armed Forces eligible for
preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10,
United States Code, and veterans face when searching for
employment, during the hiring process, or in training to
become supply chain employees;
(B) challenges supply chain employers face when recruiting,
hiring, or retaining members of the Armed Forces eligible for
preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10,
United States Code, and veterans;
(C) regulatory burdens employers face in the hiring of
supply chain employees, especially for employees that are
members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation
counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States
Code, or veterans;
(D) regions of the United States which have the greatest
workforce need for supply chain employees; and
(E) barriers and industry trends that directly or
indirectly discourage members of the Armed Forces eligible
for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10,
United States Code, and veterans from pursuing, attaining,
and remaining in supply chain careers;
(2) highlight--
(A) the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities members
of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling
under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, and
veterans possess that are critical for supply chain careers
and any competency gaps that should be addressed;
(B) opportunities to expand or enhance existing initiatives
for members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation
counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States
Code, or veterans to become supply chain employees; and
(C) ways to improve supply chain employer outreach programs
and enhance existing training, mentorship, education, and
advancement programs that would increase the participation
and engagement of members of the Armed Forces eligible for
preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10,
United States Code, and veterans in the supply chain
workforce;
(3) recommend specific short- and long-term actions the
Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Department of Labor
can take to help members of the Armed Forces eligible for
preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10,
United States Code, and veterans become supply chain
employees; and
(4) consult with the transportation supply chain industry,
modal transportation supply chain employers, and
organizations representing modal transportation supply chain
employees.
(c) Supply Chain Employee Defined.--In this section, the
term ``supply chain employee'' means an individual directly
employed in the facilitation of the movement of goods.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Barrett) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert
extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 3055, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support my bill, H.R. 3055, the TRANSPORT
Jobs Act.
This bill was introduced to address common barriers that veterans and
members of the Armed Forces often face when transitioning to civilian
occupations.
The bill requires the creation of a veteran to supply chain employee
action plan, which will identify and match the skills, knowledge, and
abilities of veterans and members of the Armed Forces with supply chain
jobs.
We have all seen issues within the supply chain of unfilled jobs that
are critical for the delivery of the ever-important goods and services
moving throughout our economy and veterans who move home after their
service looking for employment opportunities.
The Secretary of Transportation will develop the action plan in
consultation with the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and
Labor.
This bill provides veterans and those soon-to-be-discharged from the
armed services with the support that they deserve and addresses the
continued labor shortages in our Nation's critical supply chains.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Veterans Affairs,
Washington, DC, September 3, 2025.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I am writing to you concerning H.R
3055, the ``Transitioning Retiring and New Service Members to
Port Ocean Rail and Truck Jobs Act'' or the ``TRANSPORT Jobs
Act.'' As you know, there are provisions in this legislation
that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs.
In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed
expeditiously to floor consideration of this legislation, I
am willing to waive consideration of the bill by my
Committee. I do so with the understanding that by waiving
consideration of the bill, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the
subject matters contained in the bill. I also request that
you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any
conference committee that may be established to consider such
provisions.
Please place this letter in the committee report on H.R.
3055 and in the Congressional Record during consideration of
this legislation on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Mike Bost,
Chairman.
[[Page H3875]]
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC, September 4, 2025.
Hon. Mike Bost,
Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bost: I write regarding H.R. 3055, the
Transitioning Retiring And New Service Members to Port Ocean
Rail and Truck Jobs Act or the TRANSPORT Jobs Act. The
legislation was primarily referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, with additional referrals
to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs.
Thank you for agreeing to waive consideration of the bill
at the Committee of Veterans' Affairs, to allow it to proceed
expeditiously to floor consideration. I agree that by waiving
consideration, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs does not
waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in
this legislation. Further, I am pleased to support your
request to name members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
to any conference committee that may be established to
consider such provisions.
I will place a copy of this letter exchange in the
Committee bill report for H.R. 3055, as well as enter them
into the Congressional Record during consideration of this
legislation on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington DC, September 8, 2025.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I write concerning H.R. 3055, the
TRANSPORT Jobs Act. As a result of your having consulted with
us on provisions within H.R. 3055 that fall within the Rule X
jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services, I agree to
forego any further consideration of this resolution so that
it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for
consideration.
The Committee on Armed Services takes this action with our
mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R.
3055 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over
subject matter contained in this or similar legislation and
that our committee will be appropriately consulted and
involved as this resolution or similar legislation moves
forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our
jurisdiction. This legislation contains provisions that may
require further modification prior to final consideration to
ensure the support of the House Committee on Armed Services.
Finally, I ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on
this matter be included by House Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration, to memorialize our understanding. Thank you
for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding
this matter and others between our respective committees.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Rogers,
Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC, Septmeber 8, 2025.
Hon. Michael D. Rogers,
Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Rogers: Thank you for your correspondence
regarding H.R. 3055, the TRANSPORT Jobs Act, and for your
Committee's willingness to forego formal consideration of the
legislation in order to allow it to proceed to the House
floor in a timely manner.
I appreciate your recognition that the Committee on Armed
Services does not waive any future jurisdiction over subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation. I also fully
affirm our mutual understanding that your Committee will
continue to be consulted and appropriately involved as this
legislation advances through the legislative process,
particularly with respect to provisions falling within the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services.
As requested, I will ensure that a copy of our exchange of
letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration of H.R. 3055, to reflect our understanding and
ongoing collaboration. I am grateful for the cooperative
working relationship between our committees and look forward
to continuing our productive engagement on this and other
matters of shared interest.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
{time} 1700
Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support, too, of the Transitioning Retiring
And New Service Members to Port Ocean Rail and Truck Jobs Act, as
amended, which was introduced by my colleagues, Representatives
Barrett, Scholten, Bost.
This legislation requires the Secretary of Transportation to develop
an action plan that identifies supply chain job needs at port,
railroads, and trucking companies in consultation with the Secretaries
of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Labor.
Veterans are trained for hard and dedicated work. I understand why
supply chain employees want to hire more veterans. One of the lightest
lifts that we can do in this body is to ensure we are exhausting every
possible resource we can to ensure that those who have signed up to
risk their lives for this country can find employment when they leave
the armed services.
It will be helpful for veterans to know about additional job
opportunities at ports, railroads, and trucking companies. Many of
these jobs are solid, middle-class, family supporting, union jobs. They
require an understanding of the safety-sensitive nature of the work
that tends to be particularly well-suited to the training military
veterans have received.
Mr. Speaker, I support the TRANSPORT Act, as amended, to provide
options for veterans during preseparation counseling, and I recommend
my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Ms. Scholten, for introducing this
legislation with me in support of our Nation's servicemen and -women.
I was glad the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
favorably reported this measure and look forward to the House passing
this legislation.
H.R. 3055 is one small step that we can take to ensure we provide our
servicemembers with the resources they need as they transition back to
the civilian workforce, many of whom have never worked in the civilian
workforce before joining the military.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Barrett) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3055, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________