María Elvira Salazar: “I rise to support the Defense authorization bill for the 2006 fiscal year, and to comment on several amendments to the…”

“I rise to support the Defense authorization bill for the 2006 fiscal year, and to comment on several amendments to the bill that build on the good work of the Armed Services Committee under the leadership of Chairman Warner and Ranking Member Levin. I am pleased that this bill includes an amendment I offered to create a grant program for employment services provided to the spouses of certain members of the Armed Forces. Many of our men and women in uniform change duty stations every 2 to 5 years, wreaking havoc on their spouses' careers. Additionally, when Reservists and National Guardsmen are called to active duty, many of their spouses enter the workforce to make up the difference between civilian and military pay. It is not just those in uniform who make sacrifices for this country. Military families need our support as well. My amendment would create a DoD grant program for workforce boards established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Many of these centers already provide employment services for military spouses through the National Emergency Grant fund under the Department of Labor, but this fund has been severely strained. This DOD grant program will provide assistance to spouses who have lost their job to accommodate a servicemember's permanent change in duty station.…”