{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://donovan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-re-passes-donovan-amendment-bolster-job-opportunities-veterans", "House Re-Passes Donovan Amendment To Bolster Job Opportunities For Veterans; Measure To Become Law", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "NY", "Daniel Donovan", "D000625", "donovan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC\u2014December 2, 2016....Congressman Dan Donovan\u2019s (NY-11) legislation to expedite veterans\u2019 entry into the maritime workforce today passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Donovan\u2019s measure makes common-sense adjustments to the mandatory credentialing process for all maritime workers to make it easier for veterans to transition into the industry.\n\u201cActive military and veterans already sacrificed so much to defend our interests. The least we can do is help them find good jobs when they come home. My legislation allows service members to jumpstart the next phase of their careers with stable, good-paying job, while also providing our nation\u2019s ports with skilled employees.\u201d\nBefore prospective employees can enter any maritime facility, they must apply for and receive a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TWIC application process can take months, posing challenges to veterans looking to quickly transition into the civilian workforce. Donovan\u2019s amendment requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to put qualified veterans at the top of the review pile, expediting the TWIC card approval process for them and decreasing the time transitioning service members have to wait to take advantage of job opportunities in the maritime industry.\nThe amendment is part of the NDAA, legislation that authorizes defense spending and military priorities for the 2017 fiscal year. Provisions include funding for military supplies, pay increases for U.S. troops, prohibiting transfer of Guantanamo detainees to American soil, and reforming procedures to combat sexual assault.\u00a0\u00a0\nThe original House version of the NDAA \u2013 which included Donovan\u2019s TWIC amendment \u2013 passed in May. Donovan served on the conference committee to negotiate the final version with the U.S. Senate. House Conferees are appointed by the Speaker and tasked with working out policy differences between House and Senate bills. The legislation is expected to become law.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://donovan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-re-passes-donovan-amendment-bolster-job-opportunities-veterans"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8881740979850292, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}