WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), announced her co-sponsorship of the Military Childcare Expansion Act, the bipartisan Veterans Economic Recovery Act, and the bipartisan Elaine M. Checketts Military Families Act – bills aimed at providing flexible childcare options for military families, helping get veterans and reserve component servicemembers back to work after COVID-19, and supporting our military families during times of loss, respectively.
“Our brave servicemembers—just like our veterans who came before them—risk their lives every day for our nation’s safety and security. Congress must take action to address the obstacles that veterans, servicemembers, and their loved ones face,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “I’m proud to co-sponsor these important bills to address the childcare shortage affecting military families, invest in programs to get our veterans and reserve component servicemembers back to work in high-demand, good-paying occupations, and help provide our military families with the ample time they need to mourn the loss of a child. One of my greatest honors is working on behalf of our brave Nevada servicemembers and veterans, and I will continue working in Congress to address their needs and improve their lives.”
BACKGROUND: los Military Childcare Expansion Act, introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), would provide military families with flexible options that meet their needs by expanding access to in-home care, private childcare facilities, and DOD Childcare Development Centers (CDC).
- This legislation would address the needs of Nevada military families stationed at Nevada bases who are in need of childcare.
- los Military Childcare Expansion Act is endorsed by Blue Star Families.
el bipartidista Veterans Economic Recovery Act, introduced by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), would create a rapid retraining program to provide veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserves who were unemployed because of COVID with 12 months of educational benefits to pursue training in high-demand occupations. Under this bill, members of the National Guard or Reserves who were federally ordered to assist states with the COVID-19 response would also be eligible for the rapid retraining program. This means that members of the Nevada National Guard and Reserves who lost their job as a result of the national COVID-19 response would also be eligible for this program.
- There are about 7,500 reserve component troops in Nevada.
- los Veterans Economic Recovery Act is endorsed by several veteran and military organizations, including the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, the National Guard Association of the United States, and the Student Veterans of America.
el bipartidista Elaine M. Checketts Military Families Act, introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), would allow servicemembers time to grieve the death of their newborn babies. Current Department of Defense policy dictates that a servicemember’s pre-approved parental leave ends upon the death of the child, requiring a servicemember to leave their family and immediately return to work. This bill would amend this policy and allow servicemembers to take the rest of their pre-approved parental leave to grieve with their family. It would bring parity for members of the military with other civilian federal employees, who already have the option to finish pre-approved parental leave following the death of a child.
- los Elaine M. Checketts Military Families Act is endorsed by the Association of the U.S. Army.
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