Suzan DelBene (D-WA)
Manufacturing Jobs for Veterans Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The bill is known as the Manufacturing Jobs for Veterans Act of 2026. It requires the Secretary of Labor to establish a pilot program called the Veterans Manufacturing Employment Program. Under this program, the Secretary will award competitive grants to three States. These States will then make grants to manufacturing employers and joint labor-management organizations. The goal is to provide eligible veterans with covered training, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and postsecondary credentials.
Yes· 3 of 22
- Scored +9
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill is specifically designed to provide veterans with specialized training, apprenticeships, and sustainable manufacturing jobs.
- Scored +7
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill creates a dedicated pilot program to fund training and employment opportunities specifically for veterans.
- Scored +6
Is this likely to create jobs?
The bill establishes a pilot program to provide veterans with training and apprenticeships for sustainable manufacturing jobs.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Veterans and Manufacturing Employment: Under Section 2(a), the bill establishes a pilot program to award grants to three States, which will fund training, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and postsecondary credentials for eligible veterans to encourage their employment in manufacturing. This benefits veterans by helping them secure sustainable employment in high-wage, high-skill manufacturing jobs.
-
Outreach to Rural Veterans: Under Section 2(c)(2), grant-receiving States are required to conduct outreach to inform manufacturing employers, joint labor-management organizations, and veterans of their eligibility. This provision explicitly includes veterans in rural areas, ensuring they are not left out of these employment and training opportunities.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Training Restrictions for Non-Veterans: Under Section 2(f), none of the funds made available to a manufacturing employer through a grant may be used to provide training of any kind to a person who is not an eligible veteran. This means individuals who are not veterans cannot benefit from the training funded by these specific grants.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill is specifically designed to provide veterans with specialized training, apprenticeships, and sustainable manufacturing jobs. Would business owners be better off under this? — Manufacturing employers receive financial reimbursement for training costs to upskill their workforce. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Providing access to high-wage, high-skill manufacturing jobs helps low-income veteran households improve their financial stability. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The program supports entry into sustainable, well-paying middle-class manufacturing careers. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The legislation explicitly requires outreach to rural areas to include rural veterans in the employment program. Would union members be better off under this? — Joint labor-management organizations are directly involved in receiving grants and conducting training. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Middle-aged veterans looking for career transitions can benefit from skills training. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Younger veterans entering the civilian workforce can benefit from manufacturing apprenticeships. Would men be better off under this? — Male veterans are eligible to participate and benefit from the manufacturing training programs. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Urban manufacturing hubs stand to benefit from the expansion of skilled veteran labor pools. Would women be better off under this? — Female veterans are eligible to participate and benefit from the manufacturing training programs.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill establishes a pilot program to provide veterans with training and apprenticeships for sustainable manufacturing jobs. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Manufacturing employers, including smaller businesses, can receive grants to cover veteran training costs. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill invests in workforce development within the manufacturing sector. Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — Grants are made available to joint labor-management organizations to support veteran training.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates regular reporting to Congress on the pilot program's activities and costs. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — Competitive grants are awarded to States to administer their own customized manufacturing employment programs. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill authorizes a federal grant program administered through the Department of Labor.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill creates a dedicated pilot program to fund training and employment opportunities specifically for veterans.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Helping veterans secure high-wage manufacturing jobs contributes to poverty reduction. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — Employment assistance can indirectly help reduce veteran homelessness.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill explicitly includes outreach provisions to ensure rural veterans can participate in the program.
- 6/3/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Suzanne BonamiciDemocrat · Oregon