Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, Senator Crapo and I would like to introduce the Youth Careers in Logging Act. Small family logging companies, much like family farms, rely on younger family members to help make their companies successful. The agriculture industry enjoys exemptions from child labor laws to allow for family members to learn the trade and carry on the family business. This bill will provide those same benefits for the logging industry.

The logging industry is struggling to recruit young employees. This industry, like many others, has an aging work force that will soon retire. Modern mechanized machinery opens up opportunities for a new tech-savvy generation of loggers if we give them the chance.

There are 400 independent logging contractor businesses in Idaho, most of which are family owned and operated. Current labor laws do not allow the children of these family owned businesses to work and learn in the same profession as their parents.

Should the Youth Careers in Logging Act be enacted, starting at the age of 16 young adults will be allowed to operate safe and modern machinery. These young loggers will help Idaho and the country to create healthy, fire resilient forests and bring much needed natural resources into our marketplace to help make paper and build homes.

By passing this legislation, Congress can help young adults earn good wages through hard work in the great outdoors that will create a generation of young Americans that understand the value of a great work ethic.

By Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mr. FRANKEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. BEGICH, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. PRYOR):

S. 2337. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to inter in national cemeteries individuals who supported the United States in Laos during the Vietnam War era; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

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