House Passes Veterans Jobs Bill
Military.com
Bryant Jordan
October 13, 2011
The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a veterans jobs bill.
More than 400 lawmakers said yes to the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, which had the solid support of the country's veterans' service organizations.
The bill will now be taken up by the Senate, where the leadership of the veterans affairs committee indicated it would have their support.
Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, said the near unanimous House vote on Wednesday "sent a clear message that not only is support for our veterans strong, but that we stand together to end veteran unemployment."
"The VOW Act is the most comprehensive, thoughtful legislation that has been introduced to get our veterans out of unemployment lines and into meaningful jobs," he said.
The House Veterans Affairs Committee said that unemployment among veterans recently rose from 7.7 percent to 8.1 percent, nationally.
Veterans' groups, among them the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, were encouraging members to call their lawmakers and tell them to vote yes on it. The Legion issued a statement saying that "the time for VOW is NOW."
Take a stand, tell the Senate how you feel about the Veterans' Opportunity to Work Act of 2011.
"Veterans aren't looking for a handout. They've served their country and just want the skills to make sure they can be competitive in the job market," Legion National Commander Fang Wong said in a statement. "We all know the great intangibles veterans bring to employers. They're self-starters and team players, who know how to get the job done in tough circumstances. All they need are some tools to help them get into that market and compete."
The VOW Act would boost transition assistance for servicemembers and improve job protection laws for National Guard members and Reservists. It will also create a new job-training program for older veterans.
Paul Rieckhoff, founder and executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said House passage of the measure is a major step toward lowering veteran unemployment.
"Now, it's the Senate's turn to step up and show their support for our nation's veterans," he said in a statement.
Source: http://www.military.com/news/article/house-passes-veterans-jobs-bill.html?ESRC=eb.nl