House OKs Bills to Help Veterans Get Jobs

The House of Representatives passed two bills on Monday aimed at helping veterans get jobs.
by Rick Maze

Veterans make outstanding employees, and we should be doing all we can to help them find good jobs that benefit them and their families, said Rep. Rush D. Holt, D-N.J.

One is an omnibus benefits bill, the Veterans Small Business and Memorial Affairs Act of 2000; it sets up two pilot programs to help veterans find jobs and also requires 3 percent of all Department of Veterans Affairs contracts to be awarded to veteran-owned small businesses.

This bill, HR 3082, would give veteran and disabled veteran-owned small businesses priority in VA contracting, with the preference extended for up to 10 years in the case of a surviving spouse taking over a veteran’s business.

It would be a reasonable expectation that of all federal government agencies, the Department of Veterans Affairs would be a leader in achieving the president’s goal for annual procurement from at least 3 percent disabled veteran-owned businesses. Sadly, not, said Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., who said the VA is barely halfway there…

I want to make it plain that the intent of this bill is to put veteran-owned businesses, especially service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, at the front of the line for set-aside opportunities at the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., chairman of the veterans affairs’ economic opportunity subcommittee.

One of the test programs would require states to develop a licensing and certification program to help veterans find jobs. Up to 10 military occupational specialties would be covered.

Many service members, upon leaving the armed forces, seek employment within a field similar to their occupational specialties, Boozman said. However, there are several barriers that veterans may face with trying to be certified in these fields in their home states.

Also in the bill is a five-year program in which the Labor Department would pay nongovernment employment agencies to find work for veterans is included in the bill. The test would be carried out only in areas of high unemployment.

The second measure passed by the House is the Hire a Veteran Week resolution, H.Con.Res. 125, which asks President Bush to issue a proclamation in hopes of gaining attention and jobs for veterans.

No group in America deserves special employment opportunity more than our nation’s veterans, Bradley said.

Today’s veterans bring a sold work ethic, understand the chain of command, are accustomed to working within a system, are highly motivated and are comfortable with technology, he added. Hiring a veteran to fill a good-paying job is an important way to say thank you for your service and brings a quality employee to the work force.

It is shameful that so many of our veterans who have risked their own lives to defend our freedom cannot find jobs and must endure homelessness and lives of poverty after they return home, said Rep. Henry E. Brown Jr., R-S.C. On any given day, as many as 250,000 veterans are living on the streets or in homeless shelters, and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.

Both bills had wide bipartisan support and passed by voice vote. Although they seem noncontroversial, the fate of both measures depends on what happens in the Senate, where the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee is working on its own employment and benefits bills. Differences with the House, which are expected, will have to be reconciled before any final measure passes.

Editor’s Note: There are jobs specifically looking for Military Veterans listed at www.HireVeterans.com Go check them out now! A note to employers: This is the best place to list your job openings if you are looking to employ one of America’s Best.