[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 98 (Monday, July 24, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5638-H5640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HIRE A VETERAN WEEK
Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res 125)
expressing support for the designation and goals of ``Hire a Veteran
Week'' and encouraging the President to issue a proclamation supporting
those goals.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 125
Whereas the people of the United States have a sincere
appreciation and respect for the military personnel who serve
in the Armed Forces of the United States;
Whereas veterans possess special qualities and skills that
make them ideal candidates for employment, but many veterans
encounter difficulties in securing employment;
Whereas it would be inconsistent, inconsiderate, and
contrary to the economic competitiveness of the United States
to neglect the post-military needs of the military personnel
who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States;
Whereas many of the brave men and women who have served the
United States so gallantly and selflessly in the war on
terrorism and the war in Iraq since September 11, 2001, are
beginning to return home to be reunited with their loved ones
and will be re-entering the workforce or searching for their
first jobs outside of military service; and
Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department
of Labor, the Office of Personnel Management, and many State
and local governments administer veterans programs and have
veterans employment representatives both to ensure that
veterans receive the services to which they are entitled and
to promote employer interest in hiring veterans: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress--
(1) recognizes the importance of the men and women who have
served or who currently serve in the Armed Forces of the
United States;
(2) supports the designation of an appropriate week as
``Hire a Veteran Week''; and
(3) encourages the President to issue a proclamation
calling upon employers, labor organizations, veterans service
organizations, and Federal, State, and local governmental
agencies (including such agencies in the several States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
any other territory or possession of the United States) to
lend their support to increase employment of the men and
women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United
States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Hampshire (Mr. Bradley) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Salazar)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Hampshire.
Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
(Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire asked and was given permission to
revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, this resolution calls
upon the President to establish a national Hire a Veteran Week.
No group in America deserves special employment opportunity more than
our Nation's veterans. These men and women have volunteered to put
themselves in harm's way to preserve the Nation's way of life and
economic system. They serve on every continent, in hundreds of
occupations, in remote locations, and in the toughest of combat
conditions. They answer the Nation's call to duty, asking in return
only our support and our thanks.
Veterans are one of the most diverse communities in America, with
significant representation from all major ethnic and socioeconomic
groups. Today's veterans bring a solid work ethic, understand the chain
of command, are accustomed to working within a system, are highly
motivated, and are comfortable with technology. 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 workforce.
Madam Speaker, this bill was jointly referred to the Committee on
Armed Services which waived consideration of the bill. I would like to
thank Chairman Buyer, chairman of the full committee, Acting Ranking
Member Filner, Ranking Member Evans, Chairman Hunter, and Ranking
Member Skelton for their help in moving this resolution to the floor. I
would also
[[Page H5639]]
like to commend my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Salazar) for his work
on this bill, and thank Mr. Holt of New Jersey for introducing this
resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SALAZAR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 125, a resolution
supporting the goals of Hire a Veteran Week, and I thank Mr. Holt of
New Jersey for sponsoring this great legislation.
Every day, the men and women of our Armed Forces sacrifice to protect
and preserve our way of life whether by putting themselves in harm's
way or by enduring time away from their loved ones at home.
Each year, 200,000 servicemembers separate from military service and
hope to enjoy the privileges and opportunities they sacrificed to
preserve, but many veterans face difficulties in entering the civilian
workforce when they come home. This resolution expresses our support
for our country's newest veterans, and it urges the President to call
on all levels of government and the private sector to back up our
support with action.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to support its
spirit, to do everything we can to help our veterans transition into
civilian life and to ensure that they are given all the benefits they
sacrificed to secure.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Holt)
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I would also like
to thank the chairman and ranking members of the Veterans' Affairs
Committee, Mr. Buyer and Mr. Filner, for bringing this bipartisan bill
to the floor. I would also particularly like to thank Mr. Brown of
South Carolina, my partner in this bill, for all of his help in moving
the bill through Congress.
Madam Speaker, our Nation was built by citizen soldiers, whom all too
often we fail to repay for their service. We should be giving them
employment opportunities, the opportunities they deserve. By virtue of
their discipline, their work ethic, their clear thinking, veterans make
outstanding employees; and we should be doing all we can to help them
find jobs, and yet we know veterans return from the field and have
trouble breaking into the workforce.
This bill is an affirmation of the commitment of Congress to
encourage all employers, government at all levels, nonprofits, trade
associations, and the private sector, to think of veterans when making
hiring decisions. The bill itself calls upon the President to proclaim
an annual Hire a Veteran Week and to use the occasion to remind all
employers of the value of hiring veterans.
Let there be no doubt, the need for a renewed national focus on
veterans employment is real. If you look at the Bureau of Labor
statistics, for example, and take the age cohort of 18 to 24 years old,
you will find among veterans recently returned from the front,
unemployment is at 18.7 percent compared with 9.9 in the general
population in that age cohort. The data about women actually are worse.
And these aren't simply numbers. These are men and women who put on our
country's uniform to protect each and every one of us. We can and we
must do what we can to help them find good-paying jobs, to use their
skills to contribute to our society.
This is especially true now with our country at war in multiple
theaters of operation, as we are minting new veterans every day. For
them to make a successful transition from military to civilian life,
their employment, their job training, their readjustment needs must be
a top priority for our country. I would ask my colleagues, how could we
tolerate a high unemployment rate among veterans, higher than among the
general population that has not served in uniform?
As the original GI bill showed us, when we invest in our veterans,
our society reaps the rewards many times over. The same philosophy
should guide us as we seek to help veterans obtain and sustain
meaningful good-paying jobs in their civilian lives.
{time} 1630
This bill is a step in that direction.
Again, I thank the ranking member and the chairman of the committee
and Mr. Brown for their help.
Madam Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the chairman and ranking
member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Mr. Buyer and Mr.
Filner, for bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor. I also want to
thank my colleague and partner on this bill, Mr. Brown of South
Carolina, for all of his help in moving this bill through the Congress.
Our Nation was built by citizen-soldiers, but too often, we fail to
repay their service properly by giving them the employment, education,
and other opportunities they deserve. By virtue of their discipline,
work ethic, and clear thinking, veterans make outstanding employees,
and we should be doing all we can to help them find good jobs that
benefit them and their families.
This bill is an affirmation of Congress's commitment to encourage all
employers--government at all levels, nonprofits, trade associations,
and the private sector--to think of veterans first when making hiring
decisions.
The bill itself calls upon the President to proclaim an annual ``Hire
a Veteran'' week and to use that occasion to remind all employers of
the value of hiring veterans. I hope the President acts on this
legislation swiftly, because the need for a renewed national focus on
veterans' employment is real and urgent.
According to the most recent U.S. Labor Department data, in August
2005, 20- to 24-year-old veterans had an unemployment rate of 18.7
percent compared with their nonveteran counterparts. For all of 2005,
the annual rate was 15.6 percent for 20- to 24-year-old veterans
compared with 8.7 percent for nonveterans in that age group.
These aren't simply numbers; these are men and women who put on our
country's uniform to protect each and every one of us. We can and must
do more to help them find good-paying jobs that allow them to build a
career and a life in the Nation they served and protected.
This is especially true now, with our country at war in multiple
theaters of operation and with tens of thousands of new veterans being
created every year. For them to make a successful transition from
military to civilian life, veterans' employment, job training, and
readjustment need to be a top national priority.
As the original GI bill showed us, when we invest in our veterans,
our society reaps the rewards many times over. The same philosophy
should guide us as we seek to help veterans obtain and sustain
meaningful, good-paying jobs in their civilian lives. This bill is a
first step in that direction, but we need to do more. We need to ensure
that within both the DoD and VA budgets, we devote the necessary
resources to transition assistance, job retraining--where necessary--
and related activities that help veterans in their search for civilian
careers.
Again, I thank my friends, the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Buyer, and
California, Mr. Filner, for their help and support in securing passage
of this bill today.
Mr. SALAZAR. Madam Speaker, I would like to, once again, commend Mr.
Holt for his tireless effort on veterans issues. I have no further
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I am proud to be the
Republican sponsor of H. Con. Res. 125 along with my good friend from
New Jersey, Congressman Rush Holt.
H. Con. Res. 125 is a very important piece of legislation that calls
for the designation of ``Hire-A-Veteran Week'' and issuance of a
presidential proclamation calling upon employers, labor organizations,
and federal, state, and local governmental agencies to hire our
veterans--old and new.
According to the most current data, 10.8 percent of all male veterans
and 13.3 percent of female veterans between the ages of 20 and 24 are
unemployed. The situation is even more troubling for minority veterans.
For black male veterans and female veterans between 20-24 years of age,
the unemployment rate is 17 percent and 23.9 percent respectively and
for Hispanic male and female veterans in that age bracket, the rate is
8.7 percent and 21.6 percent respectively.
It is shameful that so many of our veterans who have risked their own
lives to defend our freedom can't find jobs and must endure
homelessness and lives of poverty after they return home. 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.
The designation of ``Hire-A-Veteran Week'' would provide an effective
and more focused way to do more to help all of our veterans find good,
secure jobs and ensure better living standards for themselves and their
families.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 125.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.
Con. Res. 125,
[[Page H5640]]
which expresses support for the designation and goals of ``Hire a
Veteran Week'' and encourages the President to issue a proclamation
supporting those goals. Certain technical abilities, discipline,
teamwork, and commitment to getting a job done right the first time are
among the unique skills, experiences, and qualities that our veterans
possess as a result of their military service.
Civilian employers recognize these attributes as valuable to their
companies. It is essential that the benefits of hiring a veteran be
promoted in order to ensure that veterans are fully considered for
civilian jobs upon separating from the U.S. Armed Forces.
Unfortunately, many veterans experience difficulty finding employment
following their service in the U.S. Armed Forces. H. Con. Res. 125 and
``Hire a Veteran Week'' represent a commitment to improving the
civilian professional and economic opportunities for the dedicated men
and women who have worn our country's uniform.
I urge support for H. Con. Res. 125.
General Leave
Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res.
125.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Hampshire?
There was no objection.
Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to
unanimously support H. Con. Res. 125.
I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bradley) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 125.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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