[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 65 (Thursday, May 12, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S2921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HIRING HEROES ACT OF 2011

  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, President George Washington once said 
``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in 
any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how 
they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated 
by their nation.''
  President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation 
to all of the brave men and women serving our country overseas. We have 
a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return home. And the 
unemployment numbers among veterans make it clear that we have a long 
way to go.
  The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military 
since September 2001 far exceeds that of their nonveteran peers. The 
unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans hit 13.1 percent in 
April. This is roughly 3 percentage points higher than the previous 
year. The unemployment rate among Montana veterans has more than 
doubled since 2005. This is a serious problem. We should be greeting 
our veterans with quality health care and our eternal gratitude, not an 
unemployment check.
  Yesterday, I was proud to stand with my friends and colleagues, 
Senator Patty Murray and Senator Jon Tester, as we introduced the 
Hiring Heroes Act of 2011. The bill will take a number of important 
steps to help our brave veterans find work when they come home from 
war.
  If a soldier serves as a truck driver or a medic in the military, 
there shouldn't be excessive red tape to become a truck driver or serve 
in a hospital as a civilian. That is why this bill requires the 
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the 
Secretary of Labor to study how skills learned in the military can be 
more effectively translated to meet the qualifications required for 
civilian jobs back home. The legislation would also initiate a new 
program aimed at eliminating the barriers between military training and 
civilian licensure or credentialing.
  The Hiring Heroes Act would require the Department of Labor to reach 
out to and assist recently discharged veterans receiving disability 
payments. The bill would also extend the VA's authority to provide 
rehabilitation and job training for severely wounded troops. Without 
this extension, only veterans separated from the military could take 
advantage of these critical employment services. Helping veterans 
requires close cooperation between the VA and veterans service 
organizations. That is why the legislation would authorize $4.5 million 
in grants for nonprofit organizations that help veterans find work.
  The Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 compliments the legislation that 
Senators Tester, Grassley, Senator Burr and I introduced earlier this 
year: the Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2011. This legislation 
will reward employers that hire veterans who have recently completed 
their service in the military with up to a $2,400 tax credit under the 
work opportunity tax credit. I am proud that 17 of my colleagues in the 
Senate--Republicans and Democrats--have cosponsored this legislation. 
The House companion has 54 cosponsors.
  The bill also cuts the redtape that generally exists under the work 
opportunity tax credit. Rather than having to go through the tax 
credit's current certification process, qualified servicemen and women 
who have been recently discharged will only need show their discharge 
documentation that was provided by the Department of Defense. This 
includes those men and women who were activated by their states as 
members of the National Guard.
  Enacting this legislation would just be the first step. The tax 
credit will not work unless veterans and small businesses across the 
country know about it. That is why I am working with the Iraq and 
Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other 
Veteran Service Organizations to help get the word out about this tax 
credit once we pass the legislation.
  Briefly, I thank my Defenders of Freedom Fellows, Iraq and 
Afghanistan Veterans and Montana-Natives Charlie Cromwell and Troy 
Carter. As legislative fellows in my office, Charlie and Troy worked 
hard to draft and advance this bill. I created the Defenders of Freedom 
Fellowship so that Montana veterans could work on legislation that 
helps their fellow veterans. They would be proud of this legislation.
  I encourage all interested Montana veterans to contact my office for 
more information. It will take this kind of teamwork to provide the 
support our veterans need when they come home from war. It is an honor 
to introduce this legislation and I look forward to its quick passage 
this legislative session.

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