[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E189]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           BOOSTING RATES OF AMERICAN VETERAN EMPLOYMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 13, 2017

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of 
H.R. 974, the Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment (BRAVE) 
Act.
  There is no question that post-9/11 veterans face a harsher economic 
reality than other Americans. Although in recent years the unemployment 
rate of post-9/11 veterans decreased since the double digit highs of 
2011, the veteran unemployment rate among veterans remains higher than 
the national average. Those who have sacrificed most for our nation are 
often left behind or forgotten by businesses and employers when they 
return home. The transition from military to civilian life is a 
challenging one for many veterans, and we must address the harsh 
realities our veterans face when they attempt to reintegrate into the 
economy.
  As we consider the best ways to boost veteran employment in the 115th 
Congress, we must concentrate our efforts on what many major veterans 
organizations are urging us to do. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of 
America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars have all argued that the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, when granting contracts, should give 
preference to businesses that employ a high concentration of veterans 
on a full-time basis. This is a common-sense proposal.
  Each year the Department of Veterans Affairs contracts tens of 
billions of taxpayer dollars on various goods and services. H.R. 974 
would ensure that when awarding a contract for goods or services, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs give preference to businesses that employ 
full-time a high percentage of veterans. H.R. 974 would also grant the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs the power to debar for five years from 
contracting with the Department those offerors who willfully mispresent 
the veteran status of their employees. This discourages potential 
businesses from over-reporting the percentage of veterans that make up 
their workforce.
  I believe that H.R. 974 would also have a ripple effect across other 
agencies in the government and ultimately help a countless number of 
veterans attain full-time employment. Today, there are an estimated 
24,000 businesses that work on federal contracts and employ about 28 
million workers in the process. In FY 2015, in my home state of 
Georgia, an estimated 50,000 workers were employed by Department of 
Defense contracts alone. In my opinion, H.R. 974 would spark other 
federal agencies to adopt similar provisions that would give preference 
to businesses that employ large concentrations of veterans on a full-
time basis.
  I ask that my colleagues support this bill.

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