[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 126 (Thursday, July 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7382-H7383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING NATIONAL HIRE A VETERAN DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
today, July 25, as National Hire A Veteran Day.
  In 2017, the nonprofit Hire Our Heroes established the day to 
highlight the many talented men and women who served our country and 
are now seeking civilian employment.
  Hire Our Heroes serves as a resource bank for veterans to seek 
professional advice, discover new training opportunities, and search 
for new job opportunities.
  Our Nation's veterans are some of the most dedicated and selfless 
individuals who call this great Nation home. While we may never be able 
to repay them for their sacrifice fully, the very least we can do is to 
help ease the transition back into civilian life.
  A big part of that transition is ensuring there are well-paying, 
family-sustaining jobs available for our men and women in uniform when 
they return home.
  The most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show 
veteran unemployment at 3.2 percent, the lowest rate since 2011. That 
is great news, but that does not mean our work here is done.
  As a proud father of an Army infantryman, I am proud to have 
supported legislation throughout my time in Congress that ensures our 
Active Duty servicemembers and their spouses have the tools they need 
to defend our country successfully. But it is critical that we also 
support legislation that prepares our veterans for adjusting to life 
after combat.
  There are more than 7 million open jobs across the country. Our 
veterans want to work, and service is in their veins.

                              {time}  1015

  They want to make an honest living and provide for their families. 
They

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want to learn new skills and be proud of the work that they do. It is 
important that we do our part to ensure these opportunities are 
available.
  We can bolster veteran employment opportunities with career and 
technical education. Many of the men and women seeking civilian 
employment are already highly skilled, highly trained. They are 
experienced, literally, under fire.
  The skills that come with CTE training can help expand our veterans' 
existing skill sets and prepare them for careers in STEM disciplines, 
nursing, construction, information technology, energy, cybersecurity, 
and many more.
  Mr. Speaker, our veterans are a huge part of what makes this country 
so great. They have chosen to risk their lives to protect our Nation. 
We have the opportunity, no, the responsibility to provide them with 
the best possible care and to empower them with the necessary tools to 
make smart career decisions when we welcome them home.
  Hire Our Heroes says the best way to thank a veteran is to hire one. 
We should all keep this in mind as we celebrate our Nation's veterans 
today and for many more days to come.

                          ____________________