[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 1, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Rounds, 
        Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Graham, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Cramer, Mr. 
        Booker, Mr. Cotton, Ms. Warren, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. 
        Warnock, Mrs. Blackburn, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. 
        Hickenlooper, Mr. Moran, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Hoeven, and Mr. 
        Warner):
  S. 596. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make 
employers of spouses of military personnel eligible for the work 
opportunity credit; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. KAINE. Madam President, today I am introducing the Military 
Spouse Hiring Act with my colleagues Senators Boozman, Hassan, Rounds, 
and 17 of our colleagues. Enacting this bill would improve financial 
stability for Blue Star families across the country.
  The families of America's servicemembers make sacrifices that often 
go unrecognized. Among them is packing up and moving frequently, with 
military spouses regularly having to leave stable employment to move to 
a new area and start over. This is compounded by the complex system of 
State licensing and certification requirements, which can prevent these 
spouses from taking jobs that utilize their expertise and experience. 
Because of this, military spouses have unemployment rates substantially 
higher than the national average, and they are often underemployed when 
they do have jobs. Adding to the financial struggles caused by frequent 
periods of unemployment and underemployment, the rising cost of 
childcare puts a substantial burden on many military families.
  The Military Spouse Hiring Act would help these families by making 
military spouses an eligible population for the work opportunity tax 
credit. This tax credit has proven effective in improving employment 
prospects for other groups. Extending it to military spouses would help 
them find employment more easily after moving to new areas.
  I hope my colleagues will support this bill to help families who have 
made the greatest sacrifice for our Nation.
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