[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15538-15540]
[From the U.S. 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.
  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,

[[Page 15539]]

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 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

[[Page 15540]]

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, 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.
  Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 
125, expressing Congressional support for ``Hire-A-Veteran Week,'' and 
encouraging the President to issue a proclamation calling upon 
employers to increase employment of men and women who have served 
honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.
  As a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the House Armed Services and 
Veterans' Affairs Committees, I know of the challenges awaiting our 
servicemembers when transitioning from military service to the civilian 
workforce. While this resolution will not solve the problems of 
unemployment within the veterans community, it is a strong message that 
we as Members of Congress should send to anyone in a position to hire 
qualified veterans.
  Having military veterans in both my El Paso, TX and Washington, DC 
offices, I know of the exceptional training the Armed Forces provides 
our servicemembers, and wholeheartedly encourage any employer to 
consider hiring those veterans who have served our country.
  Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in supporting our 
Nation's veterans by voting in favor of 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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