[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8389-8391]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1800
                   ESTABLISHING VETSTAR AWARD PROGRAM

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 802) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
establish a VetStar Award Program, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 802

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page 8390]]



     SECTION 1. VETSTAR AWARD PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 532 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) by striking ``The Secretary may'' and inserting `` (a) 
     Advertising in National Media.--The Secretary may''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(b) VetStar Award Program.--(1) The Secretary shall 
     establish an award program, to be known as the `VetStar Award 
     Program', to annually recognize businesses for their 
     contributions to veterans' employment.
       ``(2) The Secretary shall establish a process for the 
     administration of the award program, including criteria for--
       ``(A) categories and sectors of businesses eligible for 
     recognition each year; and
       ``(B) objective measures to be used in selecting businesses 
     to receive the award.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendments.--
       (1) Section heading.--The heading of such section is 
     amended by adding at the end the following: ``; VETSTAR AWARD 
     PROGRAM''.
       (2) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amended by striking 
     the item relating to section 532 and inserting the following 
     new item:

``532. Authority to advertise in national media; VetStar Award 
              Program.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Miller) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 802, as amended, a bill 
introduced by Ranking Mr. Filner to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to establish a ``VetStar Award Program.''
  Mr. Speaker, the VetStar Award Program would recognize private sector 
businesses which excel in promoting the hiring of veterans.
  In the tough economy that we're in, unemployment among veterans is 
too high. According to the Department of Labor, 11 percent of veterans 
from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan were unemployed during the 
month of April. I'm confident that you and all of the Members would 
agree that we need to use every tool at our disposal to bring that 
number down.
  Our Nation's veterans bring a unique set of qualifications and skills 
to any job. And while many in the private sector understand their 
value, more must be done. H.R. 802, as amended, would recognize 
businesses who have done their part and promoted veterans for 
employment. This is a great no-cost way of recognizing those employers 
who have already stepped up to the plate and helped our veterans.
  I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Filner, for this bill and 
urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 802, as amended.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Again, I want to thank the chair of our VA Committee for the 
incredible cooperative effort we have devoted so far in this Congress. 
He mentioned on the last bill that we are united to try to find a way 
to cut through these intolerable and inexcusable delays in the 
disability claims process. And we are working together as a top 
priority to make sure that those who have served this Nation have a job 
when they get back because that, of course, leads to everything else 
good in our society. A good job is what is needed, and we are united in 
saying to our veterans this is going to be our top priority.
  What we have done here in H.R. 802 is again a small step which will 
highlight efforts and create an incentive for businesses to hire 
veterans by directing the VA to develop a very low-cost annual award 
program to recognize businesses who contribute to veterans' employment, 
the award to be displayed by business owners as a recognition of the 
business owner's commitment to the veteran community.
  I think the First Lady and the Second Lady of this country are doing 
much to promote what our Nation is doing for families of veterans. The 
White House might convene a summit of those who are both helping and 
will pledge to help hire veterans and highlight this issue more for all 
Americans.
  This bill would authorize the VA to advertise the program in the 
national media and allow the public to be educated on those businesses 
that support the employment of veterans.
  Again, I thank the chairman for scheduling the bill. It's part of our 
Memorial Day tribute to our veterans. I ask that our colleagues support 
the legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield as much time 
as he may consume to the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic 
Opportunity, Mr. Stutzman from the great State of Indiana.
  Mr. STUTZMAN. I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 802, as amended, 
as this bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
establish an award program to recognize businesses that excel in hiring 
veterans.
  We all know the unemployment problems facing many of our veterans. 
Our youngest groups of veterans have the highest unemployment rates 
among all the veterans, while older veterans between the ages of 35 and 
64 make up two-thirds of the unemployed veteran population.
  As we look for ways to increase veteran employment rates, it is 
absolutely appropriate that we honor those businesses that make the 
effort to hire veterans and to emphasize and to recognize their 
efforts. This award not only highlights employers who currently hire 
veterans, but it is my hope that it will also serve as an incentive for 
other employers to hire more veterans as well.
  At the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity legislative hearing on 
the bill, some witnesses suggested that the program would be 
appropriately sponsored by the Veterans Employment and Training 
Service. While not required by the bill, I hope that the VA will 
consult with the Department of Labor during the selection process.
  I can tell you as a small business owner and one that highly values 
the service of our veterans to our country, I believe that this is a 
wonderful measure to recognize those businesses that not only go out of 
their way but make it a priority to hire veterans to work at their 
businesses.
  So, Mr. Speaker, highlighting businesses for their support of 
veterans seeking employment is the right thing to do, and I urge my 
colleagues to support Ranking Member Mr. Filner's bill, and I 
appreciate him bringing the bill forward.
  Mr. FILNER. I would again urge support of the bill, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Again, I thank the ranking member for bringing 
this bill to the floor. I would add that tomorrow morning the full 
committee will be having a hearing at 10 a.m. entitled: ``Putting 
American Veterans Back to Work.''
  I would also please ask my friend, the ranking member, not to give 
all of the good ideas to the White House because you and I are going to 
be working together on a summit that will bring together those 
individuals who are wanting good employees to hire and highlight the 
veterans community to them for employment in their companies.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Once again, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend and add any 
extraneous material on H.R. 802, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. I encourage all Members to support H.R. 802, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 802, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

[[Page 8391]]



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