[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8507-8508]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            HIRE A HERO ACT

  (Ms. PLASKETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to 
support an important initiative.
  We celebrate and show honor to our veterans, fallen servicemembers, 
and those in the Armed Forces during Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and 
then in some respects we go on about our business.
  Those veterans and the men and women in the National Guard and Ready 
Reserve need our continued support. We do that through health care, 
educational initiatives, and other ways. We must do it as well to 
support them economically with jobs.
  Too many American servicemembers remain unemployed. Although the 
overall veteran unemployment rate has dropped in recent years, the rate 
of unemployment among our post-9/11 veterans is 7.2 percent.

[[Page 8508]]

  As our economy continues to improve, we must be sure that those who 
fight to defend this country are not left behind. The men and women who 
serve in the National Guard and Reserve are highly trained, well-
qualified individuals who add tremendous value to our employer's 
workforce.
  Let's make it easier for those employers--and even incentivize them--
to bring the men and women who continue to serve in the National Guard 
and Reserve on their payroll. Through the Hire A Hero Act, H.R. 2457, 
employers would receive a tax incentive to hire our National Guardsmen 
and Reservists. This would support small businesses by providing them 
with highly skilled workers and assist our great men and women.
  Please join me in supporting the Hire A Hero Act.

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