-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

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. ______

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source