Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - May 11, 2011)
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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am proud to introduce the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011.
My colleagues, including Senators MURKOWSKI, LEAHY, BAUCUS, ROCKEFELLER, AKAKA, BOXER, SANDERS, BROWN of Ohio, CASEY, TESTER, BEGICH, COONS, and BROWN of Massachusetts join me in introducing this important legislation. I appreciate their continued support of our Nation's veterans. I also want to thank the veterans service organizations and their representatives, who have supported this legislation, including Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
Today, we are taking a huge step forward in rethinking the way we treat our men and women in uniform after they leave the military. For too long in this country we have invested billions of dollars in training our young men and women with new skills to protect our nation, only to turn our backs once they have left the military. For too long, at the end of their career we patted these troops on the back for their service and then pushed them out into the job market alone. Where has that left us today?
Today, we have an unemployment rate as high as 27 percent among young veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. That is over one in five of our Nation's heroes who cannot find a job to support their family; who do not have an income that provides stability; and do not have work that provides them with the self-esteem and pride that is so critical to their transition home.
All too often we read about the results of veterans who come home--often with the invisible wounds of war--who cannot find the dignity and security that work provides. We read about it in skyrocketing suicide statistics; problems at home; substance abuse problems, and even in rising rates of homelessness among our young veterans.
I frequently hear from veterans that we have failed to provide adequate job support. I have had veterans tell me that they no longer write the fact that they're a veteran on their resume because they fear the stigma that employers might attach to the invisible wounds of war. I have heard from medics like Eric Smith, a former Navy Corpsman who returned home from treating battlefield wounds and could not get certifications necessary to be an emergency medical technician or to drive an ambulance.
I have heard from veteran after veteran who said that they did not have to go through the military's job skills training program or that they were never taught how to use the vernacular of the business world to describe the benefits of their experience. These stories are as heartbreaking as they are frustrating, but more than anything they are a reminder that we have to act now.
The bill we are introducing today allows our men and women in uniform to capitalize on their service, while also ensuring that the American people capitalize on the investment we have made in them. For the first time, it would require broad job skills training for every servicemember as they leave the military as part of the military's Transition Assistance Program. Today, nearly 1/3 of our servicemembers do not get this training.
This bill would also allow servicemembers to begin the federal employment process prior to separation in order to facilitate a truly seamless transition from the military to jobs at the VA, Homeland Security or many of the other federal agencies in need of our veterans.
In addition, this bill also requires the Department of Labor to take a hard look at what military skills and training should be translatable into the civilian sector, and will work to make it simpler to get needed licenses or certifications.
Finally, this bill will allow for innovative partnerships with organizations that provide mentorship and training programs that are designed to lead to job placements. All of these are real, substantial steps to put our veterans to work, and all of them come at a pivotal time for our economic recovery and our veterans.
I grew up with the Vietnam War and I have dedicated much of my Senate career to helping to care for the veterans we left behind at that time. The mistakes we made then have cost our nation and our veterans dearly and have weighed on the conscience of this nation; yet today we stand on the brink of repeating those mistakes.
We cannot let that happen. Our Nation's veterans are disciplined, team players who have proven they can deliver under pressure like no one else. It is time for us to deliver for them.
This is not a full summary of all the provisions within this legislation. However, I hope that I have provided an appropriate overview of the major benefits this legislation would provide for America's servicemembers as they transition into civilian life. I also ask our colleagues for their continued support for the Nation's veterans.
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