Blog: Lankford Letter: Honoring our Veterans and Protecting Human Rights

Statement

Honoring our Veterans Hundreds of thousands of men and women in uniform have served our country over the years in World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and numerous other places around the world. This Veterans Day, join me in thanking all of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other heroes who have made tremendous sacrifices fighting for our freedom, security and prosperity.

As our veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan transition into civilian life, it reminds me of when World War II veterans came home from Europe and Asia. The "Greatest Generation" returned and immediately hurried back to work to build us into the most powerful economy in the world and push us out of the Great Depression. Today we have thousands of veterans coming home ready to work. They have the skills needed to perform a variety of essential jobs within our country. These men and women possess an incredible work ethic and have received first class training in the military with backgrounds in engineering, machinery, aeronautics and many other fields.

Getting our veterans back into the workforce is a high priority for members in the House of Representatives. We recently passed the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act (VOW Act), which provides additional education and training for veterans to build their skills, licenses and certifications, helping them enter the workforce quickly. Additionally, it provides workforce protections for the National Guard and Reserves. We have a tremendous amount of untapped potential in our veterans, and they deserve our gratitude by helping them re-enter the workforce. Learn more about the VOW Act here.

Protecting the Human Rights of Foreign Workers Last week, I chaired an Oversight & Government Reform subcommittee hearing to examine the abuse of foreign workers by government contractors in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East. Reports from the Wartime Contracting Commission and the Inspectors General with the Departments of State and Defense have confirmed allegations that contractors and subcontractors have employed foreign workers with poor labor practices--including debt bondage, deceptive recruiting, sub-standard living and work conditions and worker mistreatment.

This is not our America. We defend and fight for human rights across the globe. Ignoring these workers violates every value we hold as a country, and my subcommittee is committed to putting an end to this injustice. We will continue to push this issue by requiring federal agencies to submit a plan by early next year, ensuring that all workers are treated fairly and humanely.

OG&E Visit Our state is blessed with numerous energy resources that help fuel our economic success. Natural gas, geothermal, wind and coal all work together to power our economy. We are producing American-made energy and creating jobs right here in Oklahoma--just another reason that our state has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. During my visit to the OG&E Sooner Power Plant, I witnessed the great innovation that is present and growing at OG&E, and I am committed to helping all energy companies boost our economy. To view photos of my visit, click here.

Repatriation Boosts Job Creation I have spoken often about repatriation and its ability to help tear down the double taxation barrier for American companies operating overseas. I contributed an op-ed to Politico on this low-cost economic policy that allows businesses to bring their foreign earnings back home under a temporarily reduced tax rate, immediately boosting job creation and laying the foundation for comprehensive tax reform.

Committee Web Sites to Assist with Legislation If you are looking for more information on issues being discussed and researched in several House committees, please follow the links below. You can learn more about the legislation they are considering and the hearings they are conducting.

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