Contact: Aaron White
Phone: 202-225-5506
[email protected]
Better Jobs for Veterans Act of 2017 has been stalled by House Committee on Veterans Affairs
La Crosse – Today, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind called on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to consider his bipartisan bill, the Better Jobs for Veterans Act of 2017. The bill, which was introduced last year, would provide critical tools for veterans and their spouses to find employment. The legislation has been pending for almost five months with no action taken.
“When our veterans return from service, they deserve the opportunity to find a good-paying job back at home,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “It’s time to pass this bill, which helps our veterans and their families make an easier transition from military to civilian life.”
Despite making progress to lower the unemployment for veterans over the last few years, evidence has shown that underemployment continues to be a significant problem, particularly for post-9/11 veterans. Additionally, military families can struggle with financial pressures due to higher rates of unemployment among military spouses, which is estimated to be as high as 23%.
The Better Jobs for Veterans Act of 2017 includes a number of common sense solutions to increase and improve veteran employment opportunities, including permanently extending the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP), which would provide training assistance to unemployed veterans between the ages of 35 and 60. It would also help states streamline credentials to recognize veterans’ military training by giving states the ability to issue licenses to well-qualified service members after having verified that their military training meets state standards. Further, it would extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to Members of the Ready Reserve and National Guard as well as military spouses, whi8ch would incentivize employers to hire these individuals.
A copy of the letter is attached here.
