Politic365.com: Rep. Bishop heads House effort to help new veterans find work

June 6, 2011

As the Iraqi War comes to an end and the draw down of forces in Afghanistan begins, many newly released veterans will flood an already tight job market. In preparation for these new job seekers, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, D-Ga., is leading the House's effort to pass bipartisan legislation to help veterans gain employment after leaving the service.

With 8.1 percent of veterans unemployed—12.7 percent among African-American former service members—his legislation would enhance training programs for military members preparing to leave the service. It would also modify federal hiring practices to encourage the hiring of new veterans.

"Our troops have gone above and beyond the call of duty to defend our country, but far too often, when they return home they cannot find a job to help make ends meet," Bishop said. "This legislation will dramatically improve the assistance and training available to our veterans, and encourage businesses and government contractors to hire the brave men and women who developed valuable skills while in the armed forces."

Bishop's Hiring Heroes Act of 2011(H.R. 1941) is a companion to a similar Senate bill introduced by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. In addition to revising federal hiring practices to benefit veterans, it requires the services to provide individualized job assessment to each service member. This assessment identifies civilian jobs that the service member would qualify for as they begin their transition to civilian life. It also requires the Department of Labor to work with each veteran to evaluate job prospects and to determine whether the service member needs more assistance.

Bishop's measure would also create a competitive grant program for nonprofit organizations that provide job readiness training and job placement services to veterans.

"We have an obligation to help our veterans land on their feet when they come home and help them find good paying jobs to support their families," Bishop stated. "I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the House and the Senate to pass the Hiring Heroes Act and provide more support to our veterans."

H.R. 1941currently has 43 co-sponsors and is under review in the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.