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Bishop Sponsored Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 Passes Senate

November 10, 2011

Washington, D.C. – Today, provisions of the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011, which was introduced and sponsored by Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senator Patty Murray in the U.S. Senate, passed in the Senate by an overwhelming bipartisan majority vote of 95 to 0. The provisions were included in a comprehensive bill, H.R. 674, which also repeals a 2006 law which requires federal, state, and local governments to withhold three percent of payments that are due to government contractors. The wide-ranging legislation combines key components of President Obama’s American Jobs Act with Congressman Bishop’s Hiring Heroes Act and other related bipartisan initiatives designed to boost employment opportunities for veterans.

The bipartisan Hiring Heroes provisions will ensure that all service members transitioning to civilian life receive the job training skills they need to find a job. The bill approved by the Senate today also offers a tax credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans, and will increase existing tax credits for companies that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities.

“As Veterans Day 2011 approaches, we have an obligation to ensure our veterans land on their feet when they come home and help them find good paying jobs to support their families,” said Congressman Bishop. “These heroes have risked the most for our country. Providing more support to our nation’s veterans is simply the right thing to do, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to pass this comprehensive veterans’ employment initiative.”