President Signs Veterans' Jobs Bill Into Law

The VFW joined President Barack Obama and leaders in veterans' advocacy at the White House yesterday to sign the VOW to Hire Heroes Act into law. This comprehensive piece of veterans' jobs legislation passed both houses of Congress with unanimous bipartisan support before reaching the president's desk thanks in large part to the advocacy of the VFW on the issue of veterans' unemployment.

Over the last few years, the VFW has consistently passed a resolution at the VFW National Convention calling on Congress to address the ever-growing unemployment crisis among veterans, particularly the men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. VFW then testified in support of comprehensive veterans' jobs legislation before both the House and Senate in the lead-up to the compromise bill that the president signed yesterday.

Both Republican and Democratic leaders, like House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., joined the president, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden at the White House to mark the bipartisan victory that will help veterans become more marketable employees in a cut-throat jobs market.

According to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly two Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans are unemployed for every man or woman currently serving in those countries, and as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, the VFW believes that veterans must be prepared for a potentially difficult job search.

To learn more about the VOW to Hire Heroes Act and what it will mean for veterans struggling to find quality jobs, check out last week's blog post by Clicking Here.

The VOW to Hire Heroes Act was a major victory for the VFW and for the veterans' community as a whole, and last week, VFW Commander-in-Chief thanked Congressional leaders and the Administration for their work to serve the needs of today's unemployed veterans.

"Washington works best when there is common ground," said DeNoyer. "I am proud of House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Patty Murray and all their supporters for joining together to help veterans get jobs. I also want to thank the president for his strong support of veterans past and present."

(Images: Top: President Barack Obama discusses why the VOW to Hire Heroes Act is important while leaders from the veterans' community, including VFW Executive Director Bob Wallace, look on. Bottom: President Obama signs the VOW to Hire Heroes Act into law during a ceremony at the White House. Photos by Ryan Gallucci.)

UPDATE: Vets' Jobs Bill Heading to President's Desk

Last night the House passed the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, a comprehensive veterans' jobs bill, with a unanimous vote of 422-0. In a statement this morning, VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard L. DeNoyer said he was proud to see Congress put aside partisan politics, passing a law to address the daunting veterans' unemployment crisis. The bill, which passed the Senate last week with overwhelming bipartisan support, will now make its way to the desk of President Barack Obama for signing.

The VOW to Hire Heroes Act was passed as an amendment to H.R. 674, a tax incentive bill for federal contractors, and includes provisions from the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, H.R. 2433, the Republican-supported bill that passed the House three weeks ago; the Hiring Heroes Act, S. 951, the Democrat-supported bill that passed the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee this summer; and veterans' tax credits, which were included in the president's comprehensive employment bill this fall.

The VFW testified in support of comprehensive veterans' jobs legislation before both the House and Senate this year, in an effort to address the ever-growing unemployment crisis among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. According to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly two Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans are unemployed for every man or woman currently serving in those countries.

As the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, the VFW believes the situation will only become more dire, as more service members leave the military looking for civilian careers. The VFW believes the VOW to Hire Heroes Act would ensure that these new veterans would be more marketable job candidates in this cut-throat economy.

Should the president sign the VOW to Hire Heroes Act into law, separating service members may feel the impact almost immediately through the ability to apply for federal jobs before separating from the military, acquiring a baseline of knowledge to compete in the civilian economy through mandatory transition assistance program, or TAP, participation, fully understanding their military job skills through individualized assessments, and eligibility for improved tax credits for business that choose to hire veterans and wounded warriors.

In the years to come, the VFW believes reporting and auditing metrics included in the bill for programs like TAP, military occupation transferability programs, and local employment assistance networks, will help veterans' advocates and leaders in Congress analyze program success, identify best practices, and make quality recommendations on how to best help veterans find post-military careers.

Major provisions of the bill include:

- Mandating TAP participation for all separating service members.
- Expanding educational opportunities for older veterans
- Offering additional Vocational Rehabilitation benefits for unemployed disabled veterans.
- Allowing separating service members to start the federal hiring process before leaving active duty
- Working with states to close the credential and licensing gaps for service members who have worked in certain fields on active duty, but face administrative hurdles to working in similar civilian industries.
- Strengthening Uniformed Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or USERRA, protections for service members who may be facing hostile civilian work environments.
- Extending comprehensive tax credits for employers that hire veterans and wounded warriors.

To learn more about the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, visit the House Veterans Affairs Committee's Web site by Clicking Here.

Your VFW will keep you posted as the VOW to Hire Heroes Act moves to the president's desk for signature. Check back for updates.

VFW Applauds Senate Passage of Veterans' Jobs Bill

In time for Veterans Day, the Senate passed the VOW to Hire Heroes Act last night with overwhelming bipartisan support in a vote of 94-1. The VFW was a vocal supporter of the comprehensive veterans' jobs bill, and joined Senate leadership for a press conference at the U.S. Capitol yesterday afternoon to announce the compromise bill.



The VOW to Hire Heroes Act combines provisions from the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, H.R. 2433, the Republican-supported bill that passed the House two weeks ago; the Hiring Heroes Act, S. 951, the Democrat-supported bill that passed the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee this summer; and veterans' tax credits, which were included in President Barack Obama's comprehensive employment bill this fall.

Major provisions of the bill include:

- Mandating Transition Assistance Program, or TAP, participation for all separating service members.

- Expanding educational opportunities for older veterans

- Offering additional Vocational Rehabilitation benefits for unemployed disabled veterans.

- Allowing separating service members to start the federal hiring process before leaving active duty

- Working with states to close the credential and licensing gaps for service members who have worked in certain fields on active duty, but face administrative hurdles to working in similar civilian industries.

- Strengthening Uniformed Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or USERRA, protections for service members who may be facing hostile civilian work environments.

- Extending comprehensive tax credits for employers that hire veterans and wounded warriors.

The VFW testified in support of all of these provisions over the last six months before both the House and Senate, and VFW leaders applauded the urgency with which legislators on both sides of the aisle took up comprehensive veterans' jobs legislation, putting aside partisan politics to address the ongoing unemployment crisis facing veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

In October, Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers indicated that more than 240,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were unemployed, nearly two times the end strength of American forces currently serving in the war zone.

Meanwhile, while more Americans seemed to be finding jobs over the last few months, the unemployment rate for veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan continued to grow, with numbers in October eclipsing 12 percent, according to the bureau.

Next, the House must vote on the compromise language included in the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which the House Veterans Affairs Committee has indicated should happen once they return from the district work period.

The VFW encourages House leadership to take up the VOW to Hire Heroes Act as soon as they return to Washington, ensuring the president can quickly sign it into law.

Your VFW will keep you posted on this blog as this comprehensive veterans' jobs bill continues to move. Check back for updates.

(Video: Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, discusses the importance of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act during yesterday's press conference at the U.S. Capitol. Video courtesy of the Office of Sen. Patty Murray.)

VFW Applauds President's Employment Initiatives for Veterans

The VFW joined President Barack Obama in the Rose Garden at the White House, where the president announced three new initiatives allowing veterans to utilize resources to find viable jobs. The president also officially announced that his extension of tax credits for businesses that hire veterans would be included in comprehensive veterans' employment legislation, which the Senate plans to take up this week.

The announcement comes after Friday's release of the latest economic data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed that unemployment among Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans once again rose in October.

The three initiatives include: Free local job counseling to veterans through the Department of Labor's Veterans Gold Card, free online career roadmaps provided by My Next Move for Veterans, and a Web-based Veterans Job Bank widget through which veterans can find jobs that correlate to their military MOS, hosted by the National Resource Directory.

The Veterans Gold Card entitles Post-9/11-era veterans for up to six months of intensive services from Department of Labor One-Stop Career Centers. These services include skills assessments, career guidance, individual case management, and job referrals. To take advantage of the services, eligible veterans must download the card and bring it to their local One-Stop Career Center. To download the Veterans Gold Card, click here.

My Next Move for Veterans is a Web-based tool that allows veterans to explore different career paths, learning about the necessary skills and abilities required to succeed in certain industries. The site allows veterans to correlate their military experience to viable career paths, but also explains the requisite supplementary education, such as college degrees or certifications, plus the job climate outlook, expectant salaries and links to potential employers.

Finally, the Veterans Job Bank is a simple widget that veterans can use to find jobs either related to their MOS or through a keyword search. The widget can be easily added to any Web site, and its database is consistently updated by the National Resource Directory.

The VFW was most excited about the president's decision to pursue improved tax credits to hire unemployed veterans and wounded warriors.

The president first introduced the tax credits as part of a comprehensive jobs bill, but has since moved to pass the tax credits as part of a comprehensive veterans' jobs bill under consideration by the Senate.

The president's plan would provide tax incentives of up to $5,600 for hiring veterans and up to $9,600 for hiring disabled veterans, if the veteran has been unemployed for six months or longer.

The VFW applauded the president's decision to pursue the tax credits in a White House press release earlier today.

“It’s time to pull out the stops. After their service to the country, our war fighters have been hit disproportionately hard by the economic downturn with unemployment rates that eclipse their non-military cohorts,” said Bob Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. “Without using every option available to assist them, unemployment for veterans will only rise with the draw-down of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are proud to see that the Administration has recognized the immediate needs of our veterans by focusing on extending and improving tax credits for job-creators who wish to hire hard-working, battle-proven leaders.”

Once the Senate officially introduces its comprehensive veterans' jobs bill, the VFW plans to mobilize its Action Corps to encourage its swift passage. Check back regularly for updates.

(Images: Top: President Barack Obama announces the administration's latest veterans' employment initiatives in the Rose Garden at the White House on Monday, Nov. 7. Bottom: Dawn Jirak, assistant director of the National Veterans Service and Fred Burns, director of Administration and Operations for the VFW Washington, D.C., office shake hands with President Barack Obama after the announcement of new veterans’ employment initiatives. Photos by Ryan Gallucci.)

Advancing the Discussion on G.I. Bill Accountability

The VFW joined the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs yesterday for a hearing on consumer financial protections for service members, veterans and their loved ones.

The banking committee, led by Chairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), hosted the hearing to discuss a variety of issues military families have faced from predatory companies in the financial market. Some of these issues include military payday loans, illegal military family foreclosures, and predatory practices in higher education – an issue on which the VFW has been a leading voice.

Witnesses included consumer financial experts, military banking professionals and military advocates. To view a full list of witnesses, click here.

To view the hearing in its entirety, click here.

Holly Petraeus, assistant director of service member affairs for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has been a vocal advocate for veterans who have been victimized by predatory schools. She focused on consumer education for service members and veterans who can utilize robust education benefits while on active duty and for up to 15 years after military service.

Patraeus, whose role as a consumer advocate and high-profile military spouse has taken her to meet military families from coast-to-coast, presented the committee with an anecdote about a military spouse who claimed she attended an official military-affiliated college, but faced considerable hurdles in receiving her education. Petraeus said the woman was actually the victim of a predatory for-profit that was allowed to aggressively recruit military families. Petraeus recounted that the woman received aggressive calls from the school until she enrolled, but could not find someone to answer her questions when she could not log onto the server to fulfill her course obligations.

Petraeus called on the committee to ensure veterans had the tools available to make it easy to compare academic programs and make responsible educational decisions.

Prior to the hearing, VFW leaders in Washington had the opportunity to sit down with student-veterans who attended a for-profit college, ECPI, in Hampton Roads, Va. ECPI recently received recognition from the Military Times’ supplemental EDGE magazine, touting it as the top nontraditional school for student-veterans. Among a dearth of non-profit private and public institutions rated by Military Times, ECPI stood out as a prime example of a good actor in the for-profit community, which I why VFW was eager to learn what they were doing right.

The VFW was the first veterans’ group to advocate for G.I. Bill accountability on Capitol Hill in an effort to ensure that student-veterans have access to the quality education they have earned. Through diligent research and countless meetings with industry experts, the VFW has believes that protecting student-veterans and their benefits will require a multifaceted approach across both the federal government and higher education.

In an effort to advance this discussion, the VFW has asked the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to host a roundtable discussion including all stakeholders on the issue to voice concerns and brainstorm possible solutions.

Your VFW will continue to be a vocal advocate for student-veterans on Capitol Hill, keeping you posted on this developing dialogue to protect G.I. Bill benefits. Check back regularly with this blog for updates on this issue.

(Image: Photo of yesterday's witnesses before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. L to R, Holly Petraeus, Bonnie Spain, and retired Adm. Charles Abbott. Photo by Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, released.)

VFW Applauds Burn Pit Legislation

The VFW joined Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., and other leading veterans' advocates at the U.S. Capitol this afternoon for a press conference to introduce the Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2010.

Akin's bill, H.R. 3337, seeks to create a national registry within VA to help track toxic exposure to burn pits for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, modeled after VA's existing Agent Orange and Gulf War Syndrome registries.

VFW has worked closely with burn pit awareness advocates from Burn Pits 360 to help push for the registry, and VFW Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker was on hand to applaud Akin's bill and explain what the registry could mean to veterans who may have been exposed to toxins in the war zone.

"I am convinced that the body of evidence will continue to grow and eventually prove what we already know from experience--that is, that exposure to toxins released into the air by open burn pits is causing respiratory problems that we don't yet fully understand how to properly identify and treat," said Barker. "In the meantime, this registry is absolutely essential because we must be prepared to reach back and give the men and women who have already been exposed the best possible treatments."

Aubrey Tapley, an Iraq veteran and founding member of Burn Pits 360, joined the press conference to share what the registry would mean to her.

Tapley served in Iraq in 2004 and had to be medevaced from theater as a result of emerging respiratory issues. Tapley said that her sleeping quarters were directly adjacent to an open air burn pit. However, VA has never correlated her resultant health problems to her exposure in theater. Tapley said she believes the registry will finally change that, and that VA will have to acknowledge a disease that nobody can see.

Rosie Torres, who helped to found Burn Pits 360, shared the story of her husband, Army Capt. Leroy Torres, who was diagnosed with a severe respiratory illness after his deployment to Iraq -- an illness that his family believes is connected to his exposure to the open air burn pit at LSA Anaconda in Iraq. Torres said that new registry will allow VA to start its research on toxic exposure now, instead of 30 years from now.

Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., has offered his bipartisan support to Akin's efforts and plans to drop a companion bill soon in the Senate.

At the press conference, Akin thanked the veterans' advocates for their steadfast support in the effort to track and care for veterans exposed to toxins in the war zone.

Building on lessons-learned from Agent Orange and exposures in the Gulf War, your VFW will continue to press Congress to take action on potential toxic exposures for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. As Akin's bill to track veterans exposed to open air burn pits gains momentum, check back regularly with this blog for updates.

(Images: Top: Rep. Todd Akin speaks to Aubrey Tapley of Burn Pits 360 about her experiences in Iraq. Bottom: VFW Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker explains why the potential burn pit registry is important to today's veterans. Photos by Ryan Gallucci.)

Super Congress Discusses Presidential Commission Recommendations

VFW Calls on Super Congress to refocus efforts on wasteful spending practices, not military and veterans’ programs

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction met yesterday to hear testimony from a panel of budget analysts and former members of Congress who served on President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The Presidential Commission submitted a report last December but did not have the required majority vote to make formal recommendations. Yesterday’s panel included former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) and Erskine Bowles, the commission co-chairmen; former Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.); and Dr. Alice Rivlin, the first director of the Congressional Budget Office.

The Joint Select Committee, or so called "Super Congress," discussed the commission’s work, pointing out that nearly 60 percent of the nation’s spending goes to entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. They also discussed for the first time publicly the earned benefits paid by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. With the exception of disability pensions administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration, the benefits earned through military service are paid from discretionary spending accounts, which for budgetary purposes, means the vast majority of military personnel and veterans’ programs are not considered “entitlement programs” by definition. Such programs include VA health care, TRICARE health benefits for active-duty military, retirees and their families, other quality-of-life programs, and the military retirement program for those who serve 20 or more years.

With that in mind, VFW wants the Super Congress and the Administration to refocus their attention on wasteful government spending, and to leave intact those DOD and VA programs that have been bought and paid for in full by an overtasked and underappreciated military. Asking this extremely small segment of American society to sacrifice even more is a breach of faith that will cause irreparable damage to the continued viability of the All-Volunteer Force.

To voice your concerns about military and veterans' quality-of-life programs directly to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction , click here.

(Image: The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction convenes for their hearing on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Photo by David Olson.)