On the recordNovember 16, 2011
I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, jobs for America's veterans has become a popular topic over the past few weeks. The VOW to Hire Heroes Act is a vital first step in meeting our responsibilities to that 1 percent of Americans mentioned by VA Committee Chairman Miller in his remarks. For those who are in the middle of their civilian working life, gaining new skills is often problematic due to a lack of resources to fund education and training, while recently discharged veterans have the post 9/11 GI Bill's generous resources to acquire the skills now in demand. Therefore, I believe the most important provision in the VOW to Hire Heroes Act offers 99,000 unemployed veterans between the ages of 35 and 60 the resources to acquire those new skills. To my colleagues, the veterans provisions in this bill are worthy of your support, and I urge you to join me in voting ``yes'' on the VOW to Hire Heroes Act. The Amendment to H.R. 674, includes the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which reflects a Compromise Agreement reached by the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs (the Committees) on the following bills reported during the 112th Congress: H.R. 2433, as amended, (House Bill); and S. 951, as reported (Senate Bill). H.R. 2433, as amended, passed the House on October 12, 2011. S. 951 was reported favorably out of the Senate Committee on July 18, 2011.…
