Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 244, as amended, the HIRE Vets Act. I give a special thank-you to my colleague from California, Colonel Cook, who, himself, is a Vietnam veteran. Since the first day he got into Congress, he has been our veterans' stanchest supporter, and I appreciate that. Mr. Speaker, this is an innovative, bipartisan piece of legislation. The HIRE Vets Act directs the Department of Labor, or DOL VETS, to establish a HIRE Vets Medallion Program. This program solicits voluntary information from private sector employers, which we know they want to give--and we know they are out there hiring folks--and allows these employers to display, with other marketing materials, a recognized medallion as a symbol of their support and willingness to make sure we hire veterans. Employers who provide community and charitable services that support veterans will also be eligible. Hiring veterans isn't just the right thing to do because it is morally and ethically right; it makes good business sense, and our folks know that. The men and women who have served in our military have received invaluable training and experience that has proven to help them thrive in post-military employment. What they need is a foot in the door. Fortunately, we have been seeing encouraging trends in veterans' employment.…”