Roy Blunt: “I join my colleague from Georgia. I also join Senator Hoeven in mentioning the incredible leadership that Senator…”

“I join my colleague from Georgia. I also join Senator Hoeven in mentioning the incredible leadership that Senator Isakson has shown for veterans and the way we deal with veterans' concerns. We honor their service. The Senator from North Dakota just mentioned that Monday, of course, is Memorial Day. On Memorial Day in 1983, President Reagan said: I don't have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch, or read the news, we are reminded that liberty is a rare commodity in this world. President Reagan's words from 35 years ago are every bit as significant today as they were then. The willingness to pay the price for freedom has been paid by every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine, and every person in the Coast Guard, the National Guard, and the Reserves. So on Memorial Day, we honor their willingness to do that. This is a good time also for us to discuss the things Congress has been doing to try to honor that service as we continue to look at the challenges that veterans face. I have spoken before about the HIRE Vets Act, which was signed into law last year. The bill established the HIRE Vets Program within the Department of Labor to provide tiered recognition of what employers do based on their contributions for veteran employment. Some of the criteria were things like these: What percentage of the new hires are veterans or what percentage of the overall workforce is veterans?…”