Max Baucus: “President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no…”

“President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.'' President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation to all of the brave men and women serving our country overseas. We have a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return home. And the unemployment numbers among veterans make it clear that we have a long way to go. The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military since September 2001 far exceeds that of their nonveteran peers. The unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans hit 13.1 percent in April. This is roughly 3 percentage points higher than the previous year. The unemployment rate among Montana veterans has more than doubled since 2005. This is a serious problem. We should be greeting our veterans with quality health care and our eternal gratitude, not an unemployment check. Yesterday, I was proud to stand with my friends and colleagues, Senator Patty Murray and Senator Jon Tester, as we introduced the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011. The bill will take a number of important steps to help our brave veterans find work when they come home from war.…”