Nydia M. Velazquez: “this body has heard time and again of the courage, discipline and selflessness with which our veterans serve this…”

“this body has heard time and again of the courage, discipline and selflessness with which our veterans serve this Nation. What is less well known, however, are the contributions that veterans make to our Nation's economy. Last month, 407 Members of this House voted to pass H.R. 4253. This bill represented an important step toward a comprehensive update of the Small Business Administration's veterans assistance programs, programs which remove barriers to veterans' self-employment and provide veteran entrepreneurs with support for growth and expansion. Again, I wish to commend Congressman Jason Altmire and Congressman Vern Buchanan for their leadership on this legislation. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, the number of returning veterans will only increase. Our support for veterans, however, does not end with their deployment. We must continue to work to support these budding entrepreneurs as they reach for the American dream of business ownership.”