Political Quotes

“I would like to recognize the accomplishments of the 24 participants in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Mentor-Protege Program who are working to help veteran small business owners. In these hard economic times, it is more important than ever to provide this critical support to our veteran entrepreneurs. The goal of the Mentor-Protege Program, which was started in 2010, is to bring together established companies with service-disabled and other veteran-owned businesses. Through these partnerships with established regional businesses, veteran business owners receive guidance on financial and organizational management, business planning and technical aid. They also develop long-term business relationships with their mentor partners. Veterans hire veterans because they know what they are getting. Veterans are well trained, disciplined team players who can deliver results in challenging conditions. At a time when the Department of Labor reports almost 10 percent of all veterans are unemployed, and 27 percent of veterans between the ages of 20 and 24 are unemployed, it is imperative we do everything in our power to tackle this issue. The Mentor-Protege program holds the promise of fostering an environment where veteran-owned businesses can succeed in helping to revitalize our economy while hiring veterans in the process.…”