FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Murray Press Office

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 (202) 224-2834


VETERANS: Murray Statement on Major Veterans Employment Bill House Passage


Murray: For too long, at the end of their career we patted our veterans on the back for their service and then pushed them out into the job market alone

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray released the following statement following the House passage of the “VOW to Hire Heroes Act” by a vote of 422-0. This bipartisan, bicameral, comprehensive legislation would lower the rate of unemployment among our nation’s veterans. It combines provisions of Senator Murray’s Hiring Heroes Act (S. 951; Report #112-36), Representative Miller’s Veterans Opportunity to Work Act (H.R. 2433; Report #112-242), and veterans’ tax credits into a comprehensive package that will aggressively attack the unacceptably high rate of veteran’s unemployment.

“Today’s vote by the House on the VOW to Hire Heroes Act is a major victory for our veterans who have returned home only to have to fight to find work to support themselves and their families,” said Senator Murray following the House vote. “Our veterans have the drive, discipline, and self confidence to succeed in any workplace. This landmark legislation takes a huge step forward in rethinking the way we treat our men and women in uniform after they leave the military by helping them to translate the skills they learned in their service into careers and by giving employers even more incentive to hire veterans. I congratulate Chairman Miller and I look forward to President Obama signing this critical bill into law so we can start putting our veterans back to work.”

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