Fitzpatrick: More Work to Be Done in Tackling Veteran Unemployment

Statement

Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8) released the following statement Tuesday about the continued need for businesses to hire veterans:

"Last year the White House announced a new plan to tackle the high rate of unemployed veterans. Today the president and first lady announced that the "Joining Forces' program was months ahead of schedule and has already helped 290,000 veterans or family members find work or receive career training.

While I applaud the focus on tackling the problem of veteran unemployment, there is still more work to be done.

As a member of the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus I am actively involved in finding ways to buck the trend of high veteran unemployment. I've supported legislation pro-job legislation, including the Fairness to Veterans Act that says veterans should get the same federal contracting preferences as every other group. It's also important that we open up more career training options to veterans by allowing them to use their GI Bill benefits at technical and trade schools.

However, the best way to lower the unemployment rate of veterans is to create an economy that encourages business to hire more workers. Removing crushing regulations and decreasing the economic uncertainty by rolling back things like the president's health care law, will allow the nation's economy togrow- lowering the unemployment rate for veterans and civilians alike."

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