Toomey, Manchin Working to Restore Vets Jobs Services

Press Release

U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) are working to restore federal employment and job training services for America's veterans.

Sens. Toomey and Manchin today introduced the bipartisan Protect Veterans Employment & Training Services Act-or Protect VETS Act- to ensure that veterans continue to have access to specialized job assistance coaches. These coaches work with businesses to develop job opportunities for veterans, and they help veterans find work-especially disabled veterans with different employment needs.

In April, the Labor Department issued a guidance memo that forbids veterans job specialists-known as Local Veterans Employment Representatives and Disabled Veterans Outreach Specialists-from assisting 70% of America's veterans, including some disabled veterans. Congress fully funded these veterans job specialists, despite the sequester's budget cuts. The Toomey-Manchin proposal reverses the Labor Department's cuts and restores these valuable job-training services to America's veterans.

"I cannot understand why the Department of Labor would reduce employment and job-training services for the vast majority of America's veterans, especially when young veterans already face an unemployment rate exceeding the national average," said Sen. Toomey. "Even worse, the Department of Labor has taken away these services from some disabled veterans.

"Since 1944, when Congress first created veterans job specialists in the GI Bill, we have recognized that America has a special obligation to help veterans find employment. We have also recognized that veterans are most likely to find jobs if they are assisted by jobs coaches trained in leveraging the unique combination of skill, discipline, character, and talent that veterans bring to the marketplace. Our veterans have proudly served us; the least we can do is ensure no veteran is denied the job services they deserve."

"We must do everything we can to ensure that our brave veterans, who have sacrificed so much in defense of our country, receive the best care and services when they return home, and that starts by helping them find secure, good-paying jobs," Sen. Manchin said. "By reducing employment assistance to our veterans, we are not only ignoring our obligation to our heroes, but we are also ignoring the fact that the unemployment rate for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan significantly exceeds the national average. This legislation will reverse the Labor Department's latest cuts and restore the critical job services our veterans rightly deserve."

Michael D. Helm, National Commander, the American Legion said, "It doesn't make sense for the Department of Labor to further restrict the types of veterans who are eligible for intensive employment services. DoL's decision to deny a majority of our unemployed veterans admission to veterans' employment services is counterproductive. That is why we are supporting the Protect VETS Act, because it would neutralize misguided efforts at DoL to restrict such important services and restore the original policy."

"The Department of Labor's American Job Centers and state workforce agencies play a key role in assisting veterans with acquiring jobs after they leave military service," said Heather L. Ansley, Vice President, VetsFirst, a Program of United Spinal Association. "Restricting the job duties of veterans' job counselors and limiting the types of veterans they can serve during a time when post-war service members are exiting the military in high numbers is not a wise course of action. This legislation would maximize the resources that DoL currently invests in veterans' job counselors working in our state workforce agencies to make employment a success for our veterans."

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