McKinley Votes for Veterans' Jobs Bill

Statement

Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV) voted to help create jobs for our veterans Wednesday by supporting passage of H.R. 2433, the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act of 2011. The VOW Act incorporates education, training, protections, and eliminates roadblocks in the system to provide veterans with the opportunity to compete in a 21st century economy. The House also passed several other bills Tuesday to help veterans.

Recently, McKinley convened a Veterans Advisory Council comprised of veterans from throughout the First District. McKinley held his first conference call with his Veterans Advisory Council Tuesday to discuss the jobs legislation and other possible solutions to problems facing veterans, including access to healthcare facilities and benefits in addition to unemployment.

"Our country is facing record high unemployment and sadly our nation's heroes are not immune to this epidemic," said McKinley. "Congress needs to pass pro-job growth policies that will create opportunities in the private sector for our veterans. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there are currently over one million veterans unemployed. We can't ask these men and women to fight for our country and risk their lives without providing them the support they need when they get back home to earn a decent living.

"The VOW Act would create the most qualified, most skilled veteran workforce since World War II to compete in today's tough job market. This legislation will extend job training benefits to unemployed veterans to teach them new skills for high-demand jobs. It will also make career and transition courses mandatory for our service members leaving the military, strengthen re-employment protections for National Guard members and Reservists, and improve licensing and credentialing processes for new veterans. The legislation we passed today will help give our country's bravest the best opportunities possible to secure a job and provide for their families."

Source