WICS Newschannel 20 - Hiring More Heroes Act Gets Fresh Start

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By Unknown

Hiring More Heroes, it's the name of a bill being touted by Rep. Rodney Davis as a bi-partisan solution to helping veterans get jobs.

Now that Republicans are in control of Congress, there's more hope the bill can pass.

The Hire More Heroes Act would allow small businesses to hire more veterans who get their healthcare through the VA System and not count them towards the 50 employee cap for the Affordable Care Act.

"Don't double count people who are getting healthcare through the federal government. Make sure that those small employers have a chance to look at our heroes and give any incentive to them that we can to make sure they get that job," Davis said.

The unemployment rate for veterans is higher than the national average,

But almost 20 percent of the staff at Staab Funeral Home are veterans, and family owner PJ Staab says veterans make great employees.

"They're already trained and few of them would have to be retrained to be able to communicate effectively our client families," Staab said.

Those who have fought on the front lines say vets need education about the opportunities open to them after their service.

"You may go in and before you go in you were a gas station attendant, and all the sudden you go in and you're pushing buttons making nuclear missiles go all over the world. And then you come back from that and then it's the transition," said Thomas R. Jones, Vietnam Veteran.

Those still in the military say anything Congress can do to make sure jobs are available for veterans when they need them is a good thing.

"I know there are many publications that help veterans find jobs, things like GI jobs, a lot of employers do look at military service as a good thing," said Caleb Bowman, U.S. Airforce.

There's hope the Hire More Heroes act will pass, but local business owners say it's important to make sure we're doing everything we can to help our vets right here at home.

"It's important that we have local, or grassroots efforts to do this because we know the veterans that are hurting and can't find a job or are just struggling a little bit to find a good friend to understand and listen," Staab said.

Recently both House Speaker John Boehner and incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have said they would like to see the Hire More Heroes bill pass in the new Congress.

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