The time for Veteran Opportunity to Work Act is NOW

The American Legion supports HR 2433 - The Veteran Opportunity to Work Act

(October 11, 2011) As early as tomorrow, October 12 at 5 p.m., the U.S. House of Representatives will take a very consequential vote; one which may determine if this nation's unemployed veterans, of all eras and ages, can expect increased employment opportunities in the near future courtesy of a grateful nation. A nation which will not stand to see her defenders return home from the battlefield empty handed.

H.R. 2433, the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, or VOW Act, introduced this summer by Representative Jeff Miller (FL), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is scheduled to be voted on imminently on the House floor.

Congress must and should support this bill.

National Commander Fang A. Wong presented that message during a September hearing in front of a joint session of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees. Wong presented the Legion's legislative priorities during the hearing, focusing on veterans employment, the Department of Veterans Affairs' claims backlog, and the treatment of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries.

Wong spoke at length about the job crisis facing the country's veterans. A figure of more than 1 million veterans without employment, including 632,000, ages 35-60. Congress should, he said, pass legislation now creating incentives to promote the hiring of veterans to help reduce those figures.

Furthermore, Wong said a key to turning around the unemployment crisis is both a stronger effort by the federal government to hire veterans and an involved private sector. He praised Rep. Jeff Miller, as well as his Senate counterpart, Sen. Patty Murray (WA), Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, for legislation they've advanced that provide incentives for hiring veterans.

"The American Legion hopes you will collaborate and bring your parties together to get a jobs bill for America's veterans passed," Wong said.
"It is our obligation as a nation to ensure that every single member of the military who chooses to leave the military can effectively transfer his or her education, training and experience into a civilian career field."

With passage of the VOW Act, Congress will take the first step in reaching Commander Wong's goal of helping our nation's unemployed veterans, but we need your help to make sure this bill makes it across the finish line.

Please call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your House member's office. Ask for the staff person following this bill. Identify yourself and tell the aide you request the Representative support H.R. 2433, the VOW Act.

Tell them the VOW Act is the ONLY current piece of veterans' job legislation to specifically address the cohort of 630,000+ veterans aged 35-60. Tell them this bill had strong bipartisan support in Committee and we ask for bipartisan support on the floor. Let them know The American Legion and its members and advocates are counting on their vote! We need to pass this now.

Again, please call 202-224-3121 and support The American Legion and The VOW Act. This is the most important matter facing Congress at this time. The time for VOW is NOW. Call your Congressman TODAY."