Veteran Unemployment: Obama Signs Bill Into Law To Spur Vet Hiring

Despite recent clashes in Congress, members put aside partisan dissemblance Monday in a "vow" to help veterans.

With support by both Republicans and Democrats, President Obama signed into law the "VOW to Hire Heroes Act," CNN reports.

The bill provides tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed and disabled veterans.

In an effort to fight the 12 percent veteran unemployment rate, the federal government has added 350,000 private sector jobs in the past three months, Military.com reports.

The site quotes the President expressing the importance of providing employment opportunities for veterans:

"Just as they fight for us on the battlefield, it's up to us to fight for our troops and their families when they come home," Obama said. "Today, a deeply grateful nation is doing right by our military and paying back just a little bit what we owe our veterans."

Bloomberg Businessweek states that the tax credit may not actually do much in the way of job creation and that it would complicate the already confusing tax code. However when it comes to giving veterans an edge in employment, the news site argues that "it's the right thing to do."

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Comments

[Connie Markley Boppre]

09:22 AM on 11/26/2011

this is great !

[Passenger57]

05:27 AM on 11/23/2011

I don't know why there's so much complaining. I've taken tests for certain jobs fully aware that if a vet gets the same score I do, he's going to get 10 points added simply because he's a vet. So what? That's the breaks. They deserve it. Not only that, but perhaps the vet doesn't apply or want the job that you want. Sometimes nitpicking is just s - - tkicking. Give it a rest until it's really needed...

[Meldy1]

01:47 AM on 11/23/2011

This I applaud so much.The Veterans deserves to be acknowleged all times...they did so much for their country and deserves recognition.For that thank you Mr.President...courtesy of the great afforts of Prez.Obama..

[Florian EngageAmerica]

05:46 PM on 11/22/2011

The veteran jobs bill has made quite the stride in being one of the first pieces to be passed by the government with little resistance. Congrats are certainly in order but at the same time there is the question of what we’re going to do down the road. Veteran hiring is a great way to try and kickstart an economic recovery but in order to keep going it needs a constant source of stability. Veteran hiring may not do much if the jobs are gone as quickly as they appear. (http://eng.am/qM1myt). A plan for what happens after the acts go into place is just as important as having one to start,

[mustangdad2000]

05:09 PM on 11/22/2011

What a bunch of cr*p from the inept Obama regime. BO is simply grandstanding for political purposes once again. With his inevitable defeat in the next election he is trying anything to appear to be competent and caring.

The fact is that this grandstanding measure will not produce many jobs at all. The math is not there. The value of the tax credit comes no where close to the actual cost of bringing an employee on board. There is already a point preference to give vets an edge, but the havoc Obama has created to our economy precludes a brake out of new jobs. Additionally, the government does NOT create private sector jobs. Period.

This is the same Obama who has cut military benefits, has cut spending they need for housing, medical benefits and equipment for their job, and changed the rules of engagement thereby placing our troops in even more of harm's way.

Come to think about it, perhaps our new Republican president should consider a tax credit for all sales reps, comporable to their sales dollars, since it is actually sales that generate business growth and, hence, job expansion.

[Thomas DuGan]

09:00 PM on 11/23/2011

Good, Good, and thank you for detailing a spade as a spade.
What you say is true. Problem: most people cannot see. Therefor they are blind to what truth you have proclaimed. you have a degree of soundness with you; unfortunately many don't.
How about going for a short stroll to facebook.com -typing- in search -Thomas Kipley DuGan 122 and after reading, listening to videos -without reacting- you can click -like-, start a discussion right there. There is much more to learn. There, you have it brother.
JRH Peoples Party

[mashtoe]

01:42 PM on 11/22/2011

The reason we don't hire veterans is simple: H-1b work visas. Our managers won't let us review resumes from the public. We have to get resumes from a screening agency in India. The Indian company "helps" us find the right people. It just so happens that EVERY single resume they give us is an H-1B candidate and mostly from India.

I have called Patty Murray and Jim McDermott (both Democrats) about this fraud and NEITHER will do a thing. Instead the Democrats actively support H-1B and dozens of other work visas that allow US employers to IMPORT foreign labor into the US.

[Peter007]

09:58 AM on 11/22/2011

Finally. We have two classes of citizens.

Government employees and low lifes.
America has always been a class society with a disparity of rights.
It's about time those disparities were codified !

[ddixon1000]

09:49 AM on 11/22/2011

The military is very deserving of many things but putting them ahead of everyone else during an economic crisis is not right. What about the millions of people who applied to the military but couldn't join because of a disability such as diabetes, flat feet, surgeries, MS, and so on. Don't tell me there are schedule A jobs because they are few and far between. It appears the only way to get a good job is to be in the military and those that aren't have to go on disability and welfare!

[katyland]

11:54 AM on 11/22/2011

This bill is a campaign prop, unemployment is so high, that no one will get a job, vet or not.
but its nice to know that the 4million americans out of work for 2 years or more, will be placed at the bottom of the heap. by this adminstration, and who will recieve the blame for this, the vets of coarse,

[Tarpon22]

07:22 AM on 11/22/2011

It's FRAUD.....
Why is he not trying to stop Outsourcing??
Why is he not trying to Fine Companies for not brining the MILLIONS of jobs back from Overseas??
Why is he not trying to stop Outsourcing so there are more jobs for Veterans???

It's FRAUD

OccupyWashington

[mashtoe]

01:44 PM on 11/22/2011

I have called Patty Murray and Jim McDermott several times to report H-1B fraud and they politely tell me they don't care.

[jcaunter]

02:23 AM on 11/22/2011

Great, I'm a veteran. So sorry to hear about all those people who aren't veterans who I now have precedence over thanks to Obama though. Ah well, that's life.

[mashtoe]

01:46 PM on 11/22/2011

Hilarious. I guerentee that I will never see your resume. The Democrats created H-1B work visas years ago and today they are the ONLY resumes I am able to even see. Our engineering team is only allowed to interview "approved" sources of resumes and all the approved sources are in India. So move to India and then I might see your resume.

[dhtucson]

02:10 AM on 11/22/2011

While I am all for assisting Veteran once they return to the outside workplace (my spouse is retired military) this bill is preferential treatment and will only make it harder for the long term unemployed seeking employment. Prior to this bill, Veterans were already given preferential point differentials. Now companies will be given tax benefits. Veterans will be given the green light over all other candidates for public sector jobs as well.

We are a grateful nation and all Veterans deserve our support forever but this just seems over the top. The President could do more for the military families and veterans by passing comprehensive wage increases bringing members up to the average wage for jobs similar in the private sector, ensuring their standard of living is equal to the sacrifices made AND ensure healthcare is available in rural areas. Mr. Obama recently passed a bill that actually raised military healthcare premiums and tripled drug co-pays for those not carried on post! So much for caring. It seems he'd rather ensure policemen, teachers and construction workers have better benefits and pay then those serving our country.

[mcartri]

01:34 AM on 11/22/2011

Any Republican congressman supporting jobs for veterans should be defeated next November. Geez, they're just for photo opts, guys.

[sekigahara]

01:26 AM on 11/22/2011

Thank God Bush signed this Bill for the vets. Bush got OBL and now this! Go Dubya!!!

Snark aside, this is yet another good thing our President has done and the icing on the cake is that sour look on the face of the cons when good things happen.

[mashtoe]

01:47 PM on 11/22/2011

If you think fake gestures like this is good policy then you have to agree that Bush was a great President too.

[sekigahara]

05:55 PM on 11/22/2011

No, I don't.

1) This is a positive thing for our vets.
2) Calling it a fake gesture does not change that it is a positive thing for our vets.
3) Consideration and judgement of the Bush Administration does not exclusively hinge upon "fake gestures" or some such but by his record, by the decisions he made (signed off on or left for others to make), and by the results of those decisions.
4) I never said President Obama is a "great President."
5) Your suggestion that I would "have to agree that Bush was a great President" based upon some ham-handed, whiny metric of "fake gestures" is sour faced, sour grapes.

I'm just happy our vets will get some benefit in their search for civilian work and here's the best part, my tax dollars will help to make this happen.

Now, close your eyes and imagine if this Bill upon making it to the President's desk had NOT been signed with perhaps an excuse that such was a fake gesture and bad policy.

Wash your hand when you're done.

[CubfanBudman]

12:02 AM on 11/22/2011

No, "most" of them are not.

You're a miserable piece of work, aren't you?

[alleykat444]

12:05 AM on 11/22/2011

What page are you on?

[Cj Medina]

11:42 PM on 11/21/2011

The truth is that CO2 is a beneficial trace gas that exists in such small quantities in our atmosphere, that the idea of it playing any significant role in determining our climate is simply silly.  CO2 comprises less than half of 0.1% of our atmosphere, and only 4% of it comes from human activity.  That's 16ppm, or 1 part in every 62,500 parts of our atmosphere.  CO2 is plant food, and a key component in all life on earth.  Plants need CO2 to grow and produce oxygen.  They feed animals (including ourselves).  Animals in turn consume oxygen and plant-based foods, and exhale CO2.  Without CO2, nothing could be green!  This brief video showing the effect on plants of increasing atmospheric CO2 is quite striking.
Ironically, the audacity of their lies about CO2 are overshadowed by the most obvious part of the Hoax.  The fact is that warming is good!  Throughout history, man, as well as all other living creatures, has thrived during the earth's warm periods, and suffered and starved during the cold ones, a lesson that we're about to be reminded of in the coming years.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/07/the_global_warming_hoax_how_soon_we_forget.html#ixzz1ePDc9szk

[CubfanBudman]

12:04 AM on 11/22/2011

what does this have to do with Veterans?

and btw, CO2 is a proven green house gas and it's effects can be studied in a lab.

You'd be wise to study earth science and not believe everything you read on the internet.

[Frenchie08]

01:09 AM on 11/22/2011

Thank you!

[CubfanBudman]

12:08 AM on 11/22/2011

Fox News viewers know less than people who watch no news at all.

This includes you.

[Frenchie08]

01:10 AM on 11/22/2011

I wish I could fan you agian!

[dhtucson]

02:51 AM on 11/22/2011

Said the MSNBC, Olbermann and Moore viewer. I marvel at comments like this one. How one can assume soooo much from such short comments. Must be weird to have such super natural powers. Do you see dead people?