Goodwill®, Policymakers Make Veterans Employment a Priority

Female service member holding an American flag.In 2010, Goodwill® provided job training and supportive services to more than 25,000 veterans and has committed to hiring more than 15,000 military spouses, veterans, and their families this year. Goodwill is seeking to increase its collaboration with existing stakeholders and by investing resources to help military service members, veterans and families find jobs and advance in careers.

On November 16, 2011, Goodwill will publicly release its new white paper From Deployment to Employment: Goodwill’s Call to Action on Supporting Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families at a briefing on Capitol Hill. If you live in the Greater Washington, DC, area, Goodwill invites you to attend the briefing in person.

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 Veterans Developments in Washington

As Veterans Day approaches, policymakers have been unveiling proposals that aim to support veterans who are struggling to find civilian jobs. On Tuesday, November 8, President Obama announced three executive actions that aim to “help make it easier for veterans to find jobs when they return home.” Flanked by representatives from prominent veterans organizations, the president also called for a Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credit.

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, recently unveiled the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which aims to boost employment opportunities for veterans. The Senate is scheduled to consider the bill today, November 10, as part of a House-passed tax-related bill (H.R. 674) and is expected to pass with bi-partisan support.

Sen. Murray’s bill combines elements of President Obama’s jobs plan with bipartisan bills (S. 951 and H.R. 2433) sponsored by Murray and Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee. If passed by the Senate, the differences between the Senate- and the House-passed measures would have to be reconciled and approved by both the House and Senate before it could be cleared for the president’s expected signature.