Hochul calls on Congress to help veterans get back to work

Congresswoman Kathy Hochul spoke Wednesday on the House floor about putting American veterans back to work by passing the American Jobs Act.

"This holiday season, nearly 40,000 soldiers will return to their families after serving in Iraq, including some from the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in my district," Hochul said. "As we approach Veterans' Day, we must remember that many of our troops will soon join the newest generation of veterans. And at a time of 9.1 percent unemployment, many of these heroes will be looking for work. This is why it is critical that we pass the American Jobs Act."

The American Jobs Act offers two different tax credits to companies that hire veterans:

• The "Returning Heroes Tax Credit" would provide companies with a $5,600 tax credit for hiring veterans who have been unemployed for six months or longer.
• The "Wounded Warriors Tax Credit" would provide companies with a $9,600 tax credit for hiring veterans who have service-connected disabilities and have been unemployed for six months or longer.

Also included in the American Jobs Act is the formation of a Department of Defense-led task force that maximizes the career-readiness of all service members and enhances job search services through the Department of Labor for recently transitioning veterans.

Hochul added," Last year, the unemployment rate among veterans who have served since September 2001 was 11.5 percent - that is shameful. In a country as prosperous as ours, not a single veteran should go without work. We owe them better."