REPS. THOMPSON AND POE INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO HELP PUT VETERANS BACK TO WORK
May 24, 2013
Today, U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Ted Poe (TX-02) announced they introduced H.R. 2133, the Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013. This legislation would make the veterans' tax credit permanent and make it easier for employers to take advantage of it.
“No veteran who has fought for our county overseas should have to fight for a job when they get home,” said Thompson. “Our veterans are some of the most skilled workers our country has to offer. Some are trained medics or mechanics. Some have led platoons. Others have experience with state-of-the-art technologies. All of them are assets to businesses. With one-in-five veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan looking for employment, we have a responsibility pass bill like the Veterans Back to Work Act to help get them hired. ”
“It's a national tragedy to have a high unemployment rate for our nation's warriors,” said Poe. “After fighting in war, the last thing a veteran should have to worry about is an unemployment line. This Veterans Back to Work Act incentivizes the hiring of our veterans with a permanent tax credit and makes the paperwork easier for businesses to do so.”
The unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was 9.9% last year. For female veterans, it was 12.5 percent, and for male veterans ages 18-24, it jumped to 20 percent. Over the past six years, Congress has passed temporary extensions of the veterans' tax credit to help transition our nation's warriors back into the workforce. While well intentioned, this tax relief was always temporary, required complicated paperwork and took too long for employers to actually take advantage of the tax credit and put veterans back to work.
The Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013 seeks to fix these complications by making the tax credit permanent, reducing the paperwork, and allowing employers to have the choice to collect the credit at the end of each quarter or at the end of the year, whatever makes the most sense for them.
HR 2133 has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means, of which Thompson is a senior member.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
“No veteran who has fought for our county overseas should have to fight for a job when they get home,” said Thompson. “Our veterans are some of the most skilled workers our country has to offer. Some are trained medics or mechanics. Some have led platoons. Others have experience with state-of-the-art technologies. All of them are assets to businesses. With one-in-five veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan looking for employment, we have a responsibility pass bill like the Veterans Back to Work Act to help get them hired. ”
“It's a national tragedy to have a high unemployment rate for our nation's warriors,” said Poe. “After fighting in war, the last thing a veteran should have to worry about is an unemployment line. This Veterans Back to Work Act incentivizes the hiring of our veterans with a permanent tax credit and makes the paperwork easier for businesses to do so.”
The unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was 9.9% last year. For female veterans, it was 12.5 percent, and for male veterans ages 18-24, it jumped to 20 percent. Over the past six years, Congress has passed temporary extensions of the veterans' tax credit to help transition our nation's warriors back into the workforce. While well intentioned, this tax relief was always temporary, required complicated paperwork and took too long for employers to actually take advantage of the tax credit and put veterans back to work.
The Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013 seeks to fix these complications by making the tax credit permanent, reducing the paperwork, and allowing employers to have the choice to collect the credit at the end of each quarter or at the end of the year, whatever makes the most sense for them.
HR 2133 has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means, of which Thompson is a senior member.
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
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Issues:Veterans