SENATE PASSES THE VOW TO HIRE HEROES ACT

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Nelson co-sponsored amendment to offer tax credits for employers who hire veterans, which passed on bill containing Nelson’s Medicaid fix
November 10, 2011 – Today, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson applauded the Senate’s passage of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, a measure he co-sponsored to create job opportunities for veterans.
Tomorrow, Nebraskans will join all Americans in paying tribute to our veterans for their contributions and sacrifices in the cause of liberty, but the men and women who wear our country’s uniform deserve our gratitude every day,” said Senator Nelson, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Helping to create job opportunities for our veterans after they return home is a meaningful way to say thank you to our veterans and help the economy at the same time.
“The need is great. Today, unfortunately, more than one in four veterans between the ages of 20 and 24 is unemployed.”
Overall, roughly 8,300 Nebraska veterans are unemployed, an estimated 5.8 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“When our veterans come home, we shouldn’t just shake their hands for a job well done on the battlefield and then send them out the door to look for a job back home,” Nelson said. “Just as it takes specialized training to become an effective soldier, the transition back to civilian life can be a lot more difficult than a returning veteran might expect.”
The VOW to Hire Heroes Act is the most comprehensive veterans employment legislation since the post-9/11 GI bill. It includes:

• Tax credits of up to $5,600 for hiring veterans who have been looking for a job for more than six months and a $2,400 credit for veterans who are unemployed for more than 4 weeks, but less than 6 months;

Tax credits of up to $9,600 for hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been looking for a job for more than six months;

•The Transition Assistance Program (TAP), an interagency workshop coordinated by the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs, to help service members moving on to civilian life secure 21st Century jobs;
• An expansion of education and training opportunities for older veterans, by providing 100,000 unemployed veterans of past eras with an additional year of Montgomery GI benefits to go towards education or training programs at community colleges or technical schools;
An additional year of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Benefits for disabled veterans;
following service members to begin the federal employment process prior to separation, in order to facilitate a truly seamless transition from the military to jobs at VA, Homeland Security or many other federal agencies.
The bill is fully paid for, largely with a non-controversial Veterans Administration mortgage fee extension.
The VOW to Hire Heroes Act was passed as an amendment to the 3% Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act, which included Nelson’s Medicaid Savings Through Eligibility Fairness Act to require that Medicaid benefits only go to the low-income Americans who need them.
Nelson’s provisions would count Social Security benefits as income when determining eligibility for Medicaid – just as it is today. Social Security benefits would not change.
The adjustment is estimated to save $13 billion, which will pay for repealing an imminent 3-percent withholding requirement that cities, universities and businesses say would have a dramatic and negative effect on job creation and business expansion.
“By improving two existing laws, we’re maintaining Medicaid as a safety net only for Nebraska’s most vulnerable citizens and repealing a burdensome withholding requirement, so job creators, communities and businesses can get to work helping our economy recover,” Nelson said. “It’s a win-win making sure middle-class citizens don’t inadvertently receive Medicaid, and that our cities, colleges and businesses aren’t subject to heavy-handed rules that slow down our economy.
“While I would prefer steering the savings to deficit reduction—as I proposed in my original bill—I fully support repealing the 3 percent withholding requirement, and using the Medicaid savings for jobs and to help our economy grow.”
The 3% Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act gained final approved in the Senate today with 95 votes.