President Signs Denham Job-creating Legislation for Veterans

Jul 23, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC — Legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) and co-sponsored by Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) to make it easier for veterans to find jobs using skills acquired through military training was today signed into law by President Obama.

Earlier this year, Denham introduced H.R. 4155, the Veteran Skills to Jobs Act, to address the unacceptably high rate of veteran unemployment by streamlining the federal certification process and cutting through the bureaucratic red tape, making it easier for veterans to utilize the skills they acquired in the military to find work at home.

“America is blessed with the strongest, most capable and professional military in the world.   Unfortunately for many of our returning veterans, transitioning into the civilian workforce means a battle with joblessness,” said Denham. “The federal government has invested in our service members and should do everything it can to ensure that they can put their skills to work. I’m proud to have worked with my colleagues in the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle to uphold our commitment to our veterans and I thank President Obama for signing this important piece of legislation into law to get thousands of veterans back to work.”

“Today’s accomplishment is the result of a collaborative effort by a bipartisan group of Members, including my colleague and fellow veteran Congressman Walz as well as Senator Nelson, who worked hard to see this bill become law,” Denham continued. “I would also like to thank in particular the American Legion for their continued support and dedication to moving this legislation forward, as well as the many other Veteran Service Organizations who supported our efforts and made passage of this bill a priority.”

Denham’s legislation was signed by the President during his visit to the Veterans of Foreign Wars annual convention in Reno, Nevada earlier today.