03.29.12

Hoeven, Manchin Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus Kickoff "I Hire Veterans" Initiative

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and bipartisan members of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus today held an event to kick off their “I Hire Veterans” initiative, meant to encourage businesses large and small in all parts of the country to make a commitment to hiring veterans.

The caucus was joined by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, who expressed her support for the caucus’s efforts to put our returning service members back to work. Officials from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, as well as representatives from veterans and military service organizations and the private sector attended the event at the U.S. Capitol this afternoon.

“We owe our men and women in uniform more than a debt of gratitude after they’ve served - we owe them a good chance at building a successful civilian life,” Senator Hoeven said. “And employers also benefit from the skills, dedication and commitment to a job well done that our veterans have gained in the service of our country. I will work with my colleagues in this caucus to help open doors for them when they get home so they can build a good life for themselves and their families.”

“Think of this as the new Yellow Ribbon. Unemployment is one of the biggest problems our service members are facing, so we wanted to show that we can walk the walk when it comes to hiring veterans,” Senator Manchin said. “Veterans who have served this country are so skilled and qualified for so many jobs, and they’ve proven to be undeniable assets in our Senate offices and in businesses throughout this nation. We’re so proud to display this logo as a sign of our commitment to ending the veterans’ unemployment crisis, and we invite members of the public – especially business owners – to join us. And I hope that consumers who are shopping at different stores take their business to stores that hire veterans as a sign of their support. Looking ahead, this simple logo is just the first of many ways we can work together to do more to hire veterans.”

Each member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus has made a public and personal commitment to hire veterans, and each has a veteran or family member working in their offices. The caucus is urging the public to get involved with the “I Hire Veterans” initiative by making a similar commitment to hiring veterans, and by downloading and displaying the “I Hire Veterans” logo in their place of business. The logo is available at hoeven.senate.gov