Denham, Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus Launch "Hire A Vet' Website

Press Release

U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-CA) today announced the launch of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus "Hire A Vet' website, www.HireAVet.Denham.House.Gov, which will serve as the House counterpart to U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)'s "I Hire Veterans' website. Denham co-chairs the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus with fellow veteran and House colleague Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) to promote the Congressional Caucus' "I Hire Veterans' initiative, which aims to decrease the unemployment rate of the nation's 857,000 veterans who are currently looking for work.

"Our service men and women risk their lives every day to protect our country and it's our duty as leaders in Washington to ensure that America keeps its promises to our Veterans," said Denham. "We all know the economic crisis facing our country and how hard it is to find work; the same is true for our Veterans. Many times the struggles of our service members are forgotten but we need to welcome these men and women home with open arms and empower them to use the skills they have to get jobs. I'm proud to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle to uphold our commitment to our veterans, and we invite members of the public -- especially business owners -- to join us in this important mission."

Rep. Jeff Denham joined his colleague Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) to co-chair the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus with Senate co-chairs Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mark Kirk (R-IL). Currently, 51 additional Democrats and Republicans have also joined the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus. The caucus's signature initiative is the "I Hire Veterans" program.

With unemployment being one of the biggest problems currently facing America's veterans, the "I Hire Veterans" initiative will serve as a public awareness campaign to encourage their colleagues and private businesses small and large to make a personal and public commitment to hiring veterans by displaying the "I Hire Veterans" logo. Rep. Denham and the members of the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus all proudly display the logo in their offices to signify that they are proud to make the commitment to having veterans or veterans' family members on their staffs.

"Our goal as a nation is to provide those who serve with the opportunity to achieve the American Dream; to utilize their skills, support their families, and have passion for their work," said Walz. "Make no mistake about it, employing a veteran is not only morally right, it makes sense economically as well; veterans provide employers with a strong, skilled, and dedicated workforce. Put simply, veterans know how to get the job done. The veterans working in my office exemplify this every day and I'm proud to spearhead this bipartisan mission with my colleagues. I encourage all Americans to join us in this just cause."

In order to directly address employment-related issues, the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus has four objectives:

Develop a robust Congressional "I Hire Veterans" program, which will invite Senators and Representatives to display the "I Hire Veterans" logo if they have a veteran or a current serving member of the National Guard and Reserves on their personal, state or committee staff. The logo can be displayed in a Senate or House office, on business cards, or anywhere that Members choose;
Hold monthly Member or staff-level events to share information on veterans employment initiatives;
Monitor veterans employment issues by working with constituents, government and service organizations to help provide solutions;
Work with local, state and national employers on a comparable "I Hire Veterans" program.
Employers who have hired veterans are encouraged to download the "I Hire Veterans" logo and display it in their workplace. Employers interested in participating can contact email Chris Del Beccaro or call (202) 225- 4540 for more information. The Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus has been endorsed by the American Legion, American Veterans (AMVETS), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), in addition to several other Veteran Service Organizations.

Source