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Sen. Max Baucus: Now is the Time to Pass Vets Jobs Bill

Senator Says New Unemployment Numbers Outline Urgency of His Bipartisan Plan

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus http://baucus.senate.gov/ renewed his call to pass bipartisan bill to help veterans find work. Today, President Obama indicated new support http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/05/us-usa-economy-military-idUSTRE7740I920110805 for Baucus’ efforts which would provide tax credits for businesses who hire troops returning from service.

"We take pride in Montana for having more veterans than nearly any other state in the country. However, it is disgraceful that our veterans who have served our nation so proudly are greeted with an unemployment check instead of a good paycheck. This trend is hitting Montana hard where our Iraq and Afghanistan vets are seeing more than 20 percent unemployment. These numbers are absolutely unacceptable which is why I’m going to fight harder than ever to pass the VETs Jobs bill," said Baucus, who also co-sponsored the Hiring Heroes Act which would help better connect veterans with civilian employers.

Baucus’ VETS Jobs Bill http://baucus.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=307 (Veteran Employment Transition Act) would reinstate a tax credit that expired at the end of 2010 for employers who hire servicemen and women who’ve left the service in the last five years, and it would simplify the credit so it’s easier for businesses to use. The credit for businesses is worth up to $2,400 per veteran hired.

The bipartisan legislation now has 22 co-sponsors in the Senate, and 55 co-sponsors in the House.

The bill would make it easier for employers to get the credit by eliminating previous administrative red tape that made the old tax credit difficult for small businesses to use. The VETs Jobs bill will ensure that recently-discharged servicemen and women can provide documentation from the Department of Defense without having to go through the current certification process, which is often lengthy. Any recently discharged veteran that has discharge paperwork showing 180 days of qualified active duty will be eligible, including men and women who were activated by their states as members of the National Guard.

The bill also requires the military to educate service members on how employers may qualify for the tax credit by hiring them, providing veterans with an added tool in their job search.

At 20.1 %, Montana currently has the 4th highest unemployment rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the nation.

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