Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)
Lafayette, CO — With Memorial Day upcoming, Congressman Joe Neguse called for a renewed commitment by the Congress to supporting American servicemembers by introducing two bills aimed at expanding support for veterans after their service. The Veterans Jobs Training Act and the Veteran Wildland Firefighter Employment Act focus on the essentials for successful reintegration: employment, housing, and establishing a clear path forward.
Colorado is home to over 300,000 veterans, many of whom rely on regular access to federal assistance as they adjust to civilian life. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration’s reckless federal cuts have impacted these individuals’ ability to access their hard-earned and well-deserved benefits. In response, the bills Congressman Neguse introduced are a step toward ensuring our nation’s veterans aren’t left to navigate these hurdles on their own.
“As we memorialize the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our Armed Forces, we must also recommit ourselves to supporting the veterans in our communities. Our neighbors who sacrificed so much to keep us safe. In their honor, I’m proud to introduce legislation that ensures they have access to good-paying jobs and a roof over their heads. And these bills do exactly that—helping employ veterans in careers where their skills and service are valued, including among our wildland firefighting workforce,” said Congressman Joe Neguse.
Find details on the bills below:
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The Veterans Jobs Training Act would increase the authorization level for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) by $15 million in federal funding, expanding the already successful initiative’s ability to provide competitive employment for unhoused veterans. HVRP’s core objectives are to provide services to assist in reintegrating unhoused veterans into meaningful employment and to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address problems facing unhoused veterans. Read the bill text HERE.
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The Veteran Wildland Firefighter Employment Act would establish a pilot program to help employ veterans into wildland firefighting positions, putting their valuable skill set to work. More specifically, the bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to collaborate in an effort to help employ veterans in any temporary, seasonal, or permanent wildland firefighting activities. Read the bill text HERE.
The Veteran Wildland Firefighter Employment Act is supported by the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFEE) and Grassroots Wildland Firefighters.
“NFFE is proud to support legislation that would encourage our military veterans to continue serving their country as federal wildland firefighters,” said Randy Erwin, National President, NFFE. “These men and women understand the sacrifice of public service and the importance of defending American communities. Thank you to Representative Neguse for his continued support of veterans, wildland firefighters, and federal workers.”
“The Grassroots Wildland Firefighters applaud Congressman Neguse on his continued efforts to bolster and address wildfires in the United States. United States Veterans and federal wildland firefighting have a long and storied history. Any effort to reinforce and build a bridge between United States military veterans and the work of wildland firefighting should be robustly supported by Congress. The Grassroots Wildland Firefighters fully support the efforts and intent of Congressman Neguse,” said Luke Mayfield, President, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters.
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