Date: 2011-12-01
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. I rise today to offer a final amendment to H.R. 527 that. if passed. will allow the bill to be brought back promptly to take a vote for final passage. Mr. Speaker. this final amendment is noncontroversial and aims to do one simple thing: to protect the incentives that assist small businesses to hire veterans. This amendment comes at a very critical time for our small businesses and for our veterans. Several weeks ago. this House did something that most of America doesnt believe we do anymore. We came together. all of usRepublicans and Democrats. We voted on a bill. and we passed a bill together. unanimously. the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011. The bill pushes key provisions. like providing small businesses with incentives so that they will hire veterans who have been unable to find employment. As a new law. the tax credits that we offer in that VOW bill would require additional regulations to be implemented in order for small businesses to begin to hire our veterans. Our veterans need jobsnot tomorrow. but now. Yet this bill. the one we are considering right now. sets up many new hurdles and delays for new regulations. like those needed for the implementation of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act. In a little more than 2 weeks. we went from a 4220 vote with that VOW Act to now potentially hindering our small businesses from hiring veterans. However. we have a chance to fix that. We have a chance to fix that right now. and we have a chance to fix it and to bring back this vote promptly. to bring this bill and vote it today. So I ask my colleagues. especially those on the other side. what are your priorities? I know what my priorities are. My priorities are to small businesses and my priorities are to our veterans who have fought for this Nation. Mr. Speaker. if my colleagues on the other side truly believe that small businesses are what create the jobs in America. then we can fix this bill by voting for my amendment. If you believe that our veterans should not have to fight for a job after having fought for our country. then we can fix this bill by voting for my amendment. If my colleagues believe that the over 250.000 unemployed veterans under the age of 35 deserve a job. then we can fix this bill by voting for my amendment. I know what this side of the aisle believes. We know what the choice is. Its about small businesses creating jobs and hiring these brave men and women. We want our small businesses to have those incentives so that they can hire our veterans now. not next year or the following yearnow. We need jobs now. The bill itself raises a lot of regulations and hurdles to new implementation. but now we can fix the bill. and we can help our veterans and our small businesses. Its our duty here in Congress to look after those who have looked after the people of this country. My final amendment does this by ensuring that we allow those regulations that are needed to protect these incentives for the small businesses who want to hire veterans. I would have no doubtI would never think that my colleagues on any side of the aisle would want to intentionally hinder the hiring of veterans. especially after I saw that unanimous vote right before Thanksgiving. Remember thatwe finally did something together. So I ask all of you. lets do the right thing. Will you stand with our veterans and small businesses and protect those incentives that we voted for 2 weeks ago? If you believe its the right thing to do. then you will vote for this amendment. If you believe that a 21 percent unemployment rate for our young male veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 is too high. then you will vote for my amendment to ensure those incentives to hire our veterans will be in place. I want to make clear once more to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. a "yes" vote on my amendment will not prevent this bill from being voted on today. If adopted. it will be incorporated into the bill and voted on for final passage. I ask my colleagues to do the right thing. to fight for protecting the incentives that will allow our veterans to be hired by small businesses. Regardless of how either aisle feels about the underlying bill. I know this chamber can make the right choice by voting "yes" on my amendment.