Sen. Carper Votes to Consider Veterans Jobs Corps Program

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), a veteran and Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, voted to move forward with consideration of S. 3457, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act, which would create a veterans job corps to train and pay veterans to perform public works projects and serve in law enforcement and first responder jobs throughout the country. The legislation was brought down by a procedural vote. 

 Last week, Sen. Carper offered an amendment to the Veterans Jobs Corps Act based on his legislation, the Military and Veterans Education Protection Act (MVEP), which would help protect the educational benefits of our nation’s military service members and veterans. The amendment would modify the current 90/10 financial aid formula used by for-profit colleges to ensure federal funding utilized through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Tuition Assistance program is counted as federal dollars rather than as private dollars. 

 “As we continue to focus on job creation for all Americans, we must not overlook the need to get Delaware’s – and our nation’s – veterans back to work,” said Sen. Carper, a 23-year veteran. “As a veteran, I know the sacrifices our service members make by defending our nation, and we have a responsibility to ensure that our heroes are able to re-enter the workforce once they arrive home. Together, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act and my amendment to protect our military men and women’s education benefits would take important steps to help us fulfill that duty and combat the problem of veteran unemployment. I am disappointed that my colleagues could not come together to pass this important legislation. We owe our nation’s veterans – including the more than 78,000 veterans in Delaware – more than just a debt of gratitude for their service to our country. We owe them our sincere commitment to providing them with new jobs. As my colleagues and I in Congress, the President, and companies across America focus on creating jobs for our nation’s unemployed, we must strengthen our efforts to get veterans in Delaware and across the country back to work.”