Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Perriello's VET-WORK Bill Clears Committee

Today, Rep. Perriello's Veterans Worker Retraining Act of 2009 cleared the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and the bill will now come before the entire house for a vote. This bill would increase on-the-job training benefits for veterans. Saith Perriello:
“The bipartisan vote by the full committee is a huge boost for my bill to support vocational training for our returning veterans,” said Perriello. “The 570,000 unemployed vets in our country could benefit from this program, and I think the full support we generated on the committee offers a great chance to build support from the entire Congress.”
My earlier thoughts on the bill when Rep. Perriello introduced the bill:
Notably, Tom is fulfilling his campaign promises here (i.e., his economic revival plan), however, with a positive twist. As I understand it, this bill will provide assistance to those veterans who, in terms of vocation, do not view a college degree as an option or a necessity. Not everyone needs to go to college, and people completing vocational training, obviously, provide positive and valuable contributions to our society. America needs welders, nurses, and mechanics. With that principle in mind, this bill provides a parallel option to the GI Bill. Good stuff.
Of note, the legislation has been endorsed by several prominent veterans groups.

As a freshman, Perriello already has written one law and passed several important amendments (1, 2), with more legislation in the works (1, 2, 3, 4) - not to mention his proactive help and constant presence within district. That's a double shift.

1 comment:

Katie said...

The "Perriello for the Common Good" song appeared in my head while I was reading this. Not even kidding.

Go Tom, go. Talk about a double shift, indeed. :-)