{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://susielee.house.gov/media/press-releases/ahead-veterans-day-representatives-lee-steel-join-senators-rosen-moran", "Ahead of Veterans Day, Representatives Lee & Steel join Senators Rosen & Moran to Introduce Hire Student Veterans Act", "2023-11-09", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "NV", "Susie Lee", "L000590", "susielee.house.gov", "susielee", "https://susielee.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (D-NV) and Congresswoman Michelle Steel (R-CA) joined U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, to introduce the Hire Student Veterans Act to incentivize employers to hire student veterans for part-time work and paid internships.\n\nThis bipartisan and bicameral legislation would expand the existing Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), which is available to employers who hire individuals from groups that have faced significant barriers to employment, to include student veterans using their educational benefits. Currently, employers can only qualify by hiring veterans who have a service-connected disability or have been unemployed for more than four weeks. This change would ensure that all student veterans using their GI benefits can take advantage of valuable paid internships or work opportunities.\n\n\u201cNevada\u2019s veterans fought to keep our country safe, and as they transition back to civilian life, finding a good-paying, rewarding job shouldn\u2019t be another battle,\u201d said Congresswoman Lee. \u201cOur state is home to nearly 6,000 student veterans, and it's our duty to help them thrive, not just survive. This common-sense, bipartisan legislation meets that responsibility by building a fast-track for veterans to start new careers and embark on civilian life back home in Nevada.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is vital that we support our nation\u2019s heroes who have sacrificed so much as they move from active service to civilian life,\u201d said Congresswoman Steel. \u201cThe Hire Student Veterans Act does just that by helping expand opportunities for veterans to have a smooth transition and gain professional experience that will be invaluable in their long term careers. I am grateful for bipartisan solutions such as these to serve those who have risked everything for our country.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe brave men and women who serve our nation have our unending respect and gratitude, and it\u2019s our responsibility to do everything we can to help these heroes transition to civilian life,\u201d said Senator Rosen. \u201cI\u2019ve talked to student veterans across Nevada about the challenges they face, and gaining experience through paid internships and work opportunities while in school was a top concern. I\u2019m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to incentivize businesses to hire student veterans and help them find career-track jobs after graduation.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is critical that we provide those who have sacrificed for our nation with every opportunity to successfully transition to civilian life,\u201d said Senator Moran. \u201cAs Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs, one of my top priorities is ensuring veterans are supported in the workforce. This legislation makes certain that veterans who are utilizing their GI Bill benefits have more flexibility to pursue paid internships and part-time employment to gain valuable work experience while in school. Expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for student veterans is a good step forward in growing opportunities for our veterans as they join the civilian workforce.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a retired Army soldier and Director of UNLV\u2019s Military & Veteran Services Center, I have witnessed the many challenges of veterans transitioning from active service to campus to career,\u201d said Ross Bryant, Executive Director of the UNLV Military & Veteran Services Center. \u201cHelping these warriors transition successfully to their new career field also assists corporations in acquiring exceptional new employees who are team-oriented, values-driven, and possess leadership experience. I can think of no greater honor than to serve our veterans in their successful transition.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program has demonstrated the ability to increase qualified veterans\u2019 wage income by nearly 40%,\u201d said Joy Ilem, National Legislative Director of Disabled American Veterans. \u201cThis inclusion would help veterans participating in VA\u2019s Veteran Readiness & Employment program to overcome serious employment barriers by providing meaningful career opportunities. DAV thanks Representatives Lee and Steel for championing employment opportunities for all our nation\u2019s wounded, ill and injured veterans.\u201d\n\n\u201cVFW is happy to support this legislation, which would encourage hiring veterans who are diligently working to advance themselves through VA programs such as GI Bill and Veteran Readiness and Employment,\u201d said Kristina Keenan, Deputy Legislative Director of Veterans of Foreign Wars. \u201cOffering this expanded Work Opportunity Tax Credit is an excellent complement to enhance the goal of upward mobility of these VA education programs.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter service, many veterans look to higher education for their next steps. For minority veterans, the socioeconomic realities of pursuing higher education often require holding additional jobs, securing fellowships, and scholarships just to make ends meet,\u201d said Lindsay Church, Executive Director of Minority Veterans of America. \u201cMinority Veterans of America endorses the Hire Student Veterans Act, which will expand access to life-changing opportunities, allowing student veterans to retain and ultimately complete their degrees. Our country owes a debt to those who have worn the uniform, one that can be paid through access to equitable opportunities to succeed.\u201d\n\nThis bipartisan and bicameral legislation seeks to make three important changes to the WOTC that will incentivize businesses to hire more student veterans. The Hire Student Veterans Act will:\n\nAutomatically qualify employers who hire student veterans using their GI Bill benefits for WOTC\u2019s 40 percent tax credit on the first $6,000 of a new employee\u2019s first-year wages;\n\nReduce the existing tax credit\u2019s 400-hour work requirement to 120 hours if a newly-hired employee is a veteran using their GI Bill benefits, allowing a student veteran to work part-time while in school; and\n\nDirectly incentivize employers to hire more student veterans for part-time work and paid internships.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://susielee.house.gov/media/press-releases/ahead-veterans-day-representatives-lee-steel-join-senators-rosen-moran"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.40046002343297, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}