{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-updates-bill-to-help-veterans-military-spouses-rejoin-the-workforce/", "Cassidy Updates Bill to Help Veterans, Military Spouses Rejoin the Workforce", "2025-11-20", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "LA", "Bill Cassidy", "C001075", "www.cassidy.senate.gov", "cassidy", "https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced an updated version of the Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Act that was reintroduced earlier this year to help veterans and military spouses find high-paying jobs. The bill enables business owners to invest in staffing, training, wages, and benefits to expand employment opportunities for workers. The updated legislation extends eligibility to military spouses, includes a 5-year extension of the credit, and indexes the credit to inflation. Without Congressional action, WOTC will expire at the end of this year.\n\n\u201cVeterans and military spouses deserve every opportunity to build stable, rewarding careers,\u201d said Dr. Cassidy. \u201cBy reducing the burden on employers who hire them and other individuals who have fallen through the cracks, we strengthen our economy and give people the chance they need.\u201d\n\nCassidy was joined by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Peter Welch (D-VT).\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11) and Steven Horsford (D-NV-04).\n\n\u201cSome of the most productive and reliable workers happen to be married to members of the military, but they often struggle with employment because of frequent relocation,\u201d said Senator Boozman. \u201cI am pleased to join the bipartisan effort to update the Work Opportunity Tax Credit and extend eligibility to include military spouses. Doing so will only strengthen this initiative, support families serving our country and benefit our economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor hardworking Americans who\u2019ve faced real obstacles entering the workforce and pursuing their American Dream, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit has long been a vital lifeline,\u201d said Senator Marshall. \u201cBy extending and modernizing WOTC \u2013 and adding military spouses alongside the long-term unemployed, those transitioning off assistance, and our veterans \u2013 we\u2019re giving more people a fair chance at meaningful work and the independence that comes with it. I\u2019m proud to join Senator Cassidy in introducing this legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cExpanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit offers support to employers in Kansas and across the country to fill critical workforce needs while providing opportunities for more Americans to find steady, meaningful jobs,\u201d said Senator Moran. \u201cThis commonsense legislation will provide those who face barriers to employment, including veterans, military spouses and individuals with disabilities, the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families while working in their local communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur veterans and military families have always stepped up for our country and we absolutely owe it to them to ensure they have the opportunity to succeed when they return home. Updating and extending the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) helps our businesses and hard-working Americans. It\u2019s common sense, pro-worker, and it strengthens our communities in West Virginia and across our nation,\u201d said Senator Justice.\n\n\u201cThe best anti-poverty program is a good job. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) helps both employers and workers, as individuals transition back into the workforce. I remain dedicated to helping disadvantaged Americans return to work by advancing legislation that strengthens this proven tool. WOTC is a bipartisan, commonsense approach that every Member of Congress should champion,\u201d said Representative Smucker.\n\nThe WOTC provides a federal tax credit to employers who invest in American workers who have consistently faced barriers to employment, including eligible veterans, SNAP recipients, individuals with disabilities, and long-term unemployed individuals. Employers incur higher recruitment and training costs to reach WOTC-eligible populations and support their successful transition back into employment. WOTC has not been updated since its enactment twenty-seven years ago, and its value has been eroded significantly due to inflation. The National Employment Opportunity Network reports that the WOTC has saved the federal government an estimated $202 billion over ten years. According to EY, the legislation is estimated to directly support 350,000 new jobs, generating $3.7 billion in labor income and contributing $5.6 billion to GDP.\n\nThe Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act would:\n\nUpdate the WOTC, which has not been changed since its enactment twenty-seven years ago, and encourage longer-service employment.\n\nIncrease the current credit percentage from 40% to 50% of qualified wages.\n\nIncentivize employee retention by expanding the credit for those who work 400 or more hours.\n\nEliminate the arbitrary age cap at which SNAP recipients are eligible for WOTC. This change will provide an incentive to hire older workers and better align the credit with previously adopted work reforms.\n\nExtend the credit for 5 years.\n\nExpand eligibility to military spouses.\n\nIndex the credit to inflation.\n\n\u201cThe Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a critical part of our mission\u2026 WOTC not only opens doors to opportunity for thousands of Louisianans each year but also supports businesses in finding and retaining skilled, motivated workers. With the WOTC program set to expire at the end of this year, we respectfully urge your support for its extension and continued authorization.\u201d \u2013 Louisiana Works\n\n\u201cFor more than two decades, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit has been one of the federal government\u2019s most effective tools for improving veteran employment outcomes. By strengthening WOTC, extending it through 2030, and finally adding military spouses as a new target group, this legislation aligns federal hiring incentives with the lived realities of today\u2019s military families. These reforms will open doors, strengthen economic opportunity, and support the financial stability and readiness of the all-volunteer force.\u201d \u2013Lt. General Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret.), President and CEO of the Military Officers Association of America\n\n\u201cWOTC tax credits are a great benefit to job seekers finding meaningful employment opportunities. It\u2019s a WIN/WIN for both the job seeker and the employer. Not continuing this program would be a huge setback to workforce ecosystem.\u201d \u2013 Brandon Smith, Flexicrew Tech\n\n\u201cI am writing on behalf of our restaurants in the Louisiana Market. The WOTC credit is crucial to the financial success of our business in the state of Louisiana that the WOTC tax credits are extended. These are one of the main reasons we are still able to maintain profitability and keep those 10 restaurants open. We employee over 500 people with a weekly payroll of over $100,000.\u201d \u2014 Christopher Ballard, Human Resource Director, Big River Restaurants\n\n\u201cThe Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a lifeline for Louisiana employers and workers alike. It helps small businesses fill critical jobs, invest in training, and bring overlooked workers \u2014 including veterans and those rebuilding after unemployment \u2014 back into the workforce. Senator Cassidy\u2019s legislation to extend and strengthen WOTC will keep these opportunities growing and our communities thriving.\u201d\u2014 Mark Leyoub, Manager, Complete Staffing LLC, Lake Charles, LA\n\n\u201cWOTC helps Louisiana employers fill open jobs, reduces hiring costs, and supports workforce stability by encouraging employers to bring in workers who might otherwise be overlooked. For many Louisiana small businesses, WOTC provides a financial bridge to invest in training and retention for new hires, helping individuals move from public assistance to employment and empowering families to achieve long-term financial independence.\u201d \u2013 Quinn Jones, CFO & Owner, Cabildo, New Orleans\n\n\u201cWith six Buffalo Wild Wing locations in Louisiana, the WOTC provides much needed assistance on rising payroll costs in an already thin margin business. This credit assists with the viability of our entities and allows us to continue operations, employ other individuals throughout our restaurants and support the local community via fundraising and sponsorship.\u201d \u2013 Matt Soderman, Chief Financial Officer, Patton Wings, Inc.\n\n\u201cThe updated \u2018Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act\u2019 not only strengthens WOTC \u2014 it will drive economic activity in communities across the country, assist individuals such as veterans, the long-term unemployed, and SNAP and TANF recipients get off the sidelines and into good-paying jobs, and reduce the cost of federal and state social assistance programs. This program has been valuable for our company and growth opportunities, and we look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to enact it.\u201d \u2013 Scott Adams, Corporate Tax Director, Turner Industries Group, Baton Rouge LA\n\n\u201cThis legislation includes \u2018the most significant improvements to the program since its inception, will drive economic activity in communities across the country, and encourage employers to hire spouses of active-duty members, many of whom have sacrificed their careers in service of our country.\u201d \u2013 Charles Daroca, CFO, Restaurant Antoine, New Orleans, LA", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "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://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-updates-bill-to-help-veterans-military-spouses-rejoin-the-workforce/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2818539291620255, "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"}