releases: https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-passes-bipartisan-bills-help-veterans-find-jobs-lift-burdens
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-passes-bipartisan-bills-help-veterans-find-jobs-lift-burdens | U.S. House passes bipartisan bills to help veterans find jobs, lift burdens on hourly workers and small businesses | 2015-01-08 | 2015 | 2015-01 | Republican | House | OR | Greg Walden | W000791 | walden.house.gov | legacy | U.S. House passes bipartisan bills to help veterans find jobs, lift burdens on hourly workers and small businesses WASHINGTON, D.C. As the new Congress convened this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bills championed by U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) to help veterans find jobs and lift burdens on American workers and small businesses. Walden was a cosponsor of both bills, which passed the House with bipartisan support. In a video messageafter passage of the bills, Walden said, With the new Congress in session this week, we've already passed bills to grow jobs, provide opportunities for our veterans, and protect small businesses from some of the worst abuses of Obamacare. The first bill, the Hire More Heroes Act (H.R. 22), exempts veterans who already are receiving their healthcare provided through either the Veterans Administration or the Department of Defense from being counted as a part of the employee limit under the new health care law. By exempting these veterans, we reduce costs and confusion for small businesses, and thereby help create new opportunities for members of our military as they return to civilian life. This is a win for jobs and our veterans, Walden said. H.R. 22 passed the U.S. House unanimously on Tuesday. The House also passed the Save American Workers Act (H.R. 30), which would protect millions of hourly workers from the healthcare law's change to the definition of full-time employee. By defining full-time work as 30 hours per week instead of 40, the healthcare law puts over 2 million American workers at risk of having their hours and wages cut.The majority of the workers most likely to be hurt by this change are women, as well young workers and people without a college degree, Walden said.H.R. 30 would restore the definition of full time to 40 hours per week. Oregon small business leaders praised passage of this bill. The 30-hour full-time definition is already resulting in less opportunities, fewer hours and lower incomes for employees, said Jan Meekcoms, Oregon state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. To re-calibrate the definition of full time employment to 40 hours within Obamacare is a big deal to our members. Passage of HR 30 is a step in the right direction to start rebuilding confidence within Oregon's small business community and would have a positive impact on job growth. Walden urged swift Senate action on the plans. My wife and I owned small businesses in Oregon for nearly 20 years. I know what it takes to sign both the front and the back of a paycheck. And I know that Congress needs to have a bipartisan focus on policies that grow our economy and create jobs in America. I hope that the Senate will soon send these common sense bills to the President's desk so we can help get more Americans back to work, Walden said. Both of these bills had passed the House with strong support in the last session of Congress, but were not brought up for a vote in the U.S. Senate. The new Republican majority in the Senate has pledged to take action on these bipartisan bills. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |