February 20, 2013
Rep. Takano Unveils First Bill to Congress - The VetSuccess Enhancement Act
Riverside CA – Earlier today in a press conference, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) unveiled the first piece of legislation he will introduce to Congress - the VetSuccess Enhancement Act.
With far too many disabled veterans no longer eligible to participate, The VetSuccess Enhancement Act extends the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Rehabilitation & Education (VR&E) VetSuccess program eligibility period by 5 years – from 12 years from their date of separation to 17 years.
During the press conference, Rep. Takano spoke about the difficulty many veterans are have finding work saying, “Too many of our nation’s veterans are unemployed. Some of them may even be your friends or in your extended family.
“And many of those who fought in the name of freedom carry with them the scars and wounds of battle every single day – seen and unseen, leaving them disabled and affecting their ability to find suitable employment. Sometimes these issues don’t manifest for many years down the road.
“This has especially affected our Iraq and Afghanistan era disabled veterans, who are 27% more likely to be unemployed than those without a service-connected disability.
“Nearly every veterans group I’ve talked to, including the Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, all said that the 12 year eligibility period for the VetSuccess program was a significant road block for our heroes.
“The VetSuccess Enhancement Act removes that road block by extending that eligibility by five years. I’m proud to make it the first bill I will introduce in Congress and look forward to it becoming law.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Rehabilitation & Education (VR&E) VetSuccess program’s primary function is to help veterans who have service-connected disabilities become suitably employed, maintain employment, or achieve independence in daily living.
During the press conference, Rep. Takano spoke about the difficulty many veterans are have finding work saying, “Too many of our nation’s veterans are unemployed. Some of them may even be your friends or in your extended family.
“And many of those who fought in the name of freedom carry with them the scars and wounds of battle every single day – seen and unseen, leaving them disabled and affecting their ability to find suitable employment. Sometimes these issues don’t manifest for many years down the road.
“This has especially affected our Iraq and Afghanistan era disabled veterans, who are 27% more likely to be unemployed than those without a service-connected disability.
“Nearly every veterans group I’ve talked to, including the Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, all said that the 12 year eligibility period for the VetSuccess program was a significant road block for our heroes.
“The VetSuccess Enhancement Act removes that road block by extending that eligibility by five years. I’m proud to make it the first bill I will introduce in Congress and look forward to it becoming law.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Rehabilitation & Education (VR&E) VetSuccess program’s primary function is to help veterans who have service-connected disabilities become suitably employed, maintain employment, or achieve independence in daily living.