September 19, 2012

 Washington, D.C. - Nevada Senator Harry Reid issued the following statement after Republicans blocked the Veterans Jobs Corps Act, which would have created jobs for returning veterans and put in place programs to help them reenter the civilian work force. Republicans blocked the bill with a procedural vote of 58 to 40, which failed to reach a supermajority. All 40 votes against the bill were cast by Republican Senators:

“The least we can do for veterans, after they fought for this country abroad, is to ensure they never have to fight for a job when they come home to Nevada, or any other state. Yet, Republicans stalled and eventually blocked the Veterans Jobs Corps Act with one procedural excuse after another. My colleagues have played politics with all types of common sense measures, just because those measures are supported by President Obama. But blocking a veterans’ jobs bill is a new low, and truly disappointing to me and to tens of thousands of service members.

“Each year 200,000 brave members of our Armed Forces reenter the civilian workforce. This bill would have eased their transition to civilian life with job training programs and priority hiring for first responder jobs as police officers, fire fighters or rescue workers. Once, a proposal like this would have sailed through the Senate with bipartisan support. But today my Republican colleagues put election-year partisanship ahead of the men and women who risked their lives to protect our freedoms.”