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House Committee Passes Hare's Legislation to Create a Veterans' Corps
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Press release submitted by Congressman Phil Hare House Committee Passes Hare"s Legislation to Create a Veterans" Corps WASHINGTON, DC-The House Education and Labor Committee today passed Congressman Phil Hare"s (D-IL) legislation to create a Veterans" Corps. It was included as part of the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. The Veterans Engaged for Tomorrow (VET) Corps Act was coauthored by Hare and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD), his former colleague on the Education and Labor Committee. It would establish an organization for veterans by veterans, similar to AmeriCorps or Senior Corps. "President Obama has called for a renewed commitment to national service," Hare said. "A Veterans" Corps can be one of the great pillars in that effort." "Vet Corps provides veterans an opportunity to continue their tremendous service to our nation," said Sarbanes. "It will also help mitigate the disproportionately high levels of unemployment in the veteran population and provide tangible benefits for disabled or older veterans, as well as the greater community. It is only natural that veterans would be the first to answer President Obama"s call to community service. Vet Corps will allow them to participate in a meaningful way and help smooth their transition back to civilian life. I was pleased to continue my work from the 110th Congress with Representative Phil Hare to form a service corps dedicated to veterans." The primary mission of the Veterans" Corps will be to recruit and mobilize veterans to serve the needs of their fellow servicemen and women. It will collaborate with Veterans Service Organizations, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other groups to provide education, job training, and mentoring to our nation"s veterans. "No one understands the challenges facing our veterans better than those who have walked in the very same shoes," Hare said. "Across the country, vet to vet to programs have been extremely successful. I am hopeful that the creation of a Veterans" Corps can help us improve even more lives." The Veterans" Corps will be overseen by the Corporation of National and Community Service. It would be the first of its kind. ### 
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