Obama urges passage of vet-focused bills

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- President Obama urged the U.S. Senate to pass tax credits for businesses hiring military veterans Monday and announced three programs to help vets find work.

"When these ideas come up for a vote this week," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance. "I expect both sides of the aisle to stand up for our veterans and vote in the affirmative."

The Senate is expected to consider tax credits for businesses hiring unemployed veterans or veterans injured in the line of duty who have been out of work.

Noting the Senate so far hasn't approved any of his jobs initiatives, Obama said congressional members on both sides of the aisle stood and applauded when he floated the idea in January during a joint session of Congress.

"We ask our men and women in uniform to leave their families and their jobs and risk their lives to fight for our country" in Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama said. "The last thing they should have to do is fight for jobs at home."

Obama also announced the latest executive actions he has taken to help jump-start the economy without congressional approval. Last week, the Senate rejected an element of the jobs plan concerning infrastructure.

One administrative procedure would allow post-Sept. 11, 2001, veterans to download a "veterans gold card" that entitles them to enhanced services including six months of personalized case management, assessments and counseling, at the roughly 3,000 one-stop career centers located across the country.

The "My Next Move for Veterans" is a new online resource that allows veterans to match their military skills with civilian career opportunities for which they are well qualified. The site includes information about salaries, apprenticeships and other related education and training programs.

The administration also is launching a Veterans Job Bank at National Resource Directory to help veterans find job postings from companies looking to hire them.

He said more than 850,000 veterans remained unemployed and joblessness among veterans was rising despite lower unemployment overall.

"That's not right. It doesn't make sense," Obama said, "and we're determined to change that."