(Washington) – Montana’s U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus are ramping up efforts to hold government agencies accountable when it comes to tackling unemployment among veterans.
In letters to the Department of Labor and the Veterans Administration (online here) Tester and Baucus urge the agencies to release information detailing the effectiveness of six different programs designed to address unemployment among veterans.
Tester and Baucus introduced the Veterans Employment Transition Act or “VETs Act” of 2013 in January to increase opportunities for veterans to transfer military skills into the civilian workforce.
The VETs Act of 2013 also calls for more transparency and efficiency in current veteran’s unemployment programs.
“The VETs Act addresses concerns regarding efficiency, transparency, and accountability for federal veteran job training programs. We are requesting a status update on the Department of Labor’s and Veterans Administration’s efforts to address the concerns raised in the VETs Act,” Tester and Baucus wrote.
“We proudly represent a state with a strong tradition of military service. Montana has the second highest rate of veterans per capita in the country — one in ten Montanans is a vet. We are committed to ensuring that every one of our nation’s heroes has a fair shot at finding a job once his or her service is over.”
Today’s inquiry is based on recommendations in a Government Accountability Office report Tester and Baucus requested in 2011 to help better address veteran unemployment and make sure taxpayers are getting the best bang for their buck from these programs. That report was completed in early January and is available online HERE.
READ MORE: What Montanans are Saying About the VETs Act of 2013