Pelosi wants to employ more veterans in Congress

Democratic leaders on Wednesday asked the chief administrative officer of the House of Representatives, Daniel Beard, to put in place a program that would help wounded veterans get jobs in Congress.

{mosads}“From our visits with our wounded military over the past several years, we are well aware that these service men and women possess a wide range of valuable skills and experiences, as well as enthusiasm for hard work, which would be enormously valuable to any employer,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Beard.

In the letter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.) asked Beard to develop a program that will allow veterans to find jobs in the House.

“This program will not only help ease the transition of injured military personnel back into civilian life, it will also make this institution a model for other federal, state and municipal agencies to employ these talented, patriotic Americans to whom we are all greatly indebted,” the Democrats said. “There are many jobs within the House workforce that would benefit from the advanced skills and dedication of these men and women who have bravely served our country.”

Beard initially proposed the idea after meeting a Marine with the Wounded Warrior Regiment.

“I thought this would make a lot of sense in the House of Representatives. Why can’t we be hiring wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan?” Beard asked.

Beard said the recommendations for the program will be completed March 1, but hiring veterans for available positions will be immediate.