Bellevue man at White House for veterans employment bill signing | Events

A Bellevue business owner was on hand today at the White House as the President signed a new veterans hiring bill into law.

The VOW to Hire Heroes Act combined Washington Sen. Patty Murray’s Hiring Heroes Act with Rep. Jeff Miller’s Veterans Opportunity to Work Act and veterans tax credits into a full package that supporters say will lower the unemployment rate among veterans.

The above photo was taken after the ‘VOW to Hire Veterans’ bill signing, from left to right:

David Nilssen, CEO & Co-Founder of Guidant Financial – Bellevue, Wash.; Steve Calderia, President of the International Franchise Association – Washington, DC; Greg Tanner, National Director of Franchising for Aaron’s – Atlanta, GA; Kevin Schmiegel, Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Washington, DC.

Sen. Patty Murray issued this statement regarding the signing as well today:

“Today is a historic day in our efforts to support our veterans when they return home,” said Senator Murray. “This law helps our nation’s heroes translate the skills they learned in their service into careers, and gives employers even more incentive to hire our veterans. After crisscrossing my home state for more than two years, hearing the concerns from highly qualified veterans who struggle to find work, I am thrilled Congress was able to come together in a bipartisan manner and do right by these brave men and women. This is an example of how Congress can and should work - elected officials putting what’s best for the American people before politics or partisanship. I thank President Obama for signing such a critical bill into law and am glad to see our veterans finally get the employment assistance they deserve.”