Last Friday, in Veterans Day ceremonies across the country, Americans paused to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave veterans. As Thanksgiving approaches, we continue to be grateful for their service and tireless commitment to protecting our nation.
We owe these men and women a debt of gratitude, and I am pleased that last week, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass two meaningful pieces of legislation for our veterans.
The first is a bill to help get veterans back to work. At three points above the national average, unemployment among our veteran population is devastatingly high. This bill, which is similar to the Hire A Hero Act that I introduced earlier this year, will help tackle unemployment by offering tax incentives to companies that hire veterans.
I am also proud that the Senate unanimously approved a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Montford Point Marines. I was the lead sponsor of this legislation that finally recognizes the country’s first African American Marines who were based in North Carolina during World War II. I had the great opportunity to meet several of these men in advance of Veterans Day last week.
Veterans Day is a particularly important time for my family. Like many of you across the state, I come from a proud military family. My father-in-law was a two-star Marine general and my father and brother both served in the Navy. My husband, Chip, is a Vietnam veteran, and two of my nephews served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Our military families are essential sources of strength and support behind our veterans and active duty service members. This November – Military Family Month – I want to thank all of our military families for their service.
As the Senator from the most military-friendly state in the nation, I am committed to ensuring that our North Carolina veterans, service members and their families have the resources and support they need and deserve, not just in November, but every month, week and day of the year.