Washington, D.C. – Senator Ron Johnson (WI) today complimented the Administration for working with the private sector to link American veterans with job opportunities through the recently announced Veterans Job Bank. Senator Johnson has previously criticized the White House for rejecting this approach in its USA Jobs initiative. In a report identifying $1.4 trillion in savings, Johnson identified $58 million in potential savings from outsourcing these types of projects.

Johnson noted that, rather than trying to compile its own list of job opportunities, the cooperative effort of the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs instead turned to private sector search-engine companies and job-posting websites to quickly push job information to veterans:

“By using the private sector’s existing resources and capabilities, our government was able to conceive and deploy the first version of this valuable tool within 90 days. It is a noteworthy accomplishment and a demonstration of how turning to the private sector is often far more efficient than trying to replicate commercial products inside government agencies.  It should serve as an example in our efforts to limit the growth of government and make the government we have more efficient.

 “As someone who hires veterans, I can tell you they are excellent employees. The U.S. military has the world’s best training programs, and its service members embody the finest qualities our nation has to offer. Not only does our nation owe veterans its gratitude, our economy benefits incredibly when veterans’ talents are put to work by employers. The Veterans Job Bank helps veterans quickly find opportunities specific to their skills across a range of job-posting sites. It’s a win-win, for veterans and for employers.  It's time to resurrect a slogan from a bygone era:  "Don't forget, hire the Vet!" 

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