mr. chairman , i am pleased that elements of the amendment i had intended to offer were incorporated into the en bloc amendment offered by chairman regula . 
as our troops return home from active duty service , a growing number of them are unable to return to the jobs they left behind . 
in the transition back to civilian life , they are encountering problems ranging from difficulties finding employment to being passed over for promotions to getting laid off under suspicious circumstances . 
the veterans employment and training service ( vets ) provides these veterans with the resources and services they need to make the transition from military to civilian life . 
vets provides veterans with valuable training and job placement services as well as protecting the employment and reemployment rights of veterans , reservists and national guard members . 
with the influx of returning soldiers , the veterans employment and training service needs additional resources to meet the growing demands of our veterans . 
more and more veterans will be looking for employment , which means increased demands for both job training and placement services as well as assistance with any discrimination claims . 
this amendment will address these issues by providing $ 5 million to the veterans employment and training service so they have the money they need to meet the needs of our returning troops . 
of this funding , $ 3 million will go to the veterans workforce investment program which provides employment services to recently separated and service-connected disabled veterans . 
this program is currently funded at $ 7.5 million , a $ 1 million cut from last year . 
at a time when more and more soldiers are returning home and looking for jobs , we need to be providing more funding for this vital initiative , not less . 
it also includes $ 500 , 000 for the national veterans training institute , which conducts specialized training for veterans ' employment and training service providers . 
the remaining $ 1.5 million would be used to educate both service members and employers about the employment rights of veterans , including their rights and responsibilities under the uniformed services employment and reemployment rights act ( userra ) , which prohibits workforce discrimination based on military service . 
america has a responsibility to those who risked their lives to secure our freedom . 
particularly today , as more soldiers come home from the battlefields of iraq and afghanistan , we must make every effort to help veterans reintegrate into civilian life , and that means helping america 's veterans get back to work . 
