Congressman Derrick Van Orden, who served as a Navy SEAL for two decades, has introduced two new bills to Congress aimed at supporting veterans and their families. The EMPLOY VETS Act and the Protect Military Dependents Act are designed to help veterans find employment and protect their dependents from financial hardship.

Protect Military Dependents (PMD) Act

The Protect Military Dependents Act is a bill that aims to protect the dependents of service members from bearing the financial burden of education assistance if their service member were to lose that benefit. Under the current law, the loss of the service member’s benefit is passed on to the dependents, leaving them with a heavy financial burden. The PMD Act, introduced by Congressman Van Orden, aims to change that by shifting the responsibility back to the service member who lost the benefit.

Congressman Van Orden emphasized that when service members don’t meet the conditions of their benefits, they should be held responsible instead of their children. The PMD Act aims to prevent the financial burden from being passed on to the dependents and ensure that service members are held accountable for the conditions of their benefits.

EMPLOY VETS Act

The EMPLOY VETS Act is a bill aimed at helping active duty service members find work. Congressman Van Orden called the bill a “no-brainer” and stated that it would allow Department of Labor officials from the states to interact with transitioning service members during the Transitional Assistance Program (T.A.P.) to help them find employment immediately following their service.

The bill’s full title is the Ensure Military Personnel Learn Opportunities Yielding Vocations that Employ Transitioning Servicemembers Act. The two-page bill is designed to help service members transition into the civilian workforce by connecting them with employment opportunities and ensuring that they have the necessary training and resources to succeed.

The Importance of Supporting Veterans and their Families

Supporting veterans and their families is an important issue, and these bills are a step in the right direction. Many veterans struggle to find employment after they leave the military, and their families often face financial and emotional hardship as a result. By introducing these bills, Congressman Van Orden is helping to ensure that our service members and their families have the support they need to succeed in civilian life.