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STATEMENT
OF FREDERICO JUARBE JR. ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF LABOR FOR VETERANS’
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING BEFORE
THE VETERANS’
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE U.S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 13, 2002
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the initiative
contained in the Administration’s proposed fiscal year 2003 budget
that would transfer three grant programs currently administered by the
Labor Department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service
(VETS) to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
As we confront a world profoundly changed by the events of
September 11, Americans are looking at the men and women of our Armed
Forces with a renewed sense of respect and pride.
Someday, many of these men and women will exchange their
uniforms for civilian attire. Many
will be looking to the government for training, job search, and
placement assistance to help them successfully make a transition into
the civilian economy.
The Bush Administration is deeply committed to helping our
veterans find high-quality jobs.
Our Nation’s veterans deserve nothing less than access to
quality services in both employment and training.
This Administration understands and deeply appreciates their
patriotism, their dedication, and the skills and experiences they
bring to the civilian labor force.
Veterans, especially those with service-connected
disabilities, deserve the best and most up-to-date services that we
can devise. That is why
President Bush has tasked the Departments of Labor and Veterans
Affairs to work in close partnership to transfer some of the important
programs presently administered by the Veterans’ Employment and
Training Service to the Department of Veterans Affairs. This
transfer is part of the President’s overall strategy to increase the
effectiveness and accountability of all government programs.
It is designed to provide the inter-related services of
education, training, vocational rehabilitation, homeless veterans
reintegration, and employment as part of an integrated, seamless
continuum of services. By
operating all of these programs in the VA – one government agency
dedicated to serving the single constituency of veterans – the
duplication of effort can be minimized and services can be
strengthened.
In particular, the President’s FY 2003 budget submission
would transfer to the VA three grant programs: (1) the Local Veterans
Employment Representatives grants; (2) the Disabled Veterans Outreach
Program; and (3) the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
In addition, the Transition Assistance Program, which provides
job training, employment assistance, and other transitional services
to separating veterans, will also be transferred to VA.
The agencies are coordinating on the Administration’s
initiative. The Office of
Management and Budget, VETS, and VA have working groups focusing on
various administrative, financial, and legislative implications of the
proposed transfer. The total budget transfer to the VA
would amount to $197 million. The transfer also includes shifting 199 VETS employees to the VA and clearly this aspect of the proposal needs to be conducted with sensitivity to the individuals involved. DOL and VA are jointly working on the legislative language to accomplish this transfer, which will soon be sent to Congress.
We intend that this transfer be a smooth one.
We will work with our partners in the states and veterans’
community in a manner that will assure all of their concerns are
considered, and that the best system for delivering these services is
designed. It is our goal
that no veterans will encounter a gap or a reduction in service while
these changes take place. We
cannot afford to allow any veteran to be left behind.
The Department of Labor will continue to do whatever we can to
support our veterans fully, and we pledge to work cooperatively with
the Committee to ensure that America’s veterans receive the best
employment and training services possible. Thank you. I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have. Back to Witness List |