The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“ENSURING EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1884 on Sept. 15, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ENSURING EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS
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HON. BARBARA LEE
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 15, 1999
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to speak in favor of equal employment opportunities for our veterans.
Today, we are in a time of economic growth that our nation has not seen in more than thirty years. With each day that passes, our citizens are reaping the benefits of this growth, but our economic recovery has not benefitted everyone equally. Most Americans agree that every human being has basic rights, including the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The key to having these basic rights is economic opportunity. This includes the opportunity to have a good job that pays a livable wage.
Equal employment opportunity is when an employer treats its job applicants without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status.
If economic opportunity is the key to ensuring life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, how do we ensure economic opportunity regardless of veteran status?
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the California Department of Veterans Affairs and the Employment Development Department, along with many other local and state agencies, are committed to ensuring that U.S. veterans gain access to equal employment opportunities and affirmative action programs.
A symposium to discuss these opportunities will take place today in San Francisco, California. The topics of this symposium will include federal requirements for employment solicitations, veteran preference in Federal and State employment vs. obligations as a Federal contractor, vocational rehabilitation and/or state rehabilitation, and service-connected disabilities vs. disabilities covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
I am confident that the outcome of the topics discussed at this symposium will open economic and employment opportunities for our veterans like never before, so that they too can fully participate in our nation's economic growth.
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