WASHINGTON — Heralding a rare moment of bipartisan agreement, President Barack Obama on Monday signed legislation aimed at helping unemployed veterans find work while putting more cash in the hands of companies with government contracts.
The legislation, which creates tax breaks for companies that hire jobless veterans, marks the first proposal from Obama’s $447 billion jobs bill to be signed into law. The rest of the package of new taxes and spending has largely failed to garner support from Republican lawmakers.
“Because Democrats and Republicans came together, I’m proud to sign those proposals into law,” Obama said during a signing ceremony Monday.
The veterans’ legislation had overwhelming support from both parties, with the House passing the measure 422-0 and the Senate approving it 95-0. In addition to the tax breaks for businesses, it beefs up job- training and counseling programs for unemployed veterans. The Associated Press
