U.S. Reps. Brian Mast, R-Fla., and Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., scored another win in their efforts to help more disabled veterans transition to the civilian workforce.
Back in June, Mast and Murphy added an amendment to the fiscal 2019 Legislative Branch appropriations bill which increases funding for the U.S. House’s Wounded Warrior Program. It provided two-year paid fellowships for disabled veterans to work in the Washington or district offices of members of Congress.
“After I opened our congressional office inside the West Palm Beach VA, we set out to hire a wounded warrior to help us because I know veterans are among the most qualified applicants for any position thanks to the skills they learned in the military,” Mast said back in June. “This amendment is a win-win: giving disabled veterans a great opportunity to transition into a new career while improving constituent services in congressional offices across the country.”
As part of the minibus last week, the House backed the amendment again, ensuring the funding would be $3 million for the FY 2019 fiscal year, an increase of $250,000 from the year before.
The unique skills and experience acquired by veterans over the course of their military service can be invaluable to the work of a congressional office,” said Murphy on Friday. “The Wounded Warrior fellowship program is critical not only because we have a moral imperative to help our military servicemembers successfully transition to civilian life, but also because it gives veterans the opportunity to use the valuable skills they honed in the military to help constituents, including fellow veterans, in congressional districts across the country. As someone who has two Marines on staff, I know Congress will benefit greatly from the expansion of this fellowship.”
Shortly after opening the first-ever congressional office inside a VA facility, Mast announced his office was seeking a wounded warrior or medically retired veteran for a fellowship working at the office.
