Senators Ask for Review of Veterans Job Assistance: The chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs have asked the Government Accountability Office to examine the Labor Department’s employment efforts for veterans. Chairman Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) say they have concerns about the accuracy of DOL data that they use as a basis for committee decisions. The veteran lawmakers noted that although some 96 percent of veterans are employed, the four percent who are not break down into specific categories, such as disabled veterans and recently separated veterans.
The $4.26 billion Small Business Innovation Research contracting program widely used by the Air Force went into hibernation as the government shut down Oct. 1, but unless lawmakers strike a deal on reforms, the program could reach an abrupt end.
