The number of veterans in Congress will increase slightly next year, but the number of veterans working as congressional staff has remained alarmingly low in recent years, according to new findings from one advocacy group.
Officials from the Veterans Campaign said the overall number of veterans in Congress will increase next year by two or three individuals, pending the results of several recounts. At least 102 veterans are poised to serve in elected federal office next year, up from 100 in the current session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of those, 27 will be veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
But Ververis, an Air Force veteran, said having elected officials with personal knowledge of defense and veterans issues isn\u2019t enough. Veterans need better representation among policy staff, who have tremendous influence on lawmakers\u2019 priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also believes more former service members can also be a force for bipartisanship in an increasingly politically divided government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Military veterans continue the conversation, even if there is a difference of opinion, because we have been trained to complete the mission,” he said. “Veterans share a common bond. We are a fraternity, a band of brothers and sisters, set on moving forward, which is something our country is in dire need of.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HillVets officials said Congress\u2019 reluctance to hire more veterans runs counter to corporate trends, where many business and community leaders have spent recent years extolling the virtues of bringing employees with military experience into their workforces. Follow @LeoShane<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n