In Case You Missed It: “Sen. Tim Scott Due Praise for Focus on Veterans”

November 10, 2014 The Times and Democrat   Tim Scott is getting a lot of national publicity as the first African-American U.S. senator elected from South Carolina since Reconstruction. A nearly equal amount of focus is on him being a Republican whose positions are polar opposites from President Barack Obama and the Democrats.   Scott’s future and the ramifications surrounding the Nov. 4 rout by Republicans that gave them control of the Senate as well as the U.S. House will continue to be hot political items, but on this Veterans Day, Scott should get credit for what he has been doing since becoming an appointed U.S. senator in early 2013: championing veterans causes.   Scott is working directly to address the issues of employing veterans.   In October, he began a statewide Veterans Job Training Initiative. It kicked off with targeted workshops for veterans in Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Greer and North Charleston and focused on how they can transfer their military skills and certifications to the civilian world.   “My staff and I are working hard to keep the promise to help our veterans once they return from duty. After a great first round of veteran job training workshops last month, we will be hosting another set of workshops in November focusing on transferring military skills and certifications to the civilian world,” Scott said.   On Nov. 13, there will be events in Florence and St. Matthews (Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Quick Jobs Development Center, 101 Courthouse Drive, St. Matthews, 3-5:30 p.m.). And on Nov. 18 and 19, workshops will be held in Beaufort and Conway, respectively.   To register for an upcoming workshop or for more information, those interested can call one of Scott’s offices at 843-727-4525 (Lowcountry), 803-771-6112 (Midlands) or 864-233-5366 (Upstate).   As part of Scott’s Veterans Job Training Initiative, his office will also host additional workshops in December and January on “Available Educational & Entrepreneurial Resources” and “Resume Writing and Interviewing Skills and a Hiring Manager’s Panel.” He also plans to host veteran job and resource fairs in early 2015.   “Through these workshops and job and resource fairs, I plan to help connect our veterans to resources and job opportunities and South Carolina’s employers to a talented pool of highly motivated potential employees. We owe our veterans and their families not just our thanks, but our commitment to assisting their transition from military service back into the civilian workplace. I encourage any South Carolinian veteran looking to explore new employment opportunities and grow their skills to attend one of the workshops or one of the job and resource fairs early next year,” Scott said.   In addition, Scott has been:   Out front in pushing for better service from the Veterans Administration for the 400,000 veterans who rely on the services provided by the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston and the 11 community-based outpatient facilities around the state.   Scott has said: “I have long fought to end the VA claims backlog, voted against veterans’ pensions cuts and had staff working to assist veterans navigating through, but hearing from so many veterans, sharing similar experiences, prompted me to go directly to the VA secretary to demand answers.   “And after the Obama Administration did not respond to my initial request for answers about the 13 South Carolina facilities, I went directly to the local leadership of both Dorn and Johnson to get answers. After talking with both leaders, they both discussed how locally, it seems we are making improvements on wait times. We still have work that needs to be done, but the good news is that at least in this state we have a collaborative effort to improve the quality of care experienced by our veterans.   A key supporter of the bi-partisan Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, which in July overwhelmingly passed both the Senate and the House and was signed into law by Obama.   The new law allows veterans access to care outside of the VA system if they are unable to get an appointment at a VA medical facility within 30 days or live more than 40 miles away from their nearest VA medical facility. It also allows the VA to open 27 new clinics across the country and hire more doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to serve our veterans.   At the same time, it increases accountability by empowering the secretary to fire or discipline employees for misconduct or poor performance. It also eliminated bonuses for VA officials this year in light of all the agency’s troubles.   Instrumental in thanking veterans through special ceremonies. In August, he presented each veteran of the Vietnam era a special Senatorial Certificate of Appreciation and a pin. He held honor ceremonies for South Carolina’s World War II veterans in 2012 (while a congressman) and also two ceremonies in 2013 for Korean War-era veterans.   Scott speaks with actions as well as words in saying veterans need to be honored for their commitment to the nation’s freedom, and the sacrifices of their families should be noted as well. “I have seen first hand the commitment required by the servicemen and women and their families, and it is truly incredible.”   We thank Scott for his emphasis on veterans and join the senator in saluting his two brothers and all others serving in the military, and saying a heartfelt “thank you” to all who have served before them.   Click here to read The Times and Democrat editorial online.    Click here to learn more about Senator Scott’s work to support South Carolina’s military and veterans.