McMorris Rodgers, Delgado Introduce Legislation to Expand Employment for Military Spouses

Washington, D.C. (May 3, 2021) – Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) and Congressman Antonio Delgado (NY-19) re-introduced the bipartisan Military Spouse Hiring Act to incentivize employers to hire military spouses. 

“When someone joins the military, it’s not just a job—it’s a family commitment to our country,” said Rodgers. “Military families face a unique set of challenges, one of which is spousal employment. As co-chair of the Congressional Military Family Caucus, it’s my goal to make sure they have the support they need, and this bipartisan legislation will help bridge the employment gap by expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include military spouses.”

Research from the Department of Defense and the Hiring Our Heroes Foundation has found that unemployment rates for military spouses far exceed that of the national average. The Military Spouse Hiring Act would help close the gap by expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include the hiring of qualified military spouses, allowing employers to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those spouses.

“Military families make immense sacrifices for our country, yet military spouses experience an unemployment rate of nearly 30%,” said Delgado. “I’m proud to reintroduce bipartisan legislation to address the military spouse unemployment crisis and empower thousands of families in upstate New York and across the country. As we recover from COVID-19 and rebuild, we must invest in our military families. I thank my co-leads on both sides of the aisle for joining me to reintroduce the Military Spouse Hiring Act today.”

 NOTE: Existing law already extends the Workforce Opportunity Tax Credit to employers that hire qualified military veterans, among other targeted groups. The Military Spouse Hiring Act would amend existing law to provide this tax incentive to employers that hire the spouses of members of the United States Armed Forces.

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