Arizona Politics

Crane Pushes 'Hire Veterans Act' to Help Employ Former Military Personnel

Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) recently introduced legislation to encourage the hiring of military veterans to Federal land management agencies. Cactus Politics sat down with him to discuss, and the former Navy SEAL said that as a veteran himself, helping fellow ex-soldiers "is always going to be a passion of mine."

Rep. Crane's Hire Veterans Act would address staffing problems found in the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest, and National Park Services by streamlining the hiring process and incentivizing these agencies to hire military veterans with appropriate skills. Introduced with Representative Mike Levin (D-CA), the bill has bipartisan appeal.

"It's bipartisan, which I think is good, gives it a higher chance that it will actually pass," Rep. Crane told Cactus Politics, adding the bill arose because "we have just talked to folks in the Forest Service before, and they told us that this is a problem because a lot of the bureaucratic red tape when they are looking to hire positions."

As a result, candidates will have already found a different job by the time they are reached back for the position.

Moreover, Crane compared the bill to similar policies prioritizing the hiring of veterans into law enforcement. Thus, his Hire Veterans Act is "a great win-win because we have a lot of veterans in my district looking for work and we have a lot of natural resource-type jobs that need support, and so this is kind of a way to fit that puzzle piece together."

The conversation turned into general aiding of veterans, which Crane said "is always going to be a passion of mine," recounting how many employees from his former Bottle Breacher gift company were veterans and his work in Congress.

"So regardless of where God puts me in life, it is always going to be something that is near and dear to me, just because I understand how most people do not change career paths," Crane continued, noting how many veterans have returned home from "multiple, multi-decade wars," and thus "a lot of them have a lot of issues, a lot of trauma [and] mental health issues."

In late February, Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) led a coalition of Republicans in demanding veterans who served in the Panama Canal Zone receive benefits and services after toxic herbicide exposure in the area, while Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) introduced legislation giving disabled veterans free TSA PreCheck the week before.

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.

Recent Posts

Nguyen Announces Joint Study Hearing on Prison Safety Measures

State Representative Quang Nguyen (R-1) has announced that the Joint Ad Hoc Study Committee on…

2 days ago

Kelly, Gallego Demand Answers from DHS for Slow Response to AZ Cyberattack

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) jointly wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security…

2 days ago

Arizona Votes to End Green Energy Rules for Power Companies

Arizona's utility regulators have decided to eliminate rules that require power companies to buy renewable…

3 days ago

Governor Hobbs Wants Federal Investigation of Grand Canyon Fire After Revealed Mismanagement

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is demanding answers after a massive wildfire at the Grand Canyon…

3 days ago

AG Mayes Warns of Deadly Fentanyl Crisis On National Fentanyl Awareness Day

As new data shows the devastating severity of the opioid crisis, Arizona Attorney General Kris…

3 days ago

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club Is Demanding An Investigation Of The 2022 Gubernatorial Campaign

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club has filed a formal complaint against Arizona State University, claiming…

3 days ago