U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) on April 18 introduced the Servicemembers Rights Enforcement Improvement Act of 2012.

Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and friend of the veteran community, believes that many of the protections put in place to help shield our nation’s heroes—specifically the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act — have been violated in a disturbing number of cases in recent years.

With high unemployment and foreclosure rates continuing to affect our nation’s veterans and servicemembers, the act is  co-sponsored by  Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Mark Begich (D-AK), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

The Servicemembers Rights Enforcement Improvement Act, which includes a number of proposals provided to the Congress by the U.S. Department of Justice, would strengthen the Department of Justice’s ability to enforce these laws on behalf of servicemembers and veterans.

“Our men and women in uniform serve with tremendous dignity on the battlefield,” said Murray. “Our nation owes it to them to guarantee protection under the law when they return home.”

With ten years of Bush era use of the National Guard and Reserves for major roles in the fights in Afghanistan and Iraq, warrior-citizens must have airtight reemployment rights and financial protections when they are called to the colors, said VADM Norb Ryan,  President, Military Officers Association of America.

“The Military Officers Association of America strongly supports the ‘Servicemembers Rights Enforcement Improvement Act of 2012’ and urges quick passage of the bill to strengthen enforcement of the rights of those who defend the rest of America,” Ryan said.