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Hudson Hosts Military Spouse Employment Roundtable

December 6, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Richard Hudson (R-NC) hosted a roundtable discussion today on how Congress can better enable military spouse remote employment and entrepreneurship. The discussion included military spouses and representatives from Instant Teams, R. Riveter, and the National Military Spouse Network. The virtual meeting comes as part of the Congressman’s continuing work and leadership to create jobs and spur innovation while providing support for our nation’s military families.

"As Fort Bragg’s Congressman, making sure service members and military families have the support they need is always a top priority. That’s why I am determined to do everything possible to connect military spouses with job opportunities," said Rep. Hudson. "Companies like Instant Teams and R. Riveter in my community can serve as a model for how businesses and remote work can support military spouses in the workforce. I look forward to continuing to bring folks to the table to grow our economy and support those who sacrifice to keep us safe."

"We are very grateful for the hard work and leadership that Rep. Hudson and his team continue to provide to empower military spouses in the realm of remote work," said Liza Rodewald, of Carthage North Carolina, CEO of Instant Teams. "Whether its working to create tax incentives for hiring military spouses, cutting red tape or creating synergies between our companies and leading businesses, Rep. Hudson clearly understands the needs and priorities of the military community and is a highly effective champion for us in Congress."

Read more about Instant Teams from the Fayetteville Observer  here.

Military spouses, veteran spouses, and veterans make up over 92% of our nation’s available workforce. In today’s economy, businesses of all sizes often struggle to scale up with the right teams when the need arises. Innovations in remote work have created new pathways for employment for military spouses who have been traditionally barred from the '9 to 5' workplace due to the unique constraints and demands of military life. Some of the biggest companies in the nation are now looking to military spouses to work remotely on a flexible schedule to meet their growing needs for skilled labor—and the results are striking. However, many government-imposed hurdles and barriers regarding remote work remain in place and unless they are changed, our economy will not fully realize its benefits.

"One of the biggest obstacles before us remains antiquated federal regulations and restrictions that are meant to apply to the traditional workforce and are not attuned to the realities of military life," added Rodewald. "The pandemic has forever changed the way we work— and we as a nation must change with it. We are energized about working with leaders in Congress such as Rep. Hudson to find common sense solutions to better enable military spouse remote work for the good of our economy and for military families."

"We are grateful for Congressman Hudson’s commitment to solving the unique employment and entrepreneurship issues faced by military spouses, as well as his continued engagement with the military spouse community," said the National Military Spouse Network. "Congressman Hudson truly understands what military spouses go through professionally, and that the necessary solutions are different than those required to solve veteran unemployment."

Today's roundtable was convened to create a sounding board and platform for collaboration between key stakeholders to address current obstacles and historical challenges within the federal sector that impede the creation and growth of military spouse businesses.

"I am committed to hosting additional military spouse entrepreneurship roundtables to build on today’s discussion and continue gaining valuable feedback directly from military spouses and businesses on how we can close the employment gap," continued Rep. Hudson. "Working together, we can make needed improvements to connect military families with jobs."

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