Our Veterans

Our veterans and their families have sacrificed so much for our nation. We owe them the highest level of respect and gratitude, and that begins by taking care of our wounded when they return home.

Our veterans have access to some of the finest healthcare our nation has to offer. However, there have been well-documented cases of a system that has failed to provide the level of care our veterans deserve and the American people expect. We need to ensure that those of us in Congress, tasked with the duty of oversight, practice our due diligence and keep our nation’s veteran hospitals in line with the highest standards.

Since 1944 and the Greatest Generation, the men and women of the U.S. military have received financial assistance towards higher education under the Montgomery GI Bill of Rights. Each time our nation has engaged in a conflict that has called on the sacrifice of thousands of our youngest and brightest, we have stepped forward to ensure that the benefits of the GI Bill were up-to-date and reflected contemporary issues of higher education and the cost of that education. In today’s Global War on Terrorism, it is imperative that we, once again, recognize that changes need to be made. I look forward to having an open and candid conversation with our military and veterans on this issue.

There are other things we can do to respect the sacrifice that has been made by our veterans. As a 31-year veteran of the Army Reserve and National Guard, I have a deep admiration for our Reserve and Guard members. They are the citizen soldiers who serve as our teachers and local business owners, doctors and homebuilders but who have chosen to wear the uniform of an American soldier when their country calls upon them. In the Global War on Terrorism, our Reserve and Guard members have taken on a larger and more active role in overseas operations.

To honor this new commitment, I have introduced the National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act, H.R. 4930, which will let Guard and Reserve members apply their active duty service since September 11th, 2001 to a new early retirement credit system that became law earlier this year. The credit allows that for every 90 days a member serves on active duty, they will be allowed to begin receiving retirement pay 3 months prior to the traditional retirement age of 60. For example, a member who serves 12 months on active duty will begin receiving retirement pay at the age of 59. Unfortunately, under current law, the credit only applies to service since the enactment of the new law and discounts the almost six years of service since September 11th. I am proud to have introduced H.R. 4930, which honors the 600,000 Reservists and Guardsmen who served heroically since September 11th by including them in the retirement credit program.

For more information, I encourage you to visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website.