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WASHINGTON, DC- Congressman Henry E. Brown Jr. (R-SC) made the following statement regarding America’s bravest citizens as he and the rest of the nation celebrated our Veteran’s individual sacrifices on this Veterans Day:
“In times of war, one is constantly reminded of the selflessness many of our uniformed men and women have displayed in recent years. Veterans Day is a time to reflect on those and the acts of all of our nation’s protectors.
I am proud to serve as a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, prioritizing the needs of our veterans and current service members, and am even more proud of the fact that, at a time when almost all federal agencies are seeing their budgets held level or reduced, veterans funding has more than doubled since I took office in 2001.
As a former Chair of the VA Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, I am especially glad that so many of these increases will help ensure that qualifying veterans have access to the highest quality health care and benefits at VA facilities, including the nearly 100,000 veterans living in the First District.
While increasing veterans’ benefits is a top priority, making sure that the delivery and execution of those benefits is swift and productive is important as well. I supported legislation to reform the disability claims review system to reduce the backlog and provide veterans with the benefits they deserve in a timely manner.
I have also supported and introduced influential veteran’s legislation that has designated ALS as a service connected disorder as well as legislation that would double the pension for Medal of Honor recipients. I am a proud cosponsor and supporter of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and a sponsor of The Military Surviving Spouse Equity Act, which would provide equality in benefits for the thousands of surviving spouses of military retirees.
Locally, I worked with area veterans’ service organizations to bring the Moving Wall to the District this past October, allowing coastal South Carolina veterans, their families, and average citizens a unique opportunity to pay respects to the heroes of the Vietnam Era.
It is important that we remember, not only on this day, but every day of the year, that our Veterans have risked their lives to protect us, and I remain tirelessly committed to working towards ensuring they receive the health care, benefits and legislative support they have earned in service to this country.”
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