Issues & Legislation | Veterans & Military Families

As the daughter of an Air Force Colonel whose childhood and teenage years were spent moving from one military base to another, I know how important it is to treat our men and women in uniform with respect and care.  There are more than 450,000 veterans in Massachusetts, and they deserve the best care this country has to offer. I am strongly committed to serving the needs of veterans of our armed forces.  Through my Veterans Advisory Committee, I am working with local veterans, representatives of their families, as well as those providing veterans with key services in order to maintain close communications with the veterans’ community in the Fifth Congressional District.  Furthermore a member of my staff in Lowell is dedicated to serving Veterans throughout the Merrimack Valley and Southern Tier of the 5th District.

I understand there is a long-term cost of war and service to our nation.  If our young men and women are willing to put their lives on the line to fight for us, providing them with the best care they need when they return and into the future is the least we can do.  We now have a new generation of combat veterans who need us to fight for them, as they have fought for us.  I intend to be part of the majority that recognizes the moral imperative to provide the health care and services we owe to those who have served on our behalf.  Adequate funding for veterans health care should be mandatory spending in the federal budget and not subject to annual debate.  I will work to roll back the cuts made to veterans’ health care over the last 12 years and will support better mental health services for our returning soldiers.  This year, Congress passed a Veterans Appropriations bill that was the highest single increase in spending in the 77-year history of the VA.  This is a step in the right direction, but more can and must be done.  Here at home, I am committed to making sure that the Lowell, Bedford, and Haverhill clinics are kept open and maintained.

Furthermore, the VA’s own statistics show that there is a backlog of 400,000 applications and appeals for benefits, and that the average waiting time for a benefits claim is about six months.  Many veterans must wait even longer to get this basic service.  We must provide the needed funding to clear this backlog, and prevent such delays in the future.  With our brave men and women serving extended tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the VA will be flooded with new cases in the coming years, and the VA must be prepared to deliver care that is timely and of the highest quality.

War puts a tremendous strain on the whole military family.  We can help ease this strain by providing comprehensive services to assist veterans and military families while their loved one is deployed and once they have returned home.