Fighting for those who have served in uniform has been one of Representative Mitchell's top priorities since joining Congress in 2007.   He sought a seat on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where he could help improve the quality and accessibility of veterans' health care and other essential services.

Shortly after joining the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Representative Mitchell was chosen by his colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. As Chairman of the Subcommittee of Oversight and Investigations, Representative Mitchell has led investigations that forced the clean-up of Walter Reed Medical Center mess and cut bureaucratic red tape at the VA, including working to stem suicides among veterans. His subcommittee has held more than 30 hearings on matters ranging from the botched prostate cancer treatments at a VA hospital in Philadelphia to the improper processing of endoscopy equipment that led to the potential exposure of veterans to HIV and hepatitis. He has also overseen the VA's response to the impact of Gulf War Illness.

In 2009, Representative Mitchell was presented with American Legion Department of Arizona's ‘Distinguished Legislator Award' for his work on behalf of our nation's veterans. Previous Distinguished Legislator Award recipients include Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl.

Suicide Prevention and Outreach

Representative Mitchell has built upon his work in the 110^th Congress that got the VA to reverse its longstanding self-imposed ban on televised public service announcements (PSAs), and launch a pilot -- and then nationwide -- campaign to make veterans and their families aware of the VA's suicide hotline. Representative Mitchell has continued to press to further expand the PSAs and other outreach to veterans.  In addition to ads on and around public transportation systems, the campaign has produced and distributed a television ad featuring Forrest Gump and CSI: New York star Gary Sinise to television stations in Phoenix and around the country.  As of April 2010, the VA has reported nearly 7,000 rescues of actively suicidal veterans, which were attributed to seeing the ads, public service announcements (PSAs), or promotional products.  Additionally, referrals to VA mental health services increased.  In Phoenix, the VA reported a 234 percent increase in calls to the suicide hotline within 30 days of the launch of its public awareness campaign.

Representative Mitchell recently chaired a hearing entitled, "Examining the Progress of Suicide Prevention Outreach Efforts at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs." Mitchell pressed VA and Department of Defense officials to expend and enhance their proven public awareness programs to prevent suicide. In addition, Representative Mitchell voted for H.R. 5822, the Fiscal Year 2011 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill, which includes $20 million in funding for veteran suicide prevention outreach. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support and is currently pending before the Senate.

GI Bill

In 2008, Representative Mitchell teamed up with Senator Jim Webb of Virginia to pass the Post-9/11 GI Bill to provide enhanced educational benefits to veterans with active duty service, including men and women serving in the National Guard and Reserves, on, or after, September 11 2001.  President Bush signed the Webb-Mitchell GI Bill into law on June 30, 2008. Since August 2009, the VA has issued Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to almost 310, 000 student veterans. According to officials at Arizona State University (ASU), upwards of 1,100 students have taken advantage of the benefit at ASU.

Expanded Veteran Homelessness Prevention and Care

Representative Mitchell helped pass H.R. 4810, the End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2010. This legislation increases funding to successful programs for homeless veterans, requires each VA medical center that provides supporting housing services to provide housing counselors, strengthens permanent housing programs, and pays special interest to the needs of homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.

Nothing is more important than honoring our veterans. The uniformed men and women who serve our nation have been made a promise that if they defend our country in military service, we will provide them with the benefits they have earned. I look forward to working to honor their service in Congress.

Advanced Funding

Representative Mitchell voted for landmark legislation to fund Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical accounts up to one year ahead of schedule - also known as advanced funding. Over the last 23 years, 20 VA budgets have been passed late - and veterans have paid the price with fewer doctors, longer waiting times, and more restricted access for the 6 million veterans using VA health care. H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 will help ensure timely funding for veterans' healthcare - and help end chronically late budgets for the VA. This legislation, which was considered a top national priority for many National Veteran Services Organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is now part of Public Law Number 111-81.

Increased Support for Veteran Caregivers

Representative Mitchell recognizes that when our nation sends a soldier to war, that we also send a family to war. Those families have shouldered a heavy and often unfair burden during this time of war. Representative Mitchell has worked hard to provide resources to veteran caregivers who support our uniformed me and women when they return. Representative Mitchell voted for, and helped enact into law, The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 creates a program to offer caregiver training, access to mental health counseling, and 24-hour respite care in the veteran's home.  The Caregivers Act also allows eligible veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to select a caregiver to receive a financial stipend along with travel and lodging expenses associated with the veteran's care.

Video from one of Rep. Mitchell's GI Bill Informational Workshop (June 6, 2009):