Veterans

We can never fully repay the debt of gratitude we owe to the brave men and women who serve our country. We must respect and honor our veterans by providing them with the best possible benefits and health care.

Congress must provide a VA budget that meets the benefits our veterans were promised and deserve to receive. For years, VA budgets that barely kept pace with the rate of inflation passed Congress. 2007 was the first time in recent years that Congress passed a VA budget that truly addressed the needs of our veterans, and I am committed to supporting legislation in the future that fully supports our men and women in uniform.

Veterans Legislation

In July 2009, I voted in support of the 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations, which allocates $109.6 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs, $15.3 billion above 2009 levels. This extra funding will allow for support of critical maintenance of VA health care facilities as well as other vital services for veterans. Included in this funding is $45.1 billion for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VHA estimates they will treat more than 6.1 million patients in 2010, including more than 419,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. This legislation was signed into law on December 16, 2009.

I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 303, the Retired Pay Restoration Act, which would allow the concurrent receipt of retired military pay and disability compensation. A military retiree should not receive reduced pay just because they are also eligible for veterans disability compensation for a service-related disability.

Veterans Health Care

I have taken steps to improve the health care benefits our veterans receive. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a serious affliction that can cause severe social and emotional distress, and I am committed to doing everything I can to assist our returning heroes suffering from this condition. For this reason, I cosponsored and voted for the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. This legislation, which was signed into law in November 2007, directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and carry out a comprehensive program addressing the serious problems of PTSD, depression and suicide rates among veterans. I also supported the Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term Support Act, which ensures that our veterans will be properly screened and treated for traumatic brain injury.

I support the Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act, which would prohibit increases in TRICARE premiums, co-payments for pharmaceuticals, and premiums for Guard and Reserve members enrolled in TRICARE.

Increasing educational opportunities for our veterans

The benefits under the GI bill have decreased in real value since it was first signed into law in 1944. I was an original cosponsor of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, also known as the GI Bill, which increases the educational benefits for veterans who want to attend college. This legislation provides tuition aid equal to the most expensive public college in each veteran’s home state, plus a stipend for living expenses. The content of the GI Bill was passed as part of a larger spending bill and was signed into law in June 2008, and the benefits started taking effect August 2009.

Supporting our military families

We must do everything we can to support our military families, who sacrifice so much for cause of freedom. I am a supporter of H.R. 775, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, which will fix a long-standing flaw in our country's military survivors benefit system that makes it difficult for surviving spouses to collect benefits. Under current law, the Survivor Benefits Plan is offset by the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, reducing the total benefit bought or paid for by the service member. H.R. 775 will correct this flaw and allow our military spouses to receive the benefits in which they are entitled.

Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities

It is important that our veterans are receiving proper health care. I assure you that I will support legislation that would better supply VA Hospitals with the staff and equipment that they need to treat America’s veterans and will improve veterans’ access to health care.

I supported The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2010, as it takes important steps to address the maintenance backlog of VA medical facilities and increases the number of claims processors in order to reduce the backlog of benefits claims as well as expanded medical and social services for homeless veterans.

Charles George VA Medical Center

I was proud to introduce legislation to rename the Asheville VA Medical Center in honor of Private First Class Charles George in the House of Representatives in May 2007. Pfc. George was a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and was raised in the Birdtown community of the Qualla Boundary. He attended Cherokee Schools before enlisting in the U.S. Army and being sent to fight in the Korean War. On November 30th, 1952, while fighting in Korea, Pfc. George was killed in action. He died saving the lives of those around him. According to the citation that accompanied his Congressional Medal of Honor, “Pfc. George shouted a warning to one comrade, pushed (another) soldier out of danger, and, with full knowledge of the consequences, unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion.”

The President signed the legislation into law just after Veteran’s Day 2007, officially changing the name and ensuring that Pfc. George’s selfless heroism will be remembered for generations to come.

Franklin VA Outpatient Clinic and Rutherford County Outpatient Clinics

I was proud to work closely with the VA to open an outpatient facility in Franklin, NC in August 2008 and an outpatient clinic in Rutherford County in November 2009. These clinics were much-needed to give thousands of veterans across Western North Carolina improved access to health care. Prior to the opening of these clinics, veterans in North Carolina's westernmost counties had to travel all the way to Asheville to receive primary care from a VA clinic.

Contact the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville.

Have general VA questions? Click here: www.va.gov