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Veterans

Our nation’s veterans have been willing to sacrifice everything to serve their country. Unfortunately, the federal government has not always shown this same commitment and has broken its promises to these veterans. Congressman Hinojosa has worked to improve access to health care and other services for the veterans of South Texas and believes the US government should fulfill its obligations.

For the third year in a row, Congressman Hinojosa voted for a veterans’ budget that exceeds the funding requested by the Independent Budget -- a budget developed by veteran’s organizations throughout the county. In addition, Congressman Hinojosa voted for legislation that will forward fund veterans health care to allow the VA to meet the needs of the growing veteran population in a more timely and efficient manner. This year, Congress has worked to ensure that the unique needs of our women veteran’s are being met through additional funding and through changes in the VA medical system. He also voted for H.R. 3155 that will provide training, outreach and counseling to family members and other caregivers who have quit jobs, delayed schooling, and made other difficult sacrifices to provide care for injured veterans.

The ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan is creating a new cadre of veterans who need variety of services. On August 1, 2009, veterans began receiving college education benefits under the new Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which Congressman Hinojosa supported. An estimated 2.1 million members of the military who have served on active duty since September 11, 2001, including activated reservist and members of the National Guard, will be eligible for up to four years of education benefits, including stipends for housing and books. Hinojosa also included a provision in the recently enacted Higher Education Reauthorization bill that will create one-stop veterans centers at college campuses throughout the country to help veterans transition from combat and active service to academic life.

For many years, the veterans in the 15th Congressional District had limited access to health care and were forced to travel to Audie Murphy Hospital in San Antonio for service. As a result of pressure from Congressman Hinojosa, his colleagues and veterans’ organizations throughout the region, the VA has agreed to expand services through a new multi-story medical facility in Harlingen and through expansion of the clinics in McAllen and Corpus Christi.  The new VA Medical Center in Harlingen is scheduled to open in early 2011. Additionally, the VA has renegotiated contracts for inpatient and emergency services to ensure that veterans will no longer have any out-of-pocket costs.

In his continuing effort to bring a full-service VA hospital to South Texas, Congressman Hinojosa has held a series of enrollment fairs to increase the number of South Texas veterans using the current VA system. Increased use by every eligible veteran will help justify to the VA the need for a hospital in the region. In addition, he has cosponsored legislation to create a veteran’s hospital in the Rio Grande Valley and has brought Congressional leaders to see firsthand the challenges our veterans face in obtaining quality health care.