Veterans
The number of veterans in Arizona continues to grow. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), there are over 561,000 veterans in Arizona, nearly 12 percent of our civilian adult population. And since Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the nation, that number will only continue to climb in the years ahead as veterans move to our state from other parts of the country.
Our nation has a fundamental obligation to make good on the promises it has made to the men and women who have served in the armed forces and sacrificed so much to protect our freedom. Fulfilling those promises requires that we allocate the necessary resources to support our veterans – not only to those of past conflicts, but to those now returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This includes providing funding and support for those troops who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.
For that reason, I have supported substantial increases in funding, including approximately $45 billion in Fiscal Year 2010 for veterans’ health care. That is up nearly eight percent over last year’s funding level.
The Senate has approved a range of bills of interest to our nation’s veterans. Since 2007, it has approved:
- The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009. This bill, which I supported, directs the VA Secretary to increase, as of December 1, 2009, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.
- The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009. This legislation, which passed the Senate with my support, establishes a program to train, support, and assist the caregivers of disabled veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. It also seeks to improve care for veterans in rural areas, reduce veteran homelessness, and improve care for women veterans.
- The Veterans’ Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009. This bill, which passed the Senate unanimously and is awaiting action by the House, is designed to enhance a number of benefits for veterans and their families, including compensation, housing, employment, education, burial, and insurance benefits.
- The Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008. This bill, which I supported and is now law, improves mental health services and other forms of care for veterans. Specifically, the law sets a standard level of care for substance abuse and creates innovative enhancements to treatment; improves treatment for veterans who suffer from multiple health issues, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); and creates a research program on PTSD and substance abuse, in cooperation with the National Center for PTSD.
- The Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. This bill, which I supported and is now law, is designed to enhance compensation, housing, labor and education, and insurance benefits for veterans. It also stipulates that veterans claiming disabilities receive meaningful notice of the information and evidence needed to support their claims.
- The FY2008 defense authorization bill. This legislation, which I supported and which is now law, implements new wounded warrior initiatives that make a number of improvements to the care, management, and transition of service members recovering from illness or injury received during war, and enhances health care and benefits for their families. It extends GI Bill educational benefits to reservists; accelerates paid-up status under the Survivor Benefit Plan; requires the VA to develop individualized health plans for veterans with traumatic brain injuries; establishes a new VA research and education program for traumatic brain injury; and expands combat-related special compensation eligibility for retirees.
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