Veterans

Veterans

As a veteran myself, I know there is no higher commitment we can make than the solemn vow we have made to the men and women in our Armed Forces. They deserve our utmost respect and appreciation for the sacrifice they have made.  As a member of the House o Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, you have my word that we will never allow our soldiers to return home to anything less than a heroes’ welcome. The character of this country is defined by how we care for and honor our veterans. 

I am proud to serve on the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, which is charged with overseeing the entire Department of Veterans Affairs and advocating change by shining sunlight on harmful practices and policies.

I also serve on the Subcommittee on Health to ensure our veterans get the quality care they deserve.  This Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Veterans Health Administration including medical services, medical support and compliance, medical facilities, medical and prosthetic research, and major and minor construction.

Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield War Memorial Act

I am the sponsor of H.R. 5914, the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial Act, which calls for the construction of a memorial to veterans of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, paid for entirely with private funds. The United States currently lacks a national memorial dedicated to the valor and sacrifices made by those members of our Armed Forces who honorably fought in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  This will properly honor the sacrifices and work made by the nearly 600,000 individuals who were deployed to serve in these operations.

Invisible Wounds Caucus 

As our veterans and service members continue to return from Iraq and Afghanistan, we must be prepared to address new needs, such as treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I am the founder and current co-chair of the Invisible Wounds Caucus, whose purpose is to educate and seek solutions to better address the unseen challenges our men and women in uniform may face after serving our country abroad.

The federal government is also committed to helping veteran-owned businesses receive contracts from the federal government and has created a website called VetBiz.gov to promote opportunities for which these businesses can take advantage. Veterans have also earned many benefits currently available to them.

Veterans can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to take advantage of the following benefits:

  • Health Care
  • Compensation and Pension
  • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
  • Home Loans
  • Survivors
  • Life Insurance

Veteran Opportunity to Work Act

We must also take steps to help veterans transition from military life to the civilian workforce. To help advance this goal, Congress passed H.R. 2433, the Veteran Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act. The VOW Act is a comprehensive approach that incorporates education, training, protections, and eliminates roadblocks in the system in order to provide veterans with the opportunity to compete in today’s economy. It is the most detailed and thoughtful legislation that has been introduced to get our veterans out of unemployment lines and into meaningful jobs. 

Honoring the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who serve this country is not only my Congressional goal, it is my patriotic duty.