Military
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and a strong advocate for our men and women in uniform, I am continually working to ensure that our military is prepared to meet the challenges and demands of the 21 st century. With the threat of terrorism a constant reality, it is increasingly important that we provide our military with the resources and training to protect our nation during periods of conflict. In order to preserve our national security in the present and in the future, we must strengthen our commitment to the armed forces by ensuring that their needs and sacrifices are recognized today.
With Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Camp Lejeune, New River Air Station, Cherry Point, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and several Coast Guard stations, in addition to our National Guard and Reserves, North Carolina is often at the forefront of our military missions and the home to many of the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our nation. That is why I work with my colleagues on the HASC to provide the necessary funding to train and equip our military forces at home and abroad.
Recently, the HASC reviewed both the defense budget request for FY2011 and the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which serves as a roadmap for defense programs for the next 20 years. At a time of tremendous economic difficulty, unprecedented deficits, and spending freezes in other parts of the budget, both the budget request and the QDR demonstrates the clear need for maintaining a strong commitment to our military engaged in missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and other areas around the globe. In addition to contingency funding, the budget includes a military pay raise, a large housing allowance increase, $1.4 billion for NC military construction, no increases in healthcare fees, and numerous initiatives to help military families. In addition, the QDR lays out a plan for how we are going to fight and win both today’s wars and future conflicts.
The United States has the greatest military in the history of the world, and our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are highly capable and dedicated individuals. I pray daily for all our Armed Forces, and I maintain my strong commitment to do all I can to help them while also keeping our country safe.
Veterans
Throughout their time in uniform, the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces have never given up when defending American freedoms and ideals. For this reason, now, more than ever, our veterans have earned the right to demand the same commitment from their country.
State
and local government budgets continue to be trimmed to cope with
growing deficits. As a result, it is critical that local veterans
outreach organizations, such as our nation’s county veterans’ service
offices, remain funded to continue the critical outreach they provide to
veterans who need help accessing their benefits. The financial crisis
has made it even more important for veterans to have easy access to
competent assistance when getting the benefits they were promised when
they signed up for duty. For this reason, I authored the Veterans
Outreach Improvement Act. This measure would allow the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) to partner with state and local governments,
through grant opportunities, and to reach out to veterans and their
families to ensure they receive the benefits for which they are eligible
and assist them in completing their benefits claims. The Secretary of
the VA would direct grants to states with large and growing populations
of veterans in order to increase outreach where it is most needed. In
addition, grants could be used for education and training of state and
county officials to gain accreditation and for continuing education.
In addition, I continue to
support a robust annual Military Construction and VA Appropriations bill
that adequately meets the growing needs of our veterans. During the
110th Congress, I was pleased to support appropriations measures that
increased funding for our veterans to the highest levels in the 77-year
history of the VA. While significant steps were made through the funding
levels approved by these bills, I continue to support initiatives that
provide for assured funding for veterans’ health care. As you may know,
currently, the money that is set aside for VA hospitals and clinics
falls under the discretionary spending category. Each year, funding
levels for the VA must be approved by the U.S. Congress, meaning that
there is no guarantee that each annual appropriation will be increased
as the needs and demands of veterans grow. I completely disagree with
this approach to funding our veterans’ health care, and, as a result, I
supported the passage of a measure that authorizes the U.S. Congress to
approve VA medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start
of each fiscal year. This bill has been signed into law and will now
allow the U.S. Congress to provide for sufficient, timely, and
predictable funding for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
Another issue that is affecting
our nation’s veterans is the high unemployment rates that continue to
impact the men and women returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The
unemployment figures for this segment of our veteran demographic have
consistently been above the national average. Unfortunately, the
economic downturn has only made these numbers increase. For this reason,
I have taken steps to improve the employment outreach and job creation
programs offered to our veterans. I also support increasing the
cost-of-living adjustment for disabled veterans, and support measures
that guarantee that they receive benefits and services that keep pace
with inflation and their needs.
I
am also opposed to raising TRICARE fees on our military retirees.
Throughout my time in Washington, I have opposed these types of
proposals, and I will continue to support legislation that will bar
large military health fee increases now and in the future. Raising fees
at the expense of the well-being of military retirees is not the
solution to our nation’s financial problems.
I
continue to support efforts to restore full concurrent receipt for our
disabled military retirees. It is time that we put an end to the
veterans' concurrent receipt tax which forces disabled military retirees
to give up one dollar of their retirement pensions for every dollar of
disability they receive. Furthermore, I have consistently fought against
another injustice that is suffered by the dependents of a deceased
serviceman or woman. I will continue to support efforts that allow
military surviving spouses to receive both Survivor Benefits Plan
payments and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation in full.
Improving the mental health care
of our veterans, both who have recently returned from active duty, as
well as those who have served in past conflicts, continues to be one of
my top veterans’ priorities. Major progress was made during the 110th
Congress that addressed the problems posed by Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). For example, I
supported authorization for the construction of five new polytrauma
centers and three Centers of Excellence in Mental Health. I was also an
original co-sponsor of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act,
which was passed by the U.S. House and provides outreach, education,
and training to VA staff to ensure that our veterans are receiving
adequate mental health care. Please rest assured that I will continue to
support measures that enhance existing programs and create new ones to
address the ever changing mental health care needs for all veterans.
I remain committed to improving
and expanding the veterans’ health services available in southeastern
NC. I have secured final plans and confirmed a location for a new VA
Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Robeson County and have also
secured final approval and a location for a 100,000 square foot VA Super
Clinic to be built and opened in New Hanover County. I will continue to
fight for the Brunswick County Community-Based Outpatient Clinic that
was promised by the VA and will continue to look at ways to get this
facility approved and delivered as soon as possible. I also support
increasing the mental health outreach services to veterans living in our
area by adding additional Vet Centers and locations where veterans and
their family members can receive peer-to-peer to counseling and other
types of mental health therapy.