(West Windsor, NJ) – On Friday, June 15, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) accepted the Legislator of the Year Award from the New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars (NJVFW), the New Jersey branch of one of America’s largest organizations of combat veterans.

“As a longtime champion of veterans’ issues, ensuring that service members receive the necessary support and resources upon completing their service, you have continuously led the challenge to keep America’s promise to our veterans,” said Earl E. Courter, Jr., commander of the NJVFW, in the award citation. “Your service has been in the highest tradition of selfless service to our Nation.”

“Your recognition is humbling,” Holt wrote in a letter to the NJVFW accepting the award. “Each time I am able to help a veteran get the medals he or she has earned, or get the compensation or health care a veteran needs, or nominate an outstanding young person from New Jersey to go to a service academy, I am reminded of how important it is to keep our former and future defenders connected to the government they pledged their lives to defend. Simply stated, helping veterans helps America, and I am honored that my job gives me the opportunity to do that.”

Over the past year, Holt has secured $40 million in federal funding to prevent suicides among America’s soldiers and veterans, and he has worked to bring to national attention the mishandling of soldiers’ remains at Dover Port Mortuary in Delaware. Earlier in his Congressional career, Holt helped enact the 21st Century GI Bill, which provides educational benefits to veterans who have served on active duty for three or more years, and he voted for legislation providing the largest-ever funding increase for veterans’ health care.

In his acceptance letter, Holt added, “As you well know, our work is far from done. Unemployment among our newest veterans is higher than the national average. The claims backlog remains unacceptably large. And we still have thousands of veterans who spend every night of the year homeless. Please know that I will continue to do all I can to ensure that every veteran who wants a job can get one, that every veteran who needs medical care gets it, and every veteran has a satisfactory home.”

Veterans who need assistance with individual concerns related to their service or benefits are encouraged to contact Holt at http://holt.house.gov/ or at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT.