Armed Services/Veterans

• We must be committed to the protection of America’s interests and the men and women who carry out those interests.
• If the need is appropriate and the mission is clear, we must not be afraid to use the strength of the greatest military in the world.
• We must honor and fulfill the promises that we have made to our military men and women – who have given so selflessly to protect our freedom.

Afghanistan

Over the years, Afghanistan has proven to be a hotbed for insurgency and terrorist activity. The Congresswoman believes the United States must do all that it can to ensure stability in Afghanistan in the hopes of fostering increased regional and global security.

President Obama, over the course of several weeks of deliberation amongst the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several senior advisors, concluded that sending an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan would be in our national security interests in order to foster stability as well as disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan. 

Congresswoman McCarthy stands in support of the President’s decision because the troop increase, coupled with a more tailored national objective in the region, will give the United States its best opportunity to stop the Taliban’s momentum, train Afghan security forces, and eventually transfer lead security roles back to the Afghani people in a responsible manner.

A December 2010 White House review of our involvement in Afghanistan indicates that the United States has made progress in the region in fighting Taliban insurgency. At the same time, it acknowledges the challenges we continue to face in the region including, but not limited to, laying down a structured and stable Afghani government. The review asserts that the current course is on track with the President’s commitment one year ago to wind down our involvement in Afghanistan by July 2011.

The Congresswoman is committed to the President’s plan in Afghanistan and will work closely with both her colleagues in Congress as well as the Administration regarding the United States’ efforts abroad.

Iraq

The Congresswoman supported the drawdown and eventual end of combat operations in Iraq in August 2010.  She is committed to supporting Iraqi security forces and providing robust assistance so as to ensure a stable transition of power to Iraqis and long-term security of the country.  Tens of thousands of American personnel remain in Iraq today to ensure that purpose, and it is the Congresswoman’s hope that the country continues to progress.

Ensuring Troops Have Proper Resources

Congresswoman McCarthy has been a steadfast supporter of defense appropriations that ensure that our active servicemen and women are both adequately trained and equipped in the field.  As Congress continues to deliberate long-term funding levels for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 and then subsequently considers the President’s 2012 budget proposal, she will work to ensure that the federal defense budget reflects the needs of troops.

Protecting the Rights of Service Members

It is imperative that our nation takes care of its soldiers throughout and after their active service has completed.  Rep. McCarthy has consistently been involved in initiatives to ensure such is the case.

As law now stands, surviving spouses of soldiers who die in service receive a lower rate of compensation than survivors of federal civilian employees killed during the performance of their duty.  Rep. McCarthy is proud to cosponsor the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act which would raise VA benefits to surviving spouses. 

Further, the Congresswoman was a consistent advocate for the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.  After much debate, it became evident that this protocol was doing more to inhibit the lives of soldiers and furthermore deter capable young men and women from serving their nation in the armed services.  As such, Rep. McCarthy voted in favor the repeal and is optimistic about its implementation.

Supporting our Veterans

The Congresswoman supported tremendous investments in our veteran community including supporting a FY10 budget for the VA that included nearly $70 billion in benefits and pensions expenditures and an additional $50 billion in further discretionary spending. 

The Congresswoman was an original cosponsor of the “Post-9/11 GI Bill” and has continually supported efforts to bolster the program since its passage in 2008.  The Congresswoman supported Congressional funding that eventually parlayed into a nearly $4 billion investment in tuition and housing investments for eligible student Veterans and family members.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)/Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

As a member of the Congressional TBI Caucus, Congresswoman McCarthy is working to address the needs of those individuals, especially our veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injury.  I was pleased to write to House appropriators asking to support the President’s proposal to fund TBI research and treatment.  Because of increased funding and attention to these issues, the VA has a new disability rating system to improve how TBI claims are evaluated and additionally they have enacted reforms that will simplify the documentation needed for to process those veterans suffering from PTSD.

I am a proud cosponsor of the Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act, a bill that creates a pilot program within the VA for assessing the effectiveness of addressing post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms through a therapeutic dog training and handling. 

Helping Homeless Veterans

Long Island is home to over 150,000 veterans, of which hundreds are estimated to be homeless.  The Congresswoman has consistently supported measures that help our brave veterans receive the aid they need to attain affordable housing.  This Congress, she is a cosponsor of two bills that will help make ending veteran homelessness a reality.  The Homeless Vets Tax Check Off Bill, enables opportunities for tax payers to assist homeless veterans with the creation, in the Treasury, of a “Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund”.  Additionally, The Homes for Heroes Act, expands Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assistance programs for homeless veterans.

Federal and State Budget Cuts affecting our Veterans

The Congresswoman has spoken out against cuts to the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program.  This promising effort to end homelessness among veterans by making available rental vouchers and supportive services to our nation’s veteran’s population was one of many targeted cuts by the current House majority in their budgetary bill. 

Rep. McCarthy was also proud to write to Governor Cuomo regarding the implications his New York State budget proposal would have on New York State Veterans’ Homes, particularly the Long Island State Veterans’ Home, which, although not directly funded by the State’s Department of Health, is in danger of receiving a 10% reduction in its operational budget to help bridge the State’s budgetary gap.