Veterans

Brian visits the Sheridan VFW for Veterans Day.

Enhancing Quality of Life for Veterans

American service members and their families are making unprecedented sacrifices in service of our nation.  Over the last few years, Congress has taken many steps to enhance the quality of care our veterans receive, including passing the largest increase in veterans' health funding in history.  Congress has also passed the new GI bill that updated education benefits for all veterans who have served at least 90 days of active duty service post-9/11 and have not already used up all their education benefits. 

Easing Financial Restraints

To help veterans cope with the recession, Brian supported the portions of the Recovery Act that provided businesses a $2,400 tax credit for hiring unemployed veterans, and provided disabled veterans a payment of $250 to help make ends meet.  And in 2008 Congress provided $1.2 billion in tax cuts for military personnel and families, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and recovery rebates for military families.

Ensuring Veterans Receive Deserved Benefits

These are good steps but there is still more to be done.  We need to reduce the veteran claims backlog and ensure that American veterans receive the benefits that they deserve.  Congress should continue to increase funding for the Department of Veterans affairs and it should also pass legislation to fund veterans' health care two years in advance.

 Brian meets with Secretary Shinseki in Buffalo.

Collaborating with State and Local Governments

In addition, we must work to ensure that State and local governments can provide benefits to vulnerable veterans without being penalized.  The states of New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Jersey currently provide an annuity to blind veterans to help them cope with the difficulties that come with blindness; however, the Department of Veterans Affairs counts this annuity as income and offsets veteran's pension benefits by an amount equal to the annuity.  Last year Brian introduced legislation, the Veterans Pensions Protection Act, to prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from offsetting state and local benefits from federal veterans' benefits.

Historic gains for America’s Troops, Veterans, and Military Families

More information on what Congress is doing to support veterans and military families can be found here.