Veterans
Congressman Lynch believes that one of the most important ways America can show its gratitude to its veterans for their heroic and dedicated service to our nation is by providing them with the services and assistance that they have earned. Our military personnel and their families make enormous sacrifices and deserve our support.
The Congressman believes that is our obligation to provide our veterans with the finest medical care possible. He has been a steadfast supporter of veterans’ health care, the funding for which Congress has increased by 70 percent since January 2007. In June 2011, he maintained his strong support for those efforts, voting in favor of the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction / Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill which provides $58.2 B in discretionary funding for VA programs: enough to provide quality medical care to over 5.5 million veterans in 2012. In April 2010, Congressman Lynch joined with 419 other Members of Congress to pass, by a unanimous vote, S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act (Public Law 111-163). This Act provides needed support to family and others who care for disabled, ill, or injured veterans such as respite care, counseling and financial assistance. In addition, it enhanced medical care for our nation’s 1.8 million women veterans, expanded mental health services for veterans and strengthened health care access for veterans in rural areas.
As more of our service members are returning and separating from the military, it is crucial that they be able to transition successfully to civilian life. Job training, as well as transition and job finding assistance will be critical.
In October 2011, Congressman Lynch voted to pass the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act which provides retraining assistance, grants temporary access to Montgomery GI Bill benefits for veterans ages 35 to 64, lets veterans train for high-demand skills at community colleges and technical schools, and provides a mandatory transition workshop for service members preparing to transition out of the military.