Congressman Scott Peters

Representing the 52nd District of California

Veterans Issues

Representative Scott Peters Keeps Promises to Veterans

A member of the Congressional Military Veterans Caucus, Scott Peters stands up for veterans, working to ensure that the United States honors its commitment to the men and women who volunteered to fight for our freedom and security. He has taken steps to ensure veterans receive the benefits they deserve, to make sure that veterans have a place to live, to improve the transition from service to civilian life, increase veterans’ access to health care, to increase employment opportunities for veterans, and to improve veterans’ access to continuing education.

I. Veterans Benefits

Scott is an advocate for San Diego’s veterans and works to ensure they receive the benefits they deserve. He and his office have secured over $600,000 in overdue benefits for San Diego veterans.

  • Scott voted to repeal the 1% cut to veterans’ Cost-of-Living Adjustment, to increase the Cost-of-Living Adjustment, and to make the Cost-of-Living Adjustment permanent.

Scott cosponsored:

  • H.R.32, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, which ends the “widow’s tax,” and repeals the reduction of survivor annuities to offset veterans dependency and indemnity compensation.
  • H.R.303, the Retired Pay Restoration Act, which allows service-disabled veterans to receive both military retired pay and disability compensation.
  • H.R.569, the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, which gives qualified disabled veterans and their dependents the annual COLA.
  • H.R.570, the American Heroes COLA Act, which makes veterans’ Cost-of-Living Adjustment automatic and permanent.
  • H.R.3793, the Military Retirement Restoration Act, which repeals the 1% cut to the Cost of Living Adjustment that was included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013.

II. Veterans Housing

Scott works to make sure that all veterans have a place to live.

  • Scott voted to expand home foreclosure protections for veterans and their families.
  • Scott voted to provide veterans with additional housing resources.
  • Scott voted to provide housing assistance for low income veterans.

Scott introduced:

  • H.R.1714, the Shelter Our Servicemembers Act, which provides senior veterans permanent, non-transitional services provided by local nonprofit organization.

Scott cosponsored:

  • H.R.384, the Homes for Heroes Act, which ensures that veterans have fair access to housing assistance through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

III. Transition to Civilian Life

Scott is working to improve the transition from active duty to civilian life for the members of our Armed Services.

  • Scott was instrumental in developing and launching the San Diego Military Transition Support Project, which brings together government agencies, elected officials, nonprofits, businesses, and philanthropic groups and individuals to develop a coordinated system for assisting military personnel and their families with the transition to civilian life.

IV. Veterans Education

Scott wants to ensure that all veterans have the ability and the means to receive an education.

  • Scott voted to provide more educational assistance to veterans.
  • Scott voted to expand GI Bill benefits.
  • Scott voted to improve veterans’ education through an expanded advisory committee.

Scott cosponsored:

  • H.R.357, the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act, which ensures that all veterans who attend college on the post-9/11 GI Bill are allowed to attend public colleges and universities at the in-state tuition rate.
  • H.R.595, the Veterans Education Equity Act, to ensure that all veterans receive equal post-GI Bill educational funds regardless of whether they attend public or private institutions.

V. Veterans Health Care

Scott has taken steps to increase veterans’ access to health services and to improve the services they receive.

In the wake of the Phoenix VA scandal, Scott took numerous steps to spur action in Congress to ensure that the VA corrects its past mistakes and moves toward a future of greater accountability and improved services for our veterans.

Scott offered a motion to instruct VA-bill negotiators to recede from their disagreement and move expeditiously to pass a series of reforms that would begin to drastically reform the VA. The motion garnered 13 Republican votes and was credited as a catalyst for moving the VA-reform package forward.

Scott also helped passed the final deal that came out of the negotiations. The package contained provisions to provide veterans with increased access to health care, to improve accountability at the VA by beginning to unravel the culture of complacency there, expands services for victims of military sexual trauma, makes college more affordable for veterans, regardless of the state they live in, and extends an Assisted Living pilot program for veterans living with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Scott has also introduced:

  • H.R.3507, the 21st Century Care for Military and Veterans Act, which increases veterans access to telehealth services and professionals.

Scott has also cosponsored:

  • H.R.2590, the 21st Century Health Care for Heroes Act, which would improve coordination between the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure seamless integration and access to health care information for wounded veterans.

VI. Employment Opportunities

Scott has a plan to ensure that veterans have expanded employment opportunities.

  • Scott voted to enhance on-the-job and apprenticeship training programs through the Department of Veterans Affairs, to provide more vocational programs for veterans, to support contracting with veteran-owned small businesses, and to allow homeless veterans to be eligible for job training programs through the Department of Labor.

Scott introduced:

  • H.R.2056, the Veteran Employment Transition Act, which provide small businesses with a tax credit for hiring recently discharged veterans; improve the coordination of veteran job training services between the Department of Labor, the Department of Veteran Affairs, and the Department of Defense.

Scott cosponsored:

  • H.R.3384, the Veterans’ Entry to Apprenticeship Act, which allows eligible veterans to use their educational benefits to pay for pre-apprenticeship programs.

More on Veterans Issues

Rep. Peters Helps Pass Military Budget That Benefits San Diego

Dec 4, 2014 Press Release
“Passing this bill will benefit San Diego’s economy and serve our national security interests,” Rep. Peters said. “This will improve our military’s readiness efforts and protect our promises to servicemembers and their families. I am glad that the House and Senate Armed Services Committees came together for a constructive discussion to form this agreement, ensuring that we pass our 53rd straight military budget.”

Rep. Peters Announces Important Information about Increased Veterans Health Care Choices

Dec 4, 2014 Press Release
The Veterans Choice Program will allow qualifying veterans to see providers outside the VA healthcare system to ensure they receive high-quality, timely health care. “As the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to implement the much needed reforms that Congress passed, this program will allow veterans to more efficiently receive the care they deserve,” said Rep. Peters. “Now we must get the information out there, so that our veterans are aware that these programs are available.”

Rep. Peters’ Bill to Reduce Housing Assistance Red Tape Passes House of Representatives

Dec 2, 2014 Press Release
Today, the Housing Assistance Efficiency Act, introduced last summer by U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52), passed the House of Representatives unopposed. It comes as the City of San Diego seeks to find a permanent home for its temporary homeless shelter, and as the colder winter season places homeless populations across the country in an increasingly vulnerable position.

Congressman Peters’ Statement on Veterans’ Day

Nov 10, 2014 Press Release
“Veterans’ Day is a time to honor and commemorate the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, and their families, who have fought and died for our rights and freedoms. San Diego is a proud military community that embraces its heritage and role in our nation’s security. But we cannot allow servicemembers to fall through the cracks once they transition back to civilian life. We have a sacred responsibility to serve and care for them as they did for our country.

Rep. Peters' Statement on the Release of Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi

Oct 31, 2014 Press Release
Congressman Scott Peters released the following statement on the ruling by a Mexican Judge to immediately release Andrew Tahmooressi

Making Necessary Reforms at the VA

Oct 15, 2014 Op-Eds
Now that this legislation has become law, Congress and community leaders must continue to provide aggressive oversight over the VA to ensure that our veterans are receive the benefits and care that they were promised and deserve.

Rep. Peters Leads 42 Colleagues in Effort to Stop ‘Early Dismissal’

Sep 19, 2014 Press Release
Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) continued his effort to convince Speaker John Boehner that the House of Representatives should not adjourn early for seven weeks of campaigning. Yesterday, Rep. Peters led 42 of his colleagues in sending a letter to the Speaker demanding votes on important, pending legislation.

Rep. Peters Criticizes ‘Early Dismissal’; Demands Vote to Combat Veterans’ Homelessness

Sep 17, 2014 Press Release
“Despite progress in reducing the number of homeless veterans on our streets, there is still work to be done and we should not rest until every veteran is being served with the honor and respect they deserve,” Rep. Peters said. “Far too many veterans are falling through the cracks and don’t know where to turn for help, which is why programs like the recently launched Military Transition Support Project, which provides a central portal of key information to veterans, are so important.

Rep. Scott Peters Welcomes VA Secretary to San Diego VA Hospital

Sep 15, 2014 Press Release
“San Diego is home to more than 200,000 veterans, which is why I am glad the Secretary came to hear from local veterans’ community leaders about the unique ways we are serving servicemembers, veterans, and their families in San Diego,” Rep. Peters said.

Rep. Peters Brings Together San Diego Leaders and DC Policy Makers

Sep 9, 2014 Press Release
Rep. Peters hosted several roundtable discussions today: a standing room only briefing on the Military Transition Support Project; San Diego’s innovative telehealth and wireless medicine sector; ending the ongoing problem of homelessness among the veterans’ population; discussing bipartisan problem solving with NoLabels.org; and San Diego’s sustainable water future.