Veterans

With Riverside County having the 8th largest veteran population of any county in the United States, I am pleased and honored to serve on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. We owe our deepest gratitude and respect to the brave men and women who have risked their lives to defend our nation. I will always stand up for our veterans by fighting against cuts to their benefits, increasing access to quality and affordable healthcare, and improving educational, vocational, and job training opportunities for servicemembers transitioning back into civilian life.

Education and Job-Training

As a teacher at Rialto High School – a school with a strong ROTC program and a student body composed mostly of low-income students – I know that military service can be a path out of poverty for many young Americans, allowing them to honorably serve their country. Similarly, through my time as a community college trustee with Riverside Community College, I have seen the challenges that our veterans face as they transition back to civilian life.

I know that veteran students and job-seekers have different needs and goals than students fresh out of high school, and we need to do a better job of addressing those needs. I am grateful that my position as Ranking Member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee will allow me to oversee and shape the programs that provide veterans with education and vocational training. I will fight to enhance transition programs, strengthen and increase access to educational and vocational training, and make professional certifications earned in the military valid for civilian work.

To that end, the first bill I introduced as a Member of Congress was H.R.844, the VetSuccess Enhancement Act, which will help ensure that disabled veterans have the access to vocational and education services that they need and deserve. I also helped introduce a bipartisan bill that would streamline the education benefits process for veterans attending community colleges with multiple campuses like Riverside Community College. For more information on the VetSuccess Enhancement Act, click here.

Mental Health

At a very young age, I learned the mental struggles that many returning servicemembers face. One of my three great uncles, all of whom served in the U.S. Military during World War II, ended his own life after leaving the service. Unfortunately, these stories are far too common. In fact, the most recent statistics from the VA show that veteran suicides have reached an average of 22 each day. We must take steps to improve the resources available to veterans suffering from conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to erase the stigma associated with seeking help for mental health.

Claims Backlog

Veterans deserve swift and easy access to the benefits they have been promised. Yet, last year, nearly 70 percent of disability compensation claims took more than four months to process, and the average is more than eight and a half months – an increase of 100 days from 2009. This is especially troubling in light of the announcement by President Obama that 34,000 troops will be returning from Afghanistan by 2014. The backlog is unacceptable and the VA must address it immediately while creating a plan to deal with the expected increase in claims.

To view my speeches and interviews related to veterans, click here.

If you'd like to send me your thoughts on this issue, you can email me here.