Veterans Affairs
The courageous men and women who serve in our armed forces have made countless personal sacrifices in the protection of our freedoms. I am proud that Maine is home to a higher percentage of veterans than any other state. We have an obligation to ensure that those who served -benefit from the most comprehensive and accessible assistance programs available. I support the Department of Veterans Affairs’ goal to eliminate both its claim backlog and veteran homelessness by 2015. We must not only fulfill our promise to care for those who have already served in the armed forces, but as a new generation of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen return home from their service, we must also secure their continued access to the employment, health, and education services that they deserve.
My priorities include:
- Veterans Jobs Caucus: One of my first actions in the Senate was to join the Veterans Jobs Caucus. Our veterans deserve our assistance as they return to civilian life and throughout their post-military lives. As a member of the Veterans Jobs Caucus, I help to increase employment opportunities for Maine veterans.
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Ruth Moore Act: I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Ruth Moore Act of 2013. In 2012, an estimated 26,000 men and women in uniform suffered from unwanted sexual contact. The Department of Defense estimates that approximately 87 percent of unwanted sexual contact in the military goes unreported, often preventing victims who do not report incidents from obtaining veterans benefits to remediate mental health issues arising from their trauma. Poor record-keeping can prevent even those who reported their sexual assault from receiving the benefits that they require. The Ruth Moore Act will make it easier for victims of military sexual assault to obtain the Veterans Administration (VA) disability benefits that they deserve by improving the VA claims process and by allowing a mental health professional’s evaluation to serve as evidence of a sexual assault.
