Veterans Issues
America’s real superheroes are our brave men and women in uniform, who volunteer to risk their lives in defense of our freedom and way of life.
Suzanne and I join a grateful nation in honoring our active-duty military, veterans, and their families. North Carolina is home to almost 800,000 veterans and they are the pride of our state. One of my greatest privileges in serving as a United States Congressman is working to ensure our veterans have access to the benefits they have been promised.
Sadly, we learned this year that some veterans were denied treatment. Some of the brave veterans who risked their lives on our behalf during active duty ended up losing their lives back home as a result of a scandal at the VA.
The scandal required immediate action, which is why I supported the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (H.R. 3230), which provides for new VA facilities and expands the ability of veterans to seek care outside the VA system. Ensuring our veterans receive the care they need, and deserve, is a top priority for me and I will continue working to push for necessary reforms at the VA.
As more veterans return home, we must help these proud men and women successfully transition into civilian life, including good paying jobs. This spring, I supported the Hire More Heroes Act (H.R. 3474), which passed the House on a near-unanimous vote. The Veterans Economic Opportunity Act (H.R. 2481) was another bipartisan House effort to help veterans return to civilian life, yet both pieces of legislation are gathering dust on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s desk. Our service men and women should return home to welcome arms and gainful employment, not the stresses of providing for their family in a stagnant economy or petty Washington politics.
As your Congressman, I’m committed to serving veterans through legislation and practical action.
Over the past year, I have pushed the Charlotte Area Transit System to move their bus stop closer to the Charlotte VA Outpatient Clinic, even arranging for a private engineer (a veteran!) to examine the location and suggest solutions. After attending groundbreaking for the new Charlotte VA Health Center on Tyvola Road, I immediately contacted CATS to ensure they make plans for an adequate bus stop at the new facility.
My Charlotte office is led by the most experienced veterans specialist available, who has helped tens of thousands of local veterans navigate red tape at the VA. If you need assistance with veterans’ benefits, please call my office at 704-362-1060. We are honored to help.
The freedoms we enjoy every day have been purchased and protected through the sacrifices of our Armed Forces. We should never play politics with veterans’ benefits, nor allow the services they need to succumb to a bloated and non-responsive bureaucracy.