(Washington, D.C.)  Congresswoman Cathy McMorris announced today that she received a 100% rating from key veterans groups including the American Veterans and the Vietnam Veterans of America for her work and votes during the 109th Congress.

“We have an ongoing commitment to our veterans to provide them the funding, benefits, and health care they deserve for their service to our country,” said McMorris. “During my first term, I worked to be a champion for veterans. In addition to supporting them through my votes in Congress, I was actively involved in issues impacting Eastern Washington veterans. I continue to be an advocate for health care services in Walla Walla and Spokane, am working to establish a veteran’s cemetery in Spokane, and have helped hundreds of local veterans secure benefits. Looking forward, I am hopeful that the President’s budget for Fiscal Year 2008 will include adequate funding for veterans.”

The Vietnam Veterans for America and the American Veterans gave a perfect score to McMorris for votes taken on legislation important to veterans including the Flag Protection Act, Veterans Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, Veterans Benefits Improvement Act, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visiting Center Act, Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Management Improvement Act, National Defense Authorization Appropriation bills, and Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriation bills.

The Veterans of Foreign War released a list of veteran’s accomplishments during the 109th Congress, all of which were supported by McMorris. The accomplishments include ensuring that sufficient funding is appropriated for the Veterans Health Care Administration, ensuring that the VA disability compensation program is preserved in its current form to protect the needs of current and future veterans, securing authority and full funding for the GI Bill for the 21st century, and passing and authorizing a program to allow all disabled military retirees to full military retirement pay and full disability compensation without offset.