Defense and Veterans

Defense and Veterans

Defense and Veterans

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base is at the heart of the 49th Congressional District.  Approximately 42,000 Marines and sailors call Camp Pendleton home – with thousands of visitors each day.

Improving the quality of life for our Marines and servicemembers continues to be a top priority.  Camp Pendleton has undergone significant housing improvements over the last decade.   When I first toured the base as its Representative in 2001, the condition of on-base housing was appalling, with Marine families assigned to worn out housing with mold contamination and other health hazards.

Today, thanks to an innovative public-private partnership, Marines now enjoy state of the art Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQs) and new family homes have been built to replace dilapidated housing dating back to World War II.  In 2010, the new Wounded Warrior Campus was completed to provide care to returning Marines in addition to a new 147,000 square foot PX.  A new Naval Hospital broke ground in 2010 – set to be completed in the fall of 2014, and all five on-base public schools have been remodeled.

I am proud of the improvements at Camp Pendleton that support the quality of life for our Marines and the readiness of our force.  As a veteran and representative of the base in Washington, I work diligently to ensure our servicemembers and their families receive the best care and benefits possible.  Changes to healthcare and benefits will be approached cautiously and deliberately.

Measures I have supported to strengthen and support our servicemembers:

  • Confronting an unacceptable veterans’ claims backlog:  As Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I convened hearings to question and examine the unacceptable backlog of veterans’ claims at the Veterans Affairs Department.  Click here to see a hearing statement;
  • Post 9/11 GI Bill: Enhances educational benefits for our warriors.  Click here to learn more;
  • War Memorial Protection Act: Allows the inclusion of religious symbols as part of military monuments.  This bill would allow memorials like Mt. Soledad in San Diego to remain an important part of the community;
  • Protecting veterans from waste, fraud and abuse: Taxpayer dollars intended for veterans should not be wasted on frivolous bureaucratic niceties.  The Oversight Committee investigated and released reports to hold the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable for its wasteful spending on videos, promotional items and other employee conference perks. Click here to read more about my work to hold the Department accountable;
  • Military Autism Coverage:  My office worked with service Marines and parents at Camp Pendleton to improve treatment options for military dependents with autism;
  • VA Aspire Center:  In 2012, I supported the VA efforts to establish the Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitations Treatment Program in Old Town San Diego.  The Aspire Center is a crucial support care facility for U.S. veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder.

Darrell Issa is a former member of the US Army. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.

In The News Jan 9, 2017

The following article originally appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune on January 6, 2017.

Press Release Jan 9, 2017

Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-49) and Congressman Duncan Hunter (CA-50) are seeking solutions to help improve care for veterans at the San Diego VA in response to recent reports showing a 'large... Read More