Veterans
There are over 250,000 veterans in Connecticut and it’s my goal that none of them be left behind. As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, supporting our country’s veterans is one of my top priorities. In particular, I have focused on eliminating the unconscionable backlog for veterans’ claims. Working with veterans’ service organizations throughout Connecticut and the country, I have fought to ensure that Connecticut veterans do not wait many months or years to receive the benefits that they deserve. I continue to press the Department of Defense to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to make the departments’ health records electronic and interoperable.
Legislation
The very first piece of legislation I introduced when I came to the United States Senate was the Honoring All Veterans Act, a comprehensive approach to addressing serious injustices within the veterans’ community, including unemployment, homelessness, and inadequate healthcare.
Ensuring that all veterans can transition to well-paying civilian jobs is also a top priority. As a founding member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, I have fought to enact and extend tax credits for employers to hire veterans. I have also introduced legislation to eliminate the arbitrary and unfair time restrictions for veterans to use their Montgomery GI Bill benefits, as well as a bill to prevent employment or housing discrimination against veterans.
Additionally, I continue to work to reduce veterans’ homelessness, provide female veterans with care that meets their specific needs, and improve healthcare services, especially for those who face post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury.
