Veterans

Our nation has an obligation to provide the men and women who have served our country in uniform and their families with the benefits and services that they have earned. These servicemembers, military families, retirees, and veterans sacrificed much to defend our freedoms. While I recognize that there are challenges that we face in living up to this obligation, we have made significant progress to improve the access and availability of care and benefits for our veterans. There is still much work that remains, and I continue to advocate for better services for our veterans.  

As Guam's representative in Congress, I have worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs and my colleagues in Congress to improve the quality of services available to veterans on Guam. I worked to provide funding for the construction of a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic that is not within DoD base installations to provide Guam veterans and their families with easier access to medical care. The CBOC addressed challenges that had long plagued Guam's veterans in obtaining access to military bases. I continue to work to enhance the CBOC, and I am currently working with the VA to increase the number of full-time physicians and other professional staff assigned to the CBOC so that our veterans are able to have consistent, quality care. I am also working with the VA to provide funding to expand the CBOC to meet current demands. Architecture and Engineering funding for this project has been identified in the FY16 appropriations bill with construction funding anticipated in FY17.

I have also worked to ensure that Guam was included in the Veterans Choice Program, which is an opportunity to help veterans receive the care that they need if they are not able to obtain treatment at VA facilities. The program enables veterans to obtain care at a non-VA facility if they must wait more than 30 days for an appointment or if they face an unusual or excessive burden in accessing VA care. The Choice Program fully applies to Guam and all other U.S. territories, and our veterans are eligible to receive the same benefits as any veteran living in the 50 states. 

I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and local leaders to do all we can to meet the needs of our veterans. I will continue to advocate for to improved care, benefits and services our veterans receive. I stand ready to help should veterans or their family members need any help with a specific case pending before the VA or any other federal agency. For more information concerning work and views related to Veterans issues, please contact our office.