Veterans Issues
More on Veterans Issues
The following is a statement from Rep. Heck regarding his vote on the FY 2016 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, & Related Agencies appropriations bill, which passed the House, 255-163, on Thursday, April 30:
In 2013, 10th Congressional District Congressman Denny Heck spearheaded a unique campaign.
His goal was to make sure local veterans were recognized and appreciated on Valentine’s Day.
Now in its third year, the program has really blossomed.
Heck thought that by bringing local students into the program it would be a wonderful opportunity for them to connect with the veterans, said Kati Rutherford, Heck’s communications director.
Turns out the veteran congressman was right.
The White House wants to double spending on construction projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs next year while steering some of that new money to a major expansion of the VA hospital in Lakewood.
The proposed VA budget for 2016 includes $1.1 billion for major construction projects at veterans hospitals around the country, up from $562 million this year. It’s intended to help the beleaguered agency catch up to increasing demand for its services from veterans of the recent wars and from older generations of veterans accessing expanded benefits.
Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10) has launched his third annual “Valentines for Veterans” Drive. Students from around the South Sound are encouraged to decorate cards thanking our local veterans for their service to the United States. Congressman Heck and his office will then deliver the cards to the American Lake VA and other locations in the South Sound—including local chapters of The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)—on Valentine’s Day.
While the jobless rate for Americans falls to 5.9 percent, and our state’s clocks in even lower at 5.6 percent, many breathe a sigh of relief. But an important segment of our population hasn’t seen similar signs of recovery.
The unemployment rate for veterans serving post-9/11 remains at a staggering 10 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Due to post-war drawdowns, that already alarmingly-high rate could jump even more.