Veterans Issues

Congresswoman Pelosi receives an award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars California Delegation during their Annual Legislative conference to highlight support for our nation’s men and women in uniform.

We owe our 22 million veterans a sacred pledge: that just as the military leaves no one behind on the battlefield, we must leave no veteran behind here at home.

During a Democratic majority, we proudly:

• Passed the largest increases in veterans funding in history, including investments in mental health services, Agent Orange disability benefits and job training;
• Overhauled the economic and educational opportunities for 1.5 million servicemembers with the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which restored the promise of a full, four-year scholarship for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, their spouses and children;
• Expanded relief, homeownership and refinancing options;
• Combatted chronic homelessness;
• Provided tax credits for businesses that hire veterans;
• Quadrupled the reimbursement for veterans traveling to receive care; and
• Extended benefits and services for caregivers, spouses and dependents.

Building on these historic accomplishments, I am committed to preserving the sacred trust of our men and women in uniform and the 200,000 service members who become veterans each year. In the course of my service in Congress, I have always made it a priority to visit our troops to thank them for their service and hear their first-hand accounts and sacrifices.

We must build up, not tear down, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). To do that, we must continue to innovate and modernize how we treat and serve our veterans with 21st century care, while also ensuring accountability from the top down. House Democrats will stand against any effort to privatize VA health care and instead safeguard the VA’s role as a veterans’ advocate and partner.  In order for the VA to plan in the short and long term, we must equip the Department with more than adequate tools, resources and investments to diminish the disability claims backlog, fix a broken appeals system, bolster job training and protect critical services that combat chronic homelessness.

I am proud to be a co-chair of the Hidden Heroes Congressional Caucus for Military and Veteran Caregivers to advocate on behalf of the nearly 5.5 million spouses, parents, children, and other loved ones who serve as caregivers.  Every day, caregivers across America shoulder the enormous responsibility of their loved one’s daily care – often while also raising a family, and juggling the demands of a job. We must continue working to ensure that caregivers of every era is eligible for benefits and support.

Meeting the needs of our servicemembers, veterans, their families and caregivers is our moral obligation. Nothing should stand in the way of any service member or veteran of receiving access to the care and benefits they earned and deserve. We cannot rest until all disability claims are settled in a manner that is expedient and transparent, until every veteran receives high-quality care at each VA medical facility and until no veteran is forced to sleep on the street.  

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