Armed Services and Veterans Affairs

What Hank believes:

• The U.S. military is the greatest fighting force in history, and the men and women who serve in it must be honored and amply rewarded -- never neglected.
• We should always seek diplomatic solutions first, but we must maintain our capacity to defeat any enemy.
• American forces in harm’s way must receive all of the equipment necessary to safely achieve their objectives, regardless of legislators’ opposition to the broader war.
• Veterans are owed the best services and compensation for their bravery that can be offered by the United States.
• The House Armed Services Committee, on which I serve, must be accessible to all veterans and active duty personnel.

What Hank has done:

• Voted on January 9, 2020, in favor of a War Powers Resolution to limit President Trump’s military actions regarding Iran.

• Introduced the bipartisan H. Res. 706, which designates Nov. 9 as “Gold Star Father’s Day” nationally in 2019.

• Hosted the “Extending the Legacy” program at the Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia on June 2, 2017, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and veterans in the 4th District. 

• Continues to advocate for The Gold Star Family Support and Installation Act of 2017 which would allow families of service members to maintain access to military installations, so they can receive support and have access to services if their loved ones pass during active duty.
• Original cosponsor of H.R. 5741, the Military Research and Development Act, to require annual reporting on the on the research, development, test, and evaluation capabilities of the Department of Defense.
• Cosponsored H.R.5467, the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend certain morale, welfare, and recreation privileges to certain veterans and their caregivers, to authorize the appropriation of funds for the purpose of improving the electronic physical access control system used by military commissaries and exchanges, and for other purposes.
• Cosponsored H.R.5301, to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from requiring a surviving spouse of a veteran to return certain payments for a month in which the veteran dies.

What Hank will do:

• Call for increased funding of veterans’ services to ensure the highest level of care for those who have sacrificed for this country.
• Effectively oversee the activities of the Department of Defense and its contractors, as according to the Constitution's Congressional mandate.
• Support the continued development of history’s finest military as it evolves to address future challenges.