Veterans Affairs
There are many veterans that live in our district and their issues are important to me and to my work in Congress.
It is our duty as a nation to honor and care for our veterans, and I am committed to supporting the men and women who have so ably served this country. We must establish new programs and build on existing ones to provide the necessary help and resources our veterans may need. Last year, the 111th Congress passed legislation designed to do just that, and I proudly supported each one:
- Post 9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act
- Restores the promise of a full, four-year college education for those with at least 90 days of active duty service on or after September 11, 2001
- Extends education benefits for all children of service members who have died on active duty since 9/11/01
- Provides funds for housing, books, and supplies
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
- Provides $1.3 billion for rebuild and renovate our aging military hospitals and ambulatory care centers
- Implements a tax credit to businesses for hiring unemployed veterans
- Allocates $555 million for assistance to military homeowners, including wounded warriors and surviving spouses
- Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act
- Provides support to family and others who care for disabled, ill, or injured veterans
- Enhances health services for the 1.8 million women veterans, including care for newborns for the 1st time in history
- Expands mental health services for veterans and health care access for veteran in rural areas
- Prohibits co-payments for veterans who are catastrophically disabled
- Expands the organizations offering transitional housing and other support for homeless veterans
In the 112th Congress I remain committed to ensuring that the VA is a leader of national health care so veterans are able to get the best care possible. I will continue to push for increased care in vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women's health. I also support the establishment of standards of care for Traumatic Brain Injury, and providing more counseling for vets and their families. It is appalling that so many of our nation's veterans fall through the cracks without getting the services they need to be healthy and prosperous. I have supported various education and job training resources to fight unemployment and I have worked to combat homelessness among our veterans, securing hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants to help fund a program helping homeless vets.
Resources for Veterans
The following is a list of resources dealing with veterans' benefits, but if you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact any of my offices.
- New G.I. Bill details
- Resources when returning to civilian life
- Find a VA facility
- Employment and training assistance
- VA benefits in brief
- National Center for PTSD
- List of Veterans Service Organizations