Veterans
![Army veteran saluting Army veteran saluting](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121017014902im_/http://pearce.house.gov/sites/pearce.house.gov/files/styles/section_front_boilerplate/public/veterans.jpg)
The sacrifices made by America’s servicemen and servicewomen must never be forgotten. Veterans’ issues are a top priority for my work in Congress.
The sacrifices made by America’s servicemen and servicewomen must never be forgotten. A veteran myself, I take veterans’ issues personally and very seriously. While in Congress, I helped enact the only fix for the issue of concurrent receipt in over 100 years, which provided around $22 billion to more than 250,000 disabled veterans. The first piece of veteran legislation I submitted after my return to Congress was the HEALTHY Vets act, which would help veterans in rural areas with limited access to VA facilities. Men and women who have served, and especially those serving now in Iraq and Afghanistan, need to know that when they come home, there is a system that is going to be there for them, something my friends and I did not have upon our return from Viet Nam.
I have also established a Veterans’ Advisory Council (VAC), which is comprised of veterans from across southern New Mexico. The VAC will work with me to keep the dialogue open between veterans in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional district and myself.
See also information on veterans benefits.