Veterans
As a nation, we have a responsibility to honor and remember our veterans. These men and women have donned uniforms and put themselves in harm’s way for us. They have fought to preserve our freedoms and secure our futures. We owe them so much, the least of which being the benefits and care that they were promised in return for their military service.
I am proud of the work I have been able to do for veterans and military families in southern West Virginia, cutting through red tape in order to facilitate access to health care and support services that our returning soldiers have earned and deserve.
As a Member of the House Military Veterans Caucus, I am working hard to strengthen and improve the health care system for our veterans, helping to secure additional resources for the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Beckley and Huntington, as well as the Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Greenbrier and Logan Counties. I have been successfully pushing the Department of Veterans Affairs to focus more of its resources and efforts on the health care needs of elderly veteran populations in underserved, rural areas, like our communities in southern West Virginia.
I am fighting hard against budget cuts that would harm our military retirees and veterans, as well as opposing draconian changes to the military retirement system and proposed increases in TRICARE fees and copayments. I am also pressing to remove inequities that prohibit veterans from concurrently receiving both retired pay and disability compensation, as well as helping to ensure that veterans receive their annual COLA for disability compensation and pension benefits.
With large numbers of veterans returning home after service in conflicts involving Iraq and Afghanistan, our Nation is facing a new wave of veterans who are striving to successfully reenter civilian life. Recognizing their needs, I have been active and vocal in championing legislation to strengthen and improve the Wounded Warriors Act, as well as the “Post-9/11 GI Bill,” in an effort to provide educational assistance and employment opportunities for returning veterans. Last year, I sponsored a jobs fair to bring together prospective employers with veterans looking to reenter the workforce. And, as the top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I crafted the Mobilizing Opportunities for Veterans Employment (MOVE) Act, which would provide hiring preferences for veterans in projects that use Federal transportation dollars, giving them a boost toward gaining new employment.
Our nation must never forget our veterans. They have earned the thanks of a grateful nation, and I will strive always to ensure that we repay that solemn debt.