Veterans
![Army veteran saluting Army veteran saluting](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121106223412im_/http://buerkle.house.gov/sites/buerkle.house.gov/files/styles/section_front_boilerplate/public/veterans.jpg)
There are many veterans that live in our district and their issues are important to me and to my work in Congress.
I proudly serve on the Veterans Committee in the House of Representatives and Chair the subcommittee on Health. Nothing is more important that honoring our veterans who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms, and my office is dedicated to serving veterans in whatever capacity they most need.
The Veterans Committee is committed to serving our nation’s veterans, and in this Congress we have held numerous hearings on the current care and the economic and social well-being of veterans who have served our country in the most recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Members of the committee have successfully written promoted several pieces of legislation, including the VOW Act which aims to curb the high unemployment rate among veterans.
The House recently passed the Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act of 2011 (H.R. 2074), which I introduced after learning of significant problems of underreported assaults at our nation’s VA facilities. Through this bill, we hope to improve the quality of care for our veterans by creating safer facilities for patients and healthcare workers alike.