Dear Friends,
This week, I joined with my fellow Members of Congress to not only commemorate the anniversary of September 11, but also to make important decisions that will improve the lives of our Nation’s heroes.
On Tuesday, we passed H.R. 4057 on the House floor. This important piece of legislation, which I sponsored to increase the effectiveness of current veterans’ educational resources, helps this generation of Post 9/11 veterans make more informed decisions about how to use the educational benefits they earned in service to our country.
The bill increases transparency about educational opportunities available, providing the ability of GI Bill beneficiaries to choose the school that best meets their educational needs and would require states to take military training into account in awarding licenses to work as medical technicians and other trades.
Additionally, it works to ensure that homeless veterans are cared for in a safe and secure environment and creates a burn pit registry system, allowing for more effective notification of developments in the study and treatment of conditions associated with burn pit exposure. Finally, in this difficult fiscal climate, it limits the total amount of taxpayer dollars which can be paid to senior VA employees in bonuses.
Congressman Bilirakis with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
On Wednesday, as co-chair of the Military Veterans’ Caucus, I also had the distinct pleasure of bringing together NFL Commissioner Goodell, U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff General Austin, the Brain Injury Task Force and Members of Congress to tackle traumatic brain injuries and discuss ways we can partner to break down the stigma associated with head injuries.
According to the U.S. Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services, between 2000 and 2012, more than 253,000 service members have been diagnosed with TBI. Outside the military, nearly 2 million people across our country suffer a TBI each year, including NFL players and athletes of all ages and sports.
Head injuries are the signature - and oftentimes invisible - wounds of war. They are not a sign of weakness or a character flaw, but rather the catalyst of other more serious illnesses, including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Through advancements in research, diagnostics and treatment, we hope to learn more about head injuries and how we can better diagnose and treat our service members and athletes both on and off the field.
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