Working for veterans is one of Senator Murray’s top
priorities in the Senate. As the
daughter of a disabled World War II veteran and as a college intern at the
Seattle VA psychiatric ward, Patty Murray knows personally the sacrifice that
military service demands, and she knows personally the sacrifices that we all
need to make for our veterans.
Senator Murray is Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Committee and is a member of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department
of Veterans Affairs. She has used these
positions everyday to fight for the needs of veterans.
Senator Murray has been a tireless advocate for veterans,
fighting for increased funding for veterans health care, increased benefits,
housing assistance, new veterans clinics throughout Washington state, and
accountability from the VA. She has
fought for increased education benefits, expanded employment assistance, and
reduced wait times for veterans with pending claims.
In this time of war, Senator Murray believes Congress and the
VA must stand by the side of our veterans and wounded warriors when they return
home, and work to make sure they get the care and support they deserve.
If you need assistance in dealing with the VA, we can help.
Priorities
- Increasing
funding and increasing access for veterans’ health care.
- Bringing
attention to the issues faced by women veterans, and
offering solutions and resources to address these issues.
- Improving
access and increasing funding for veterans’ benefits.
- Helping
homeless veterans find sustainable housing.
- Bringing
more clinics and services closer to Washington state veterans.
- Improving
employment assistance and job training services to help veterans get good jobs.
- Expanding
educational opportunities for veterans.
- Pushing
to expand VA care and services in Washington state, in particular to Omak,
Colville and Republic.
Accomplishments
- Increased
funding for veterans’ health care, including care for conditions like Traumatic
Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Introduced
the landmark Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010 to improve job training, placement and
employment opportunities for veterans.
- Lead
the effort to pass the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 to
make the VA more responsive and prepared to care for women veterans.
- Passed
the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act to improve coordination of care
for servicemembers transitioning from the military to the VA.
- Helped
pass the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, which improves the VA’s suicide
prevention measures.
- Drastically
expanded access to housing for homeless veterans by providing funding for the
Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program
(HUD-VASH).
- Fought
to bring VA health care closer to Washington state residents, including
Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Mt. Vernon, Wenatchee and
Chehalis, a “virtual” clinic in Port Angeles, and a Vet Center in Everett.
- Championed
veterans in southeast Washington by preventing the closure of the Walla Walla
VA Medical Center and fighting to fund a new Walla Walla Veterans Nursing Home.
- Prevented
the closure of VA medical facilities at American Lake and Vancouver to keep VA
health care for local veterans.