Veterans
Keeping Our Promises to Our Nation’s Veterans
The debt owed to the men and women who have fought for our country is immeasurable. Without their sacrifices – and the sacrifices of their families – all of us would not live as freely as we do. The Obama Administration and a bipartisan majority in Congress has made veterans care a priority and approved historic gains for veterans and their families. Whether its strengthening health care for veterans, or expanding educational opportunity to post 9-11 veterans through the new GI Bill, or addressing the veterans’ claim backlog and ensuring that veterans programs don’t fall victim to end-of-year budget disputes, it is vital that we keep faith with all the Americans who have served their country in uniform.
On May 23, 2011, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation [H.R. 1407] to provide a cost-of-living adjustment for benefits paid to disabled veterans and their dependents. The adjustment would take effect December 1, 2011, and would be identical to the cost-of-living adjustment applied to Social Security benefits. In order to become law, H.R. 1407 must also be adopted by the Senate.
If you are a veteran, please see my veterans assistance page for more information or contact my District Office at (586) 498-7122 with any questions or concerns you may have.
Expanding Education Opportunity
Congress approved the new GI Bill for the 21st Century to restore the promise of a full four-year college education to veterans who have served since September 11, 2001. More than half a million veterans have already taken advantage of these new benefits. The new GI Bill pays tuition and fees up to the equivalent of in-state tuition at the highest-priced public college in the state where the veteran lives. The bill also pays a monthly housing allowance as well as a books and supplies stipend.
You are eligible for benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill is you have completed at least 90 days of active duty service on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged. The benefits are correlated on a sliding scale to years served. To receive full benefits, you must have served on active duty for three years.
Even though the new GI Bill became effective August 1, 2009, Congress is moving to correct problems that have cropped up. In May 2011, the House of Representatives approved the Restoring GI Fairness Act of 2011 [H.R. 1383]. The bill would temporarily increase the cap on tuition and fees from $17,500 to $27,000 for three years beginning on August 1, 2011, for veterans enrolled in certain non-public institutions of higher learning. This change would prevent students who have already enrolled in non-public schools from experiencing a reduction in tuition and fees paid by the VA on their behalf.
Hiring Heroes Act Introduced in House
A study by the Congressional Joint Economic Committee revealed that the unemployment rate for post 9/11 veterans (those who have served since September 2001) is significantly higher than the rate for non-veterans. For April, the unemployment rate for post 9/11 veterans was 10.9 percent, much higher than the 8.5% rate for non-veterans. In order to address the problem, I have joined more than 50 House members in cosponsoring the Hiring the Heroes Act [H.R. 1941], which seeks to help veterans transition from military service and find jobs as they leave the service. For information on the bill by the legislation’s chief sponsor, Rep. Bishop of Georgia, click here.
Preserving Our Veterans’ History
Each year on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Americans come together to remember those who have sacrificed and served our country in the Armed Forces. The stories of their service deserve to be shared and remembered. For many years, my office has been involved in an effort at the Library of Congress to collect and preserve wartime stories. This has been going on for ten years now. It’s the largest oral history project in U.S. history. It’s called the Veterans History Project.
Veterans from all over the country are videotaped telling their stories of what they experienced while serving their country. Those videos are available in Washington, DC, in the Library of Congress. The Library just posted the 10,000th Veterans History video on line. I am so pleased with this effort. The men and women who served our country, whether in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan have amazing stories to tell. They preserved our liberties and freedoms. We need to preserve their stories.
To learn more about my office’s partnership with the City of Southfield’s Veterans Commission, click here.
(Updated June 13, 2011)