Serving Those Who Have Served

All of our freedom depends upon our security. And our security depends upon our military.

We live in a dangerous world, whether we like it or not. Some 30,000 people died from terrorist attacks last year. Dozens of countries around the world are effectively failed states, unable to enforce their laws or police even within their own borders, making them vulnerable to tyrants and breeding grounds for terrorists. Many groups and even entire countries are hostile to us and our way of life, such as Iran, North Korea, or ISIS.

We ask a lot of our troops, and yet, how have we as a nation treated them? In one of the greatest scandals of our modern history, hundreds of thousands of veterans have died while waiting for their single-payer VA health care. It is impossible to describe the depth of this disgrace.

There are over 40,000 veterans living in the Sixteenth Congressional District. Each one of them took time out of their lives to dedicate themselves to serving this country, and serving each of us. They could have done something else. They could have lived easy, comfortable lives, but chose the more difficult way of service.

As a veteran, I believe that it’s only right that the freedom and prosperity we enjoy because of them be shared by them.

Last year, with my support, the House passed over a dozen pieces of bipartisan legislation to help veterans. This year, the House is not slowing down, passing just this week five more bills to help my fellow veterans. These are:

• H.R. 3016, the VA Provider Equity Act,

• H.R. 2360, the Career-Ready Student Veterans Act,

• H.R. 677, the American Heroes COLA Act,

• H.R. 3234, the Failing VA Medical Center Recovery Act, and

• H.R. 2915, the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act.

As a veteran, I know firsthand how each one of these bills will impact lives.

The VA Provider Equity Act will pay podiatrists the same way other VA doctors are paid. Many of our troops today need podiatrists because of injuries from improvised explosive devices (IEDs), or from other foot problems resulting from their service. This bill will also make Medal of Honor recipients top priority for VA health care, allowing them, because of their exemplary service, avoid waiting for care as too many veterans have had to do. It would provide up to 6 weeks of care for the newborn children of our female veterans, audit the scandal-ridden VA, and test out dog training therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Career-Ready Student Veterans Act will improve the GI Bill by requiring courses for professions that require certification actually meet certification requirements. Veterans shouldn’t have their time wasted — and taxpayer dollars wasted — on schools that don’t help them complete their transition to civilian life. If a school wants to be paid under the GI bill, then it will have to prepare our veterans for certification.

Seniors on Social Security are given a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which increases their Social Security benefits if inflation increases. The American Heroes COLA Act will do the same thing for our veterans: when seniors get a raise, so will veterans.

The Failing VA Medical Center Recovery Act will take failing VA medical centers and place them under the control of a special VA agency until its delivery of care improves.

It is also long past time that Congress try to play a bigger role in supporting veterans as they return home. For the past two years, even as our troops bravely serve us in dangerous situations around the world, the leading cause of death of our servicemembers has been suicide. Especially now, as women now enter every combat role, it is imperative that the nation they serve look out for them. The Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act requires that the VA determine the most effective mental health and suicide prevention programs for female veterans, which will help ensure that we address unique medical and physiological needs of women veterans and their families. With one veteran committing suicide every 80 minutes, Congress cannot wait.

The next generation of soldiers needs to know that their country will be there for them. They can know that this House majority is working for them right now.

###