Issue Position: Caring for Our Veterans

Issue Position

We owe so much to the brave men and women who volunteer to serve our country in the armed forces. As a leader at a major Minnesota company, I set strategy for a program that put veterans to work in our company, and across the medical technology industry. As a nation, we need to do all we can to encourage private industry to recruit, hire, mentor, and train veterans.

When our soldiers return home, they deserve access to the best healthcare possible. But that isn't what they're getting right now.

An audit of the VA found that more than 120,000 veterans waited at least 90 days for healthcare appointments or never received appointments at all. And over 82,000 veterans were still waiting for the VA to evaluate their claims for service-connected disability compensation more than 125 days after filing.

Many veterans face serious health problems related to their service. My family has not escaped this burden. My uncle died of cancer in his early 50s following his service in Vietnam -- believed to be due to Agent Orange exposure. Younger veterans face similar heath challenges related to their work near toxic "burn pits." They deserve the best care, treatment, and compensation that our nation can provide for their physical and mental health needs.

We must be there for our veterans for life. They've been there for us.

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