Ensuring Veterans' Smooth Transition Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MRVAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Takano for yielding me the time.

It is my honor today to rise in support of H.R. 4673, the Ensuring Veterans' Smooth Transition Act.

I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Takano to advance this critical legislation that will require the VA to automatically enroll individuals who are separating from the military into the VA system.

Our brave members of the military put their lives and health on the line every day to keep our Nation safe, defend our democracy, and protect our freedoms.

We have a responsibility to make it as easy as possible for them to transition from military service to civilian life, and I am pleased that this legislation does just that.

My life experiences have afforded me the opportunity as a former township trustee in northwest Indiana to work every day with the veterans community. I was able to initiate a veterans services roundtable and bring together veteran organizations to discuss, coordinate, and streamline much-needed resources to our veterans.

In many instances, it was not that the resources or the benefit was unavailable, but rather, the individual was unaware of the existing benefit, or unable to access, for whatever reason, the very resource they needed.

Today, I am thinking of those countless discussions and individuals as I will vote to support the EVEST Act. It is an effective proposal to help ensure that veterans access the valuable healthcare services available to them during this transition process from active to veteran status.

Today, I want to make sure we meet our veterans' mental health needs and increase veterans' access to healthcare. I again thank Chairman Takano and my fellow members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for your commitment to supporting veterans and bringing this measure to the floor today.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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