Issue Position: Veterans

Issue Position

Throughout my time in Congress, I have supported multiple efforts to offer appropriate assistance to our brave men and women of the military and their families. I look forward to continuing to work on these important veteran issues in 2009.

Improving Veterans Housing

I have joined many of my House of Representatives colleagues in requesting support for the construction of veterans' homes in California and several other states in critical need.

Currently, California maintains three state veterans' homes in Chula Vista, Barstow , and Yountville, which cares for 1,700 veterans. With multiple Marine, Navy, Army, and Air Force stations, and the desire to retire in California, the demand for veteran home space in California is high. Many veterans are placed on a waiting list for care.

California is working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to construct five additional homes in West Los Angeles, Lancaster, Ventura County , Fresno, and Redding , which will provide health care and homes to more than 1,000 veterans. Construction in these areas will help alleviate the backlog of veterans in need of housing in the San Diego area.

In the 110th Congress, I joined my House colleagues in asking for continued federal grant match funding. For every $35 dollars California spends on construction and maintenance of these homes, the federal government contributes $65 dollars.

Expanding Cal-Vet Home Loan Opportunities

In the 110th Congress, I supported H.R. 551, the "Home Ownership for America 's Veterans Act of 2007." This bill will allow veterans entering the military after 1977 to participate in the Cal-Vet home loan program. The Cal-Vet program offers below market interest rate and little to no money down on home loans for qualified veterans purchasing a home in California . Currently, military before 1977 are afforded this opportunity. This benefit should be extended to our many members of the armed forces entering after this date.

Remaking Wounded Warrior Care (H.R. 1538)

After visiting the Naval Hospital and Wounded Warrior Clinic at Camp Pendleton in March 2008, I was pleased to see firsthand that our Marines are receiving outstanding care.

Unfortunately, this level of care has not been the case at all care facilities across the United States . Following the news of extreme care challenges at the Walter Reed Army Medical Facility in Washington, DC , I have joined my colleagues to demand shift action to correct these inequities.

In response, the House has approved multiple measures to provide additional case managers, encourage more coordinated communication between health professions, and add additional patient advocates.

Supporting Military Families

In July 2007, the President's Commission on Care for Returning Wounded Warriors (the Dole-Shalala Commission) concluded that families are critical to the injured service member's recovery process. For many the most severely injured, it is not uncommon for their families to remain by their side for six months or more. Such a commitment can put an enormous strain on family resources.

In response, I took the Dole-Shalala Commission recommendation, and introduced H.R. 3391 to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to allow family member to continue to care for the most severely injured for up to six months. A nearly identical provision was included in a Defense Authorization bill in the 110th Congress. This is a true success for our military families!

Addressing Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) have become a terrible byproduct of improvised explosive devises commonly used by enemies in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Because TBI injuries and other mental health concerns are not realized immediately after injury, I voted to require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to screen post-combat veterans for TBI.

Additionally, I supported H.R. 2199, the "Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term Support Act of 2007." This legislation instructs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a program that incorporates TBI long-term care treatment, education, research, and counseling.

Also realizing many injuries are latent, Congress unanimously voted to expand Veterans Administration health care for combat veterans from two years following then end of active duty to five years.

Treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Similar to Traumatic Brain Injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has become a devastating condition affecting many of our returning service members. I am encouraged to learn the VA is aggressively addressing the devastating impacts of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

I support the VA's efforts to screen every Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who enters any of the 1,400 medical facilities around the nation. As knowledge of this issue and effective treatments continues to evolve, the VA, the Department of Defense, and the private medical community should continue to work together to properly screen and treat our service members.

In 2007, the VA established a 24 hour a day, toll-free suicide prevention hotline for veterans facing PTSD and related conditions. Veterans in crisis can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to speak with a trained veteran health professional.

To further develop suicide assistance, I voted for, and President Bush signed, H.R. 327, to implement a comprehensive program to reduce incidents of suicides among veterans. Patients at the VA facilities will be screened for suicide risk factors and mental health professionals will be available around the clock.

Veteran Outreach Improvement

In May 2007, I voted in favor of H.R. 67, the "Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2007." This measure supports veteran outreach to communities, like San Diego, with a large number of veterans.

Enhanced communication between the Veterans Administration and veterans is critical to high quality of care. This bill is a small but important step in addressing VA communication weaknesses.

Enhanced Care

Ensuring for the security of aging and disabled veterans and their dependents must remain a top priority for the Veterans Administration. In response to the rising cost of living, I supported H.R. 1284, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2007. Signed by President Bush in November 2007, this bill provided for an increase in compensation for wartime disabilities, dependents, certain disabled adult children, and surviving spouses and children.

In the 110th Congress, the House and Senate have enhanced access to eye care benefits. H.R. 797 would align VA blindness standards to the legal definition of blindness thus allowing more veterans to receive appropriate vision care.

Fighting for Funding

Last year House and Senate Leadership played politics with funding for our Veterans by unjustifiably delaying the passage of the Military and Veterans Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008.

This bill provided our troops with armor, help repair damaged military equipment, supported military family housing, boosted veteran's health benefits, and assisted homeless veterans, among others.

Because of the importance of this bill, I joined my Republican colleagues in repeated attempts (H.Res. 786 and H.R. 4104) to remove Veterans funding from partisan, policy debates and pass the bi-partisan Military and Veterans Appropriations bill.

As we work on Fiscal Year 2009 funding, I have already joined many of my colleagues in urging leadership and President Bush to not delay on veterans funding.

Restoring Freedoms

In 2007, the VA operated national cemeteries enforced an improper policy restricting the recitation of words accompanying the presentation of the American flag at burials. This was the result of an objection to one of the religious references made in flag-folding ceremony.

I joined my Riverside colleagues and others in expressing discontent with this unnecessary VA decision. Families should retain their right to make spiritual references at their personal remembrance ceremony. Subsequently, the VA agreed with family and veteran requests to undo this restriction.

Recognizing Veteran Contributions

In 2000, Congress approved the Veterans Oral History Project. Through volunteer contributions, the Library of Congress is collecting personal narratives, correspondence, and visual materials to tell the stories of U.S. veterans throughout the 21st Century.

To learn more about this historic project please visit www.loc.gov/vets.

Educating Our Military Children

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) will affect 55 military installations. With 500,000 military children attending public schools, some schools in communities affected by these changes will experience a sharp increase in student population.

Because federal military education funding does not cover sudden changes, a temporary funding source is needed. In the 110th Congress, "The Military Children's School Investment Act," H.R. 2693, would establish a grant program for the construction, modernization or repair of primary and secondary education facilities highly impacted by BRAC and related global rebasing.

I supported this bill as these funds would be valuable to Oceanside and neighboring Camp Pendleton communities in need of additional academic learning space or repair and upgrades to existing classrooms.

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