Issue Position: Veterans Affairs

Issue Position

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, a 21-year member of the National Guard and a Veteran myself, I understand the sacrifices Veterans have made for our country, and I am committed to serving those who have defended our freedoms. I am committed to working with the VA to expand its capacity, address backlogs, provide better care, and offer more comprehensive services.

Congress must help our service men and women more easily transition into the private sector. The unemployment rate among recent Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans is higher than the national average and the number of Veterans receiving unemployment benefits has doubled over the past decade. Our nation's heroes deserve to return to an America full of opportunities so they can thrive and succeed after serving our great nation.

That is why I introduced The Troop Talent Act. This legislation would improve the translation of military skill sets to civilian credentials or licenses, and allow the post-9/11 G.I. Bill and Military Tuition Assistance to be used on courses and programs that guarantee a credential or industry certification after successful completion. Many of the provisions of the Troop Talent Act were passed as part of National Defense Authorization Act.

In 2013, I brought attention to an IRS contractor exploiting loopholes meant to assist Veterans with disabilities. To prevent this from happening again I reached across the aisle and introduced a bill with the Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA). The SERV Act will clarify the definition of active duty military service and training to exclude enrollment at a military prep school. The SERV Act will honor our Veterans by ensuring their benefits are reserved solely for those who actually served our country.

I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make sure our Veterans and their families continue to have the support and care they deserve.

I urge you to contact my office for assistance with any issues related to Veterans Affairs. A constituent from Addison came to me for help with VA benefits. The constituent is retired, but VA thought his income was too high to receive benefits. My office asked it to look further into his case, and VA decided to reinstate his benefits and put him in Priority Group 5, which means he will not have any copays on services provided by VA. If you are having a similar issue, please click here to contact my office for assistance.

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