Issue Position: Military Families, Veterans

Issue Position

As a nation and a state, we have an obligation to honor the service of our military men and women by providing them the resources they have earned during their service and once they return home. With more than 800,000 veterans calling Virginia home, Senator Mark Warner understands that we must serve those who have served our country. Because of his continued advocacy, Sen. Warner has been recognized as a national leader in fighting for our military men, women and veterans.

Opportunities for Veterans

As both Governor and Senator, Mark has been committed to expanding employment and educational opportunities for our military men and women. He cosponsored the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which creates new educational and training opportunities for our veterans. He also has been a leader in efforts by Virginia's technology employers to recruit, hire and mentor military veterans for I-T jobs, and to synchronize military service with civilian workforce certification.

Keeping Military Jobs in Virginia

Throughout his public service career, Sen. Warner has worked to protect military and civilian jobs in the Commonwealth. When the Joint Forces Command and the Oceana Naval Air Station were at risk of moving out of Virginia, Sen. Warner led successful bipartisan efforts to maintain Virginia's strong partnership with our nation's military.

Arlington National Cemetery

When it was reported that the Army's Arlington National Cemetery had routinely misplaced and misidentified burial remains, Warner recruited members of the Northern Virginia Technology Council to provide free technical advice to help the Army manage the cemetery. NVTC worked with the Army to digitize paper records and upgrade administrative processes to fix past mistakes and prevent future errors, which disrespect the service of our military heroes.

Minimizing Sequestration Impact: When across-the-board sequestration budget cuts were enacted in 2013, Sen. Warner worked tirelessly to minimize the impact on the Navy and other military services in Virginia. He worked with top Pentagon officials to provide additional budgetary flexibility that helped maintain our nation's security while protecting thousands of shipyard jobs in Hampton Roads.

Protecting Military Families

When military families in Hampton Roads were living in rundown, even toxic, off-base housing, Sen. Warner prompted the Navy to strengthen its oversight of off-base military housing across the nation. Sen. Warner also has fought to block Pentagon plans to cut its network of commissaries, which young military families rely upon to help balance their family budgets.

Reducing VA Backlog

As officials with Veterans Affairs struggled to address an unacceptable backlog in processing veterans' claims, Sen. Warner successfully pushed the VA to endorse an innovative program started at the William & Mary Law School which is now recognized as a national model to help veterans with the most difficult disability claims navigate the V-A system. As a result of Sen. Warner's continuing efforts, an additional 15 law schools around the country have now adopted the William & Mary pro bono model.

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