Last week, leading up to Memorial Day, the House passed three measures supporting our nation’s veterans:
- Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans Act (H.R.1412 [2]): To increase opportunities under the Veterans Affairs On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training programs, available under the current GI Bill, and allow former servicemembers to receive job training outside of a classroom setting. This bill passed the House 416-0.
- American Heroes COLA Act (H.R.570 [3]): To provide a permanent annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to the amounts paid to veterans for disability compensation and to their survivors for dependency and indemnity compensation. The bill passed the House by voice vote.
- Helping Heroes Fly Act (H.R.1344 [4]): To direct the TSA to develop and implement processes to ease and facilitate an expedited passenger screening program for servicemembers who are severely injured or disabled, along with their families. This bill passed the House 413-0.
I also sent a letter [5] to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Shinseki, expressing my continued concern regarding the disability claims backlog. I met with the Secretary last year, and will continue working to ensure that these claims are processed, and veterans are afforded the benefits they deserve.
Just as the men and women who are serving, and have served, our nation have fought to defend America’s spirit of opportunity and liberty, we too need to fight for them. Enacting legislation and providing the necessary funding to support our veterans is not just an honor, it is a responsibility.
Without the sacrifices of our nation’s veterans, our country would certainly not enjoy the freedom and liberty it does today. I believe Washington can offer a collective vision to care for those who have served. Just as our veterans have fought for the vision of America, we need to fight for a vision for them.