I am grateful to the men and women who have served our country. Generations of men and women have fought with great valor to preserve and protect our nation. Unfortunately, many take for granted the freedoms we hold so dear and forget that those freedoms are not free. We will forever be indebted to those who have served.
Ensuring affordable, quality benefits for military retirees is a priority of Congress. Many of our military retirees were promised health care for life when they joined the military. Veterans should receive the benefits they deserve in a fair, consistent, and timely manner.
I have been horrified by reports in recent years of delays in basic medical screenings at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals or clinics throughout the country, which may have caused serious injuries or led to the deaths of a number of veterans. This is completely unacceptable, and these systemic failures must never again happen at the VA to the detriment of those the agency serves – our nation's veterans.
My office stands ready to assist with any specific issues that veterans may have with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Actions
Cosponsored H.R.3696 to rename the Lynchburg VA Clinic after WWII hero Desmond T. Doss, the conscientious objector the movie Hacksaw Ridge is based on.
Cosponsor of PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act (H.R. 1448), which implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health program. This bill was signed into law in August 2021.
Supported the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act. This legislation consolidates several VA programs into one community care program and continues the VA Choice Program until the consolidation is complete. It also establishes a review process to modernize and realign the VA’s medical infrastructure, and it improves the VA’s ability to recruit and retain health care professionals. President Trump signed this legislation into law in June 2018.
