Home Legislation Issues Page Veterans

On the Issues: Veterans

I have the highest regard for the honorable men and women who serve this country, and I strongly believe that Congress must work to ensure that our nation's veterans do not become forgotten heroes. I consider it an honor to represent so many veterans who live within Florida's 19th District. Florida has over 1.8 million veterans in the state, second only to California in its size of the veterans population. There is no more a telling indicator of the morality of our nation than the quality of care that our nation’s bravest citizens receive when they return from war.

The 111th Congress and President Barack Obama have made it a priority to improve and expand services for America's veterans, to whom we owe so much. Unfortunately, during President George Bush's two terms in office, the Department of Veterans Affairs suffered from inadequate funding, which all too often resulted in subpar services and medical care for our servicemen and servicewomen. It is unconscionable that so many of America's veterans return from war without the basic tools necessary to transition back into civilian life. We must accept nothing but the best treatment for those who serve in America's armed forces. Below are some initiatives I have pursued in order to improve and expand the resources made available to our veterans.

If you are a veteran from Florida's 19th District encountering difficulty with services or benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, please visit my constituent services page.

Budget
With nearly a 12% increase over FY2009 levels, the FY2010 budget will provide veterans more comprehensive health care services, including greater benefits, greater access and a broader outreach to mental health care and cognitive injuries with an improved focus on rural areas. In addition, the new GI Bill, which will benefit from this increased funding, promotes a timely implementation of educational benefits for post-9/11 Veterans. Find out more about the new GI Bill, which focuses on post-911 veterans.

Mandatory VA Funding
I am proud to cosponsor the Assured Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act.  H.R. 1016  is much-needed legislation that provides sufficient, timely and predictable funding for veterans health care and an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability to the budget process.  Veterans’ needs have always been a priority for me, and I will continue to support efforts to ensure that those who defend our nation receive the best medical care available. 

Priority 8 Veterans
New policies proposed by the Obama Administration will relax rules imposed in 2003 that denied many higher-income veterans VA health coverage.   Under the new policy, any eligible veterans whose income is less than 10% above the current income threshold can enroll in VA healthcare.  I welcome this change, as do the 266,000 new eligible veterans who will now be covered as a result of this expansion.  In the 110th Congress, I cosponsored the Honor our Commitment to Veterans act (H.R. 463), which would have removed this cap altogether, and I will continue to sponsor it when reintroduced.

Homes for Heroes
I believe it is imperative that the government do everything in its power to ensure veterans have access to public housing and homeless assistance programs. I support H.R. 403 because it will create a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs inside the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to coordinate all programs and activities relating to veterans and to serve as a HUD liaison with the Department of Veterans Affairs.  I am a longtime cosponsor of this legislation, which will also enable private nonprofit organizations to receive assistance from HUD in order to expand low-income housing opportunities for veterans and their families.

Economic Stimulus
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, recently passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, contains several critical provisions to improve the quality of life for our troops. They include:

• Renovating and Making More Energy-Efficient DOD Facilities:  Provides $4.2 billion to invest in energy efficient projects and to repair and modernize a variety of Department of Defense facilities. 
• Improving the Hospitals for Our Troops: Provides $1.3 billion for rebuild and renovate our aging military hospitals and ambulatory care centers.  Many of these facilities are 40 or even 50 years old, and are not suited to current medical standards and practices. 
• Providing Assistance to Military Homeowners: Provides $555 million for assistance to military homeowners, including wounded warriors and surviving spouses, who have been impacted by the housing crisis.
• Improving Troop and Family Housing:  Provides $335 million to build new barracks and dormitories for our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen as well as to make further investments in quality family housing for military families. 
• Expanding Child Care for Military Families:  Provides $240 million for new child development centers on military bases across the country.  These facilities will help military spouses hold down jobs and will provide employment opportunities for caregivers.
• Establishing Warrior Transition Complexes: Provides $100 million for warrior transition complexes to provide services to wounded warriors returning from combat and their families.
• Constructing Needed Facilities for the National Guard: Provides $100 million for new construction of operations and training facilities to support National Guard units across the country.