Honoring Our Veterans with Actions, Not Just Words

Our nation’s veterans have shown unwavering courage and bravery on the battlefield and should not have to fight to get the benefits they deserve here at home.

We have a duty to protect and provide for every American who serves.

I am proud that under Democratic leadership since 2007, Congress has made historic gains for America’s Troops, Veterans, and Military Families.

As a Member of Congress I will always honor their service and do my part to honor the sacred trust we all have with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America.

This year we once again hosted a Veterans’ History Project event at Cypress Bay High School to honor local veterans’ service by bringing high school students together with local veterans to archive their personal stories at The Library of Congress.

I also was able to speak at NOVA Southeastern and later at Veterans Park in Davie about the need to honor our veterans with actions and not just words.

When I say that, I mean that for too long, Congress had fallen short of meeting that commitment.

Too many veterans have been denied the essential care that they need right when they need it the most.

Too many veterans have returned home to find themselves jobless and without hope.

Too many veterans have been told that they lack the skills they need to get a quality education which they cannot afford.

For those reasons, I am proud of the steps that Congress has taken to address these grave problems and to properly honor and support our fighting men and women.

In the 110th Congress, the Democratic Congress passed 13 major pieces of legislation to help our veterans. We addressed a wide range of issues — from promoting veterans’ small business programs, to expanding housing assistance.

We also passed a new G.I. bill for the 21st Century that establishes full, four-year college scholarships for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

These benefits, which began August 1st, are available to an estimated 2.1 million veterans!

Congress also extended those college benefits to all children of fallen soldiers since 9/11, so that their children can reap the benefits of this great country that they gave their lives to preserve.

And this year, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law in February, made more key investments for our veterans.

It provides a tax credit for businesses to hire recently discharged unemployed veterans, and expands housing assistance for disabled veterans.

And, as a part of this plan, the VA has made one-time payments of $250 to eligible Veterans and survivors to mitigate the effects of the current economy.

But by far, I believe our biggest leap forward was in addressing veterans health needs.

The fiscal year 2010 budget will increase the V.A. funding by $5.4 billion over this year. This is on top of the unprecedented increase of $17.7 billion provided over the last two years – the largest increase in the V.A.’s 77-year history.

Since January 2007, Congress will have increased the baseline for the VA by $19.9 billion, a 59 percent increase.

Now, looking forward, we must ensure that DoD and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life and help fix the benefit bureaucracy.

We must also work towards modernizing the way health care is delivered and benefits are administered for our nation’s veterans.

The terror of war rarely ends on American soil. So many of those close to us have returned home and are suffering from Post-Traumatic-Stress Syndrome and TBI [traumatic brain injury].

We must do more to address the challenges of caring for those affected by these debilitating conditions and ensure they receive the on-going care they need.

And today, especially in these tough economic times, with over one hundred thousand veterans going homeless on any given night. One thing is clear: We must, and we will, do more.