Fighting For South Florida's Veterans, Ros-Lehtinen Supports Several Important Bills

Press Release

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27) supported several important bills which passed today by voice vote. These bills will help improve the lives of the veterans of South Florida and our nation.

The bills are:

· the Veterans Employment, Education, and Healthcare Improvement Act, to make Medal of Honor recipients first priority at Veterans Affairs (VA) health centers, require audits of the VA budget by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and improve other health and educational benefits for veterans;

· the Construction Reform Act, to help increase accountability and prevent growing costs for VA construction projects;

· the Career-Ready Student Veterans Act, to help prepare veterans for their careers by verifying they are enrolled in programs in their field of study;

· the American Heroes COLA Act, to allow for an increase in benefits that are available to veterans;

· the VA Medical Center Recovery Act, to help increase accountability by requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to determine if VA centers are performing adequately; and

· the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act, to require the VA to identify the suicide prevention programs which have the highest rates of success for female veterans.

Ros-Lehtinen has a long history supporting veterans. Her husband, Dexter, volunteered for service in Vietnam and was severely wounded in combat. Her stepson, Doug, and daughter-in-law, Lindsay, were both Marine aviators in Iraq and Lindsay also served in Afghanistan. Both Doug and Lindsay are currently Marine Reservists.

Statement by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen:

"Service to our nation is one of the highest callings a person can pursue. It is my hope that these bills will improve the lives of veterans who sacrificed so much for our freedom. For far too long, substandard care at the VA and other inefficiencies by VA staff have negatively impacted our nation's veterans. Providing for a VA that works and programs that empower veterans are two goals we must achieve to honor these brave men and women."

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