Issue Position: Military Families and Veterans

Issue Position

In my roles as Statewide Veterans Representative for U.S. Senator Patty Murray and Director of the Military Defense Sector in Governor Inslee's Commerce Department, I have been connected to military families, employers and contractors in the South Sound on a daily basis.

My position as an advocate for military families and veterans is also shaped by my family. As the twin sister of a 17-year combat veteran in the United States Air Force, I can attest that the little brother that I sent off to war after 9/11 is not the man who came home. Our military service members put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms, and I am proud to be an outspoken advocate for service members and their families, making sure that they gain access to the opportunities and benefits that they've earned and deserve.

I have worked on veterans' health care, improving military transition and workforce development and have helped secure millions of dollars in federal grants to improve private sector job growth, support military personnel transitioning to private sector jobs, and support the 1900+ small businesses in the defense sector supply chain during Department of Defense downsizing.

In Congress, I will continue to be a knowledgeable, compassionate and effective advocate for military families and veterans -- from helping to reduce the suicide rate among veterans with better mental health treatment and services to better housing for military families to greater assistance in easing the transition between service and civilian careers.

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