Issue Position: Supporting Our Nation's Veterans

Issue Position

Since taking office, Congressman Altmire has worked to honor veterans by improving veterans' health care, strengthening benefits for our men and women in uniform today, and providing long overdue benefits for the veterans and military retirees who have already served. He has truly made this his top priority with four of his bills that assist veterans, reservists and their families being signed into law to date. Congressman Altmire is committed to working with his colleagues to ensure that no one stands before our nation's veterans when it comes to making federal budgetary decisions.

Passed the Largest Increase in VA Funding in History

Congressman Altmire voted for the largest single funding increase in the 77-year history of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and has testified twice before the House Budget Committee on the importance of this funding. This Congress has provided over $12 billion in additional funding for the VA that will be used to strengthen health care services, invest in maintenance for VA health care facilities and add 1,800 claims processors to reduce the backlog of claims of veterans waiting for their earned benefits.

The Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act

Congressman Altmire introduced the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act (H.R. 3793) after learning that the Department of Defense (DOD) was unfairly penalizing wounded service members by withholding their enlistment bonuses. His legislation would require DOD to provide disabled service members with full payment of their enlistment bonuses within 90 days of discharge. On December 18, 2007, the House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act.

Authored First Expansion of FMLA Benefits in 15 Years

Congressman Altmire offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986) that will allow military families to use Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time to manage issues that arise as the result of the deployment of a spouse, parent or child. The amendment passed with wide bipartisan support and was signed into law by the president on January 28, 2008, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Improved Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment and Screening

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with more than half of combat casualties returning home with associated brain injuries. To address this, Congressman Altmire introduced the Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Act (H.R. 1944) which ensures that our brave men and women are properly screened for TBI and receive the treatment they need and deserve. On January 28, 2008, the president signed this legislation into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Protecting the Employment Rights of Reservists

In 1994, Congress passed the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act in an attempt to protect the jobs of reservists who are deployed for active duty. However, reports surfaced that indicated reservists from Iraq and Afghanistan still face difficulties in regaining employment after returning home. Congressman Altmire introduced the Reservists Access to Justice Act (H.R. 3393) to ensure that returning reservists keep their jobs and employment benefits as required under current law.

Charles E. Kelly Commissary

Congressman Altmire worked with fellow Congressmen Mike Doyle and Tim Murphy to secure $4 million in funding for a new, state of the art commissary and post exchange facility in the Pittsburgh region and ensure that the current commissary remains open until 2011. Without this facility, veterans and their families would be forced to drive almost 200 miles to access the products and services provided by the commissary and post exchange.

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