Issue Position: Protecting Our Veterans

Issue Position

There are more than 845,000 veterans in Illinois and roughly 35,000 residing within Illinois' 6th Congressional District. Congressman Roskam takes seriously his responsibility to ensure the brave men and women who have selflessly served our nation are provided the best care and resources available to them when they return home.

Since coming to Congress in January 2007, Congressman Roskam has stood up for our veterans by ensuring their health care premiums and co-pays do not increase. He has voted to double the travel reimbursement rate for disabled veterans traveling to and from Veterans Administration health care facilities and worked to address the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed's outpatient facility.

In August 2008, Congressman voted to increase funding to all veterans health care, construction, housing, and support programs $4.6 billion above the previous year's funding level and $2.8 billion above the President's request.

Post Traumatic Stress Funding

As an often unseen cost of war, post-traumatic stress disorder impacts more veterans than ever before. This is why Congressman Roskam has consistently supported legislation to increase veterans care.

Jobs for Returning Veterans

Congressman Roskam is working on bipartisan legislation to make it easier for returning veterans to be hired by employers through a tax credit incentive system. Nationwide, unemployment among veterans is disproportionately high at 10.4 percent, more than double Chicago's overall jobless rate of 4.7 percent.

Teamsters Helmets-to-Hardhats Program

Congressman Roskam is a strong supporter of the Helmets to Hardhats program which connects National Guard, Reserve and transitioning active-duty military members with quality career training and employment opportunities within the construction industry.

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