Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2019

Floor Speech

Ms. BASS. Jackson Lee).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership, and I thank both the ranking member and the full committee chair. And I thank Mr. Deutch from Florida, for it looks like, in this instance, Florida and Texas and many other States certainly are--how should I say it?--in coalition with the number of veterans that we have and the stories that we have heard about fraudulent activities as it relates to our veterans.

I would think that all veterans want to do after battling on behalf of this Nation and securing this Nation is to come home to a safe and secure community and people who welcome them and treat them with the dignity that they deserve. Unfortunately, because veterans have resources through their veterans benefits, they are targeted by those who have no goodwill, but evil intent.

Currently, there are approximately 21 million veterans of the United States Armed Forces living in our country. It is estimated that about 30 percent of all Vietnam veterans have had post-traumatic stress disorder, and up to 20 percent of veterans serving in more recent conflicts in the Middle East are estimated to suffer from PTSD in a given year.

Given the extreme sacrifice of our veterans and the hardships many of them continue to face after their military service, it is our duty, to the best of our ability, to have an appropriate measure of compensation for them, particularly for those in need.

For instance, we provide disability payments to those with service- connected disabilities, pensions for veterans with limited income, education and training under the GI Bill, and various life insurance benefits.

Over 71,000 veterans live in my congressional district.

H.R. 450 provides law enforcement with another tool to bring to justice those who knowingly defraud a veteran of their benefits or engage in fraud in connection with obtaining veterans benefits.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, there are many of them. 476,515 veterans are living with PTSD and need their benefits.

Mr. Speaker, how many have come to us in our offices and indicated that, through a telemarketing scheme, they have given up their benefits or they have taken their benefits to invest or buy something that either is never seen or doesn't help them, and never is their money returning back to them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida in particular for being sensitive enough to listen to his constituents. In listening to my constituents and solving cases in our offices, there are cases that come into our offices where veterans have had their benefits taken away or they wind up homeless because resources are taken away and they don't have the necessary resources.

This is a good, good step to acknowledge their service and how important they are; to stop those who think that they are easy prey from defrauding our veterans; and to make the right kind of legal traps, if you will, that law enforcement can place, not for veterans who have served us, but for those who wish to defraud them.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentleman from Florida and ask my colleagues to support H.R. 450, the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2019.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 450, the ``Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2017,'' which provides an additional tool to deter, detect, and punish fraudulent activity against veterans.

The Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2017 would make it unlawful to knowingly execute, or attempt to execute, any scheme or artifice to defraud an individual of veterans' benefits, or in connection with obtaining veterans benefits.

We honor our veterans' service and their sacrifices; it is important that we protect veterans from fraud and ensure the integrity of the system of benefits we provide for them.

Currently, there are approximately 21 million veterans of the United States Armed Forces living in our country.

It is estimated that about 30 percent of all Vietnam veterans have had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and up to 20 percent of veterans serving in more recent conflicts in the Middle East are estimated to suffer from PTSD in a given year.

Given the extreme sacrifice by our veterans and the hardships many of them continue to face after their military service, it is our duty to provide, to the best of our ability, an appropriate measure of compensation for them--particularly for those in need.

For instance, we provide disability payments to those with service- connected disabilities, pensions for veterans with limited incomes, education and training under the GI Bill, and various life insurance benefits.

Over 71,749 veterans reside in my 18th Congressional District and one of my top priorities is to fight for their benefits and to fight for the rights of our most patriotic Americans.

H.R. 450 provides law enforcement with another tool to bring to justice those who knowingly defraud a veteran of their benefits or engage in fraud in connection with obtaining veterans' benefits.

Mr. Speaker, 476,515 veterans are living with PTSD and need their benefits to obtain needed care for their disorder; it is criminal that some are left untreated.

Those who defraud veterans and the system of veterans' benefits harm the victims and diminish resources needed to pay the claims and fund the programs that are needed to help those who have served their country.

I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 450.

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