Let's Stand With Our Nation's Heroes

Floor Speech

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our Nation's veterans, the men and women who have put their lives on the line in service to our country.

I was honored to have the opportunity to spend Memorial Day with our troops stationed in Afghanistan. Sharing this most solemn holiday with members of our armed services, who go above and beyond every day, was truly a humbling experience.

It was an experience that reinforced my belief that one of the best ways Americans can pay tribute to the brave men and women who risk their lives fighting for us is to recommit ourselves to our duty to care for them when they return home. That is why I will be introducing three bills to help our troops and veterans.

Too often, we hear that our Nation's heroes, after fighting for our country, come home only to have to fight to get the care, support, and respect they so deserve. We must make sure that the brave men and women who have risked everything for our country are never forgotten or ignored, that we fight for them as they have fought for us.

For one thing, this means fully settling benefit claims in an efficient and timely manner and making sure that those veterans receive the proper care and compensation.

Currently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans' Claims, or CAVC, is the court that veterans must appeal to if they were unfairly denied benefits, but it does not allow veterans access to the same judicial tools available in other Federal courts.

This court is terribly overburdened, with an appeal taking around a year on average, and that is on top of the nearly 4 years that a veteran has already waited by then. That is indefensible.

On the heels of damning reports about the VA's failing our veterans with wait lists that have even led to deaths while veterans wait for service, we must find ways to reduce the backlog and speed up the process.

That is why I have introduced a bill that would allow groups of veterans with similar claims to band together in their appeals. This would be highly efficient for both the VA and veterans by cutting costs, reducing decision times, and providing effective counsel, which many veterans lack under the current system.

This act would allow veterans to have their appeals heard in a class action, as was successfully used by veterans impacted by Agent Orange prior to the creation of the CAVC. For veterans facing disability due to the exposure to burn pits in Afghanistan, this could be an invaluable tool.

Another way to serve our Nation's heroes is by expanding educational opportunities. Veterans deserve the best training, so they don't have to fight for a job after fighting for our country.

Today, I am proposing to improve the post-9/11 GI Bill by expanding eligible expenses to include applications to college, graduate school, and law school, as well as technical and vocational schools. Applications to schools can be as high as $300 to $500 in out-of-pocket expenses for veterans returning from overseas.

Let's make it easier for our returning troops to pursue their educational and career goals by allowing our veterans to use the GI Bill to get reimbursed for expenses from applying to school.

Our veterans have tremendous discipline, responsibility, and leadership ability to offer businesses. By having access to educational opportunities, veterans will have the means to keep their job skills up to date and to stay competitive in today's evolving job market.

Finally, families are also impacted when their loved ones are deployed. Military spouses take on much of the burden and deserve great assistance. Currently, the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program provides up to a $4,000 educational benefit while the spouse is overseas on active duty.

While we agree that this is a worthwhile benefit, it doesn't even get the average person through a single semester. The average tour lasts about 10 months, long enough to complete a full year of school. An average year of tuition at a public university in the United States is almost $9,000.

Let's bump up the benefit, so it actually covers the cost of tuition. The families of our servicemembers are the backbone of our military.

The bills I have introduced are commonsense solutions to do just that. This is National Military Appreciation Month. Let's stand with our Nation's servicemembers and veterans. Let's express our gratitude for their service by recognizing the struggles they face and make sure we are there for them and recognize the sacrifices they have made.

I urge my colleagues to support these bills, so that our veterans, troops, and military families get the care, benefits, and support they deserve.

Source