Issue Position: Veterans Rights/Military Support

Issue Position

We must protect the citizens of the 10th Congressional District and the United States by maintaining a strong National Guard, Reserve, and Active Duty troops. Currently we still have troops fighting a war in Afghanistan and supporting missions around the globe. It is thus critical we have a well-trained military ready to meet the challenges of today and any future conflicts. For our nation to stay strong, resources to keep our military strong, our nation secure, and ensure our troops have the equipment they need to stay safe and effectively do their jobs is essential.

As the wife of a Vietnam veteran she strongly believes it is the job of the U. S. Congress to act as a watchdog to ensure our service members and families are getting the assistance, benefits, medical care, and family support they have earned. It is especially essential as thousands of troops return from battle suffering from devastating physical and psychological injuries to have everything they need to be able to take care of their families emotionally, psychologically, and physically.

Veterans and spouses have earned the retirement pay and benefits they receive. It is incomprehensible to reduce benefits, reduce or not give cost of living adjustments, make veterans pay for medical benefits that were promised when they volunteered to serve our nation. Their work has been completed, congress should not retract on their agreement.

Priorities:

Ensuring veterans do not lose benefits or pay they have served hard and earned

Ensuring service members have the training, equipment, services, and benefits they deserve, both in the field and at home.

Ensuring military families are taken care of by guaranteeing access to critical support services and benefits.

Ensuring our wounded warriors receive the quality health and mental health care they need when they return home.

Ensuring the waiting list of veterans obtaining services goes down because they have been taken care of and not because they have given up on the system

Accomplishments

As a civilian I volunteered 2500 hundred hours at Madigan in the Intensive Outpatient Program where we were successfully able to return many soldiers to soldier readiness

In February of 2012, met with Congressman Norm Dicks in Washington, DC and discussed the closure of the Intensive Outpatient Program. This led to a Congressional Investigation into the closure of the program.

Hiring wounded warriors and veterans

Source