Issue Position: Veterans

Issue Position

The sacrifices made by America's servicemen and servicewomen must never be forgotten. Veterans' issues are a top priority for my work in Congress.

The sacrifices made by America's servicemen and servicewomen must never be forgotten. A veteran myself, I take veterans' issues personally and very seriously. In Congress, I helped enact the only fix for the issue of concurrent receipt in over 100 years, which provided around $22 billion to more than 250,000 disabled veterans. The first piece of veteran legislation I submitted after my return to Congress was the HEALTHY Vets act, which would help veterans in rural areas with limited access to VA facilities. Men and women who have served, and especially those serving now in Iraq and Afghanistan, need to know that when they come home, there is a system that is going to be there for them, something my friends and I did not have upon our return from Viet Nam.

I have also established a Veterans' Advisory Council (VAC), which is comprised of veterans from across southern New Mexico. The VAC will work with me to keep the dialogue open between veterans in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional district and myself. Many great results have come from these groups, like VA town halls, where I bring top officials at the VA together with veterans, so that they can voice concerns, submit new ideas, and work together to solve problems. And, I continue to work closely with Veterans in New Mexico, listening to our heroes and working to make sure they have a voice in Washington.

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