Ross Votes to Pass Veteran's I.D. Card Act

Statement

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 7, 2015 -- U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (FL-15), Senior Deputy Majority Whip, released the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 91, the Veteran's I.D. Card Act, which requires the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue an identification card to certain Veterans that proves their service in the United States Armed Services. This bill passed both the House of Representatives and Senate unanimously.

"Today, my colleagues and I came together to pass bipartisan legislation that will help our brave and selfless Veterans protect themselves against identify theft. The Veteran's I.D. Card Act will now allow Veterans to easily request an I.D. card that proves they served honorably in the Armed Services, without exposing their private information, such as their Social Security numbers.

"Under current law, the VA only issues I.D. cards to Veterans who have served at least 20 years or those who receive medical care for a service-connected disability. This leaves a large number of Veterans vulnerable to identity theft because they must carry around their DD-214 documents, which contain sensitive personal information, to prove their Veteran status. Our Veterans risked their lives to protect ours; it is now our duty to protect them."

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