Our veterans deserve the benefits they have earned

The men and women who have served our country at home and abroad are heroes. Their sacrifices – many unseen and untold – have secured the blessings of freedom for generations of Americans. From missing important family events to facing unthinkable danger on the battlefield, their stories of resilience and patriotism are not only an inspiration, but also a sobering reminder that the price of freedom is not free. We can never truly repay those who put their lives at risk to protect our families and communities from the world’s most evil and despicable forces.

While voicing our appreciation is an important gesture, we must also couple our words with action. As a grateful nation, it is our responsibility to provide our veterans with the quality healthcare, housing, and benefits that they have undoubtedly earned and absolutely deserve.

Over the last several years, I have worked to ensure that my voting record reflects my promise to Iowa veterans to be their strongest advocate in Congress. In my recent town halls and conversations with veterans in Logan and Webster City, I also made my convictions crystal clear. No veteran should go hungry, be homeless, lack access to healthcare, or face cuts to their benefits because of congressional malpractice. These are red lines in the sand for me.

I’ll say it again. I believe that our veterans deserve the highest quality healthcare – both physical and mental – that our country can offer. That’s why I voted for – and the U.S. House of Representatives passed – the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. This legislation provides veterans who were exposed to toxic hazards – like burn pits, radiation, and Agent Orange – and later developed illnesses, like cancer, with the care and treatment they need. I also supported the Fiscal Year 2024 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs package, which fully funds veterans’ healthcare programs and keeps VA hospitals staffed and operational, and the Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act, which authorizes the VA to support at-home care for veterans who are unable to live on their own and require long-term care.

However, many struggles are invisible. Witnessing the worst of war, our veterans have seen and experienced conditions that most of us cannot fathom. To help our veterans access lifesaving mental health resources, I supported the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, which included an amendment that I introduced that requires the Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office – whose authorization was authorized as part of this comprehensive package – to include the Veterans Crisis Line as an entity to provide rapid, post-crisis follow-up care to veterans who need it. Last Congress, I also voted for the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act to expand mental healthcare in rural communities. This bill – which is now law – requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish and maintain three new centers of the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) program in rural areas that require additional resources for veteran mental healthcare. Additionally, it calls on the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and report to Congress whether the VA has sufficient funds and tools to sufficiently serve rural veterans.

In short, our veterans should never have to worry about how to pay for healthcare services that they need, particularly for wounds that they sustained in service to our country.

Inflation – spurred by wasteful government spending – is also impacting our veterans. Higher costs have made trips to the gas station and the grocery store more expensive while rising interest rates have made housing projects spearheaded by the VA more costly and undoable. This Congress, I have supported several bills to alleviate the financial pressure that our veterans and their families are feeling. The Veterans’ Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act couples cost-of-living adjustments for VA benefits to the Social Security COLA so that veterans receive their full healthcare benefits and hard-earned Social Security payments in a timely manner. To reduce housing costs for our veterans – especially as mortgage rates have eclipsed 20-year highs – I voted for the Improving Access to the VA Home Loan Benefit Act. This bill modernizes outdated regulations to ensure that a skewed appraisal does not derail an otherwise smooth home purchase.

Finally, I will always vote to ensure that our veterans receive the benefits they have rightfully earned and protect these precious resources from falling into the wrong hands. I firmly believe that anyone who illegally defrauds the Department of Veterans Affairs and, thus, steals valuable resources from our veterans must be punished to the fullest extent of the law. That’s why I strongly support the GUARD VA Benefits Act to hold criminals accountable for their actions that harm our veterans and their families. We cannot tolerate any kind of illegal activity that imperils the solvency of our veterans’ programs.

Our veterans made a selfless commitment to defend our country and it is incumbent upon Congress to uphold our end of the deal. As a fierce advocate for our veterans and their families, I will continue to support legislation that delivers the benefits our veterans have earned, offers the best healthcare our country can provide, and helps make life a little more affordable for the men and women who have proudly worn the uniform. Iowa veterans will always have an ally and a voice in me.

This op-ed was originally published in the Marshalltown Times-Republican on Thursday October 12, 2023.