I believe our veterans and wounded warriors deserve the absolute highest quality medical care and benefits for their service in defense of the nation. With an increasing number of veterans returning home from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, Congress must provide the necessary resources to help these veterans recover and return to their civilian occupations.
I am pleased to report that spending for veterans programs has increased nearly 40 percent since 2001. Medical care, which makes up more than 90 percent of the discretionary budget, has increased by 34 percent. I am pleased that Congress has answered the call to consistently increase veterans funding throughout the past decade, but I believe we must do more to improve veterans programs across the board.
I have heard from many veterans in the Fourth District on the issue of affordable health care. Like them, I have concerns over proposals that seek to increase health care premiums. I have supported legislation in the House that prohibits the Department of Defense from increasing TRICARE and prescription drug fees. I have also worked with the VA to bring a new Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) to Clare. Outpatient clinics are vital to veterans’ well being, and the state’s VA facilities are severely overcrowded. I recognize that health care is a significant expense for American families, and I am committed to finding additional ways to make health care and prescription drugs more affordable for veterans and their loved ones.
I am proud to represent the interests of Michigan’s veterans in Congress and remain committed to providing the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to defend our nation with the benefits they deserve.
Veterans History Project
The Veterans History Project is an ongoing effort by the Library of Congress to collect and preserve first-hand stories of wartime service. As part of this project, which serves as a collection of war-related oral histories, I encourage my constituents to participate in this project and post their interviews on my Web site.
The Veterans History Project is part of the Library of Congress's American Folk Life Center, which is the most extensive oral history project in American history. It features a collection of over 60,000 stories and thousands of photographs of the brave men and women who made this country great.
I encourage all Americans to consider making their own contributions to the Library of Congress's Veterans History Project by capturing the history of their loved ones who served our great nation. This is a meaningful way to record a loved one's service to our nation, and to ensure their memories become a part of history for generations to come.
For more information on how you can participate in the Veterans History Project, visit the Library of Congress's Web site.
