My son Michael joined the Air Force shortly after the September 11th attacks.  I’m proud of his service to our country and of all our men and women in uniform.  Making sure our veterans and military families get the care and benefits they’ve earned is one of my personal priorities, and I’m honored to serve on the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Too many local veterans are forced to travel for hours just to see a doctor, and they often face long waits and crowded facilities when they get an appointment.  The men and women who wore our county’s uniform deserve better, which is why I fought for, and secured, a new veterans medical facility and nursing home that will be built in San Joaquin County.  Building and staffing this facility will create approximately 900 jobs and will provide high quality medical care close to home for our veterans.  I’m also fighting hard to keep the Livermore VA in veterans’ hands.  The Livermore VA provides high quality care to veterans in the Tri-Valley, and this resource must be preserved for veterans.

I also wrote and passed a law that will help improve treatment for veterans who return home with traumatic brain injuries.  Traumatic brain injuries, or TBI, are unfortunately the signature wounds currently affecting our troops serving overseas.  This new law creates a special panel to identify the best possible medical treatments for our returning heroes and to make sure the VA is meeting their needs.  

I’ve championed provisions, passed by the House of Representatives, to increase pay for our troopsserving in harm’s way.  I fought for these improvements after traveling to Afghanistan as part of a bipartisan fact finding trip.  During my visit, I spent time with soldiers who shared the struggles they face to provide for their families back home and who asked if there was anything I could do to help them.  Upon my return, I introduced legislation that increases pay for troops who are facing dangerous situations or are separated from their families, and I worked to get provisions from my bill considered and passed by the House.   

I’ll continue to work hard to improve care for all our veterans and service members.  They’ve stood up for our country, and I’m proud to stand up for them.