November 11, 2023
Dear Friends,
Our veterans embody our nation’s spirit of service, and I consider it my highest honor as your Representative to recognize these brave men and women in uniform for defending our freedom and preserving our way of life.
Veterans Day serves as a cherished time to reflect on and honor the extraordinary sacrifice our servicemembers and their families have made. Their commitment serves as an inspiration and a reminder that we must continue to support our heroes at every stage of their service and beyond.
I am proud of the significant steps we’ve taken in recent years to make certain our nation’s veterans have our support at the federal level. One major investment, years in the making, was the enactment last August of the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. I was incredibly proud to co-sponsor this landmark piece of legislation that serves as the largest measure to ensure veterans living with the complications of toxic exposure—including exposure to burn pits and Agent Orange—receive access to the care and benefits they deserve.
This is a huge leap forward for our servicemembers and represents the most significant expansion of benefits and services for the estimated 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans in more than 30 years. In addition to expanding medical care and benefit payments, the PACT Act also institutes mandatory toxic exposure screenings, provides monthly payments and backpay to widows of servicemembers, and expands the number of presumptive conditions and locations, ensuring the VA will treat affected servicemembers for years to come.
While my Democratic colleagues have always fought our veterans in Washington, the same cannot always be said for our Republican counterparts. While veterans across the country continued to suffer from the long-term complications of toxic exposure, Republicans blocked action on the PACT Act for months, until mounting public pressure finally shamed them into acting. Even today, Republicans are blocking hundreds of promotions for our nation’s finest military leaders and stripping away housing, essential healthcare, food assistance, and job opportunities that our veterans rely on in an outrageous attempt to advance their extreme social agenda.
Most disturbingly, Republicans continue to show a dangerous indifference towards our veterans and our national security by once again steering us toward another devastating government shutdown. A Republican shutdown would be disastrous for veterans and active-duty servicemembers alike. It would strip veterans of the GI Bill Hotline, direct loan services, and the personalized career planning guidance offered by the VA. Appallingly, it would force 1.3 million active-duty servicemembers across the country, including 19,000 in New York State, to work without pay.
Extreme Republicans are willing to shut down our government and devastate our military community by continuing to push for reckless partisan proposals that have no chance of becoming law and only serve to hurt our brave men and women in uniform.
In the face of this extremism, Democrats remain committed to delivering for veterans, doing the people’s business, and averting an unnecessary and disastrous government shutdown. With a week to spare, it is my hope that my Republican colleagues can find it in themselves to join us for the benefit of our military community and our constituents back home. Veterans Day is a reminder of the dedication and sacrifice of our bravest Americans. Let us do right by them and continue our important work.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- To mark Veterans Day, the McNulty Veteran Business Center is hosting several free training and resource events for Veterans and military spouses in our Capital Region:
- On Monday, November 13th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the MVBC will host an entrepreneurial training course entitled Military Spouse Pathway to Business at the Capital Region Chamber, located at 5 Computer Drive South, Albany, NY 12205.
- Pathway to Business offers entrepreneurial education and free online courses for military spouses, service members, and veterans, helping them start and grow businesses.
- On Saturday, November 18th from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the MVBC will host the Veterans’ Pro Bono Project & Counseling Consortium, including a free legal clinic, at Albany Law School's 2000 Building, located at 2 Notre Dame Drive, Albany, NY 12208.
- The Veterans’ Pro Bono Project offers information and representation for issues like veteran benefits, housing assistance, veteran entrepreneurship, and legal assistance.
- On Thursday, November 30th from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the MVBC will host another entrepreneurial training course entitled Boots to Business Reboot at NSA Saratoga Springs, located at 19 J.F. King Drive, Building 106, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
- Boots to Business, by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), helps active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and spouses become successful small business owners with training and courses.
