Hi there —

Veterans Day is an incredibly personal day for me, one filled with honor and pride. As a former Army intelligence officer and as the grandson of a Purple Heart recipient, today is a day of solemn reflection — a recognition of the many sacrifices made by those who put on the uniform and defend American freedoms.

I was honored to attend many Veterans Day events this weekend throughout NY-18.

As a Member of Congress, Veterans Day is a benchmark. It’s a reason to stop and take stock of the last year. To hold myself and my team accountable for my promises during my campaign and in the year since. I first ran for Congress because I’d seen the horrors of war and the many ways they were compounded by policies coming out of Washington. Policies made by partisan politicians, many of whom had never spent a single day in combat, and it showed. After my two deployments to Iraq, I watched fellow soldiers return home and experience harsh transitions while trying to reacclimate to civilian life. I lost friends when the painful memories and the anguish of war became too significant a burden to carry. More needed to be done, and I’ve spent the last 14 months working to do just that.

Yesterday, I announced a new bill, the Never Forgotten Korean War POW Act. Korean War POWs are the only veterans who did not receive full combat pay for their time in captivity. This legislation rights that historic wrong, providing full combat pay for the men and women who endured literal hell in service to this country. They deserve every single benefit they have earned.

Earlier this year, along with my former West Point classmate, Republican Rep. John James of Michigan, I led a bill to expand GI benefits for servicemembers and veterans to include more trade and apprenticeship programs. I led a bill to extend healthcare coverage to TRICARE (Active Duty and Retired) beneficiaries who have adult children younger than 26 years old, lowering costs and ensuring healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of military families across the country. I fought back relentlessly against MAGA Republican attempts to shut down the government, a reckless move that would have left servicemembers without paychecks and veterans without access to healthcare. There are more examples to highlight, but I know how precious this day is for so many, so I will end there.

To all who answered the call, thank you for your contributions. Your service to this country is truly the bedrock of our democracy. It’s not always pretty. In fact, it rarely is, but it’s the job, and we carried it out nobly, with honor. You deserve more from a grateful nation; we all do, and I promise to fight for it.

Yours in service,

Pat Ryan