|
Friends,
On this day, 104 years ago, delegates from both Allied and German forces gathered to sign the Armistice of 1918, effectively ending one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history — the First World War. Since then, November 11th has come to be recognized around the world as a day to both remember and honor military veterans for their service.
This Veterans Day, we celebrate the best our nation has to offer –
those who have worn our nation’s uniform to keep America safe and defend freedom. We also pay tribute to their families who shared in their service and sacrifice. Without their courage and fortitude, we would not have the liberties we enjoy — and too often take for granted — today. Just last week, millions of Americans exercised their right to vote, one of the treasured liberties that have been preserved by our veterans.
While we can never thank them enough for their service, there are things Congress can do to help improve the lives of our nation’s current and former servicemembers. Improving health care is among my top priorities.
Too many veterans face bureaucratic obstacles at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that hamper their access to care and worsen their health outcomes. On top of this, according to a 2021 study, it is estimated that over 30,000 active-duty personnel and veterans who served in the military since 9/11 have committed suicide. This is four times higher than the number of deaths resulting from military operations.
The physical and psychological toll carried by our nation’s active-duty and veteran personnel is tremendous and must be addressed in a comprehensive way. I am committed to doing this, which is why I helped pass the VA MISSION Act to better improve the quality of health care provided by the VA. Furthermore, I have also introduced other, bipartisan legislation like the Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act and the Care Veterans Deserve Act which will help ensure veterans and their caregivers receive the support they need.
I am also committed to addressing veteran mental health, which is why I have cosponsored measures like the VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act and Vet CENTERS for Mental Health Act, provisions that will help expand mental health services for former servicemembers nationwide.
In addition to improving health care, we must also take steps to properly fund and support our military to ensure it is able to adequality address the evolving nature of modern warfare.
Lastly, we must support our troops and their families by working to improve our nation. This includes increasing government accountability. We must hold oversight over the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and make sure the federal government respects all Americans’ God-given, constitutionally-confirmed rights. We must improve our nation’s safety by securing our border and combating violent crime and drug trafficking plaguing our communities. Finally, we must strengthen our nation’s economy and pursue commonsense measures to encourage economic growth, job creation, and lower costs.
America’s veterans have given so much in the defense of our nation. It is up to us to keep the promises made to them and their families and to build a better nation for all Americans. As Fort Bragg’s Congressman, I remain committed to making this happen.
Until Next Week,
| 
