November 12, 2022
Dear Friends,
As a member of Congress, I value no honor more than the opportunity to recognize the brave men and women of our Capital Region who have proudly served our country in uniform. Each time I meet with these courageous servicemembers and their resilient families, I am struck anew by their dedication and by the sacrifices they have made to protect our nation.
Over the past week leading up to Veterans Day, I’ve had the chance to meet with veterans and veterans’ advocates from across the Capital Region. Over the weekend, I was proud to attend several events to honor our nation’s servicemembers, including the Operation Recognition Ceremony in Ravena, the Veterans Day celebration at Sheehy-Palmer VFW Post 6776 in Albany, and the 7th annual Veterans’ Ball in Saratoga Springs.
And last week, I hosted representatives from several local veterans’ service organizations to update them on our work in Washington and to hear directly from these dedicated advocates about their concerns, their ideas for future action in Congress, and the ways my office can help them in their vital missions.
While there is still more work to do, I am proud of the significant steps we’ve taken in this Congress to ensure that our heroes come home to the benefits they’ve earned.
We took a powerful step in the work to support our servicemembers this August, when Biden signed the Honoring our PACT Act into law. This landmark legislation, the first successful effort to treat toxic exposure as a cost of war and provide VA healthcare to toxic-exposed veterans, is a major victory for the more than 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service. By creating presumptions for more than 20 respiratory illnesses and cancers, this bill will ensure that veterans are able to receive critical care immediately, without completing the arduous process of proving that their service caused their condition. And this new law is no short-term fix. By requiring the VA to provide a toxic exposure screening for every veteran and allocating funding to improve treatments related to toxic exposures, the Honoring our PACT Act will help the VA treat these conditions for years to come.
At the same time, we’re continuing our work to address the mental health issues that plague too many veterans when they return home. In 2020, the most recent year for which the CDC and the VA have reliable data, the rate of suicide among veterans decreased for the second year in a row. But while this is an encouraging step, any death of a veteran by suicide is one too many.
That’s why I’ve strongly supported legislative measures to reduce suicide among veterans, beginning with efforts to improve access to mental health services for returning servicemembers. The STRONG Veterans Act, passed unanimously in the House this June, will provide new funding to significantly increase mental health staffing and training at VA medical centers, improving access to this critical care across our nation. And the REMOVE Copays Act, also passed with unanimous bipartisan support in September, will eliminate all copays for three outpatient mental health appointments per veteran per year, removing financial barriers that prevent many veterans from accessing VA mental health care. I urge the Senate to take up this essential legislation and send it to President Biden’s desk as soon as possible.
This weekend, I hope you take a moment to think about the sacrifices our veterans have made to keep our nation strong and protect the freedoms we hold dear. I know that the best way to honor their service is to ensure that we fulfill our obligations to our returning heroes, and I look forward to returning to Washington to continue that essential effort. Our servicemembers have held up their end of the bargain, and I’m working to make certain that Congress does the same.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to ensure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
The enrollment period for 2023 healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act is now open!
Americans must sign up at www.healthcare.gov by December 15, 2022 to have coverage beginning January 1, 2023.
Last year, a record 14.5 million Americans registered for coverage under the Affordable Care Act – including 5.2 million previously uninsured people.
And this year, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, even more Americans are eligible to get more help with their premiums, saving an average of $2,400 per family.
You can visit www.healthcare.gov today to compare plans, estimate premium costs, and register for coverage today!
