2023-11-11 05:23:16
Veterans put their lives on the line to keep our country safe and America has a duty to ensure our veterans are taken care of. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, over 6,146 veterans committed suicide in 2020. To put this in perspective, approximately 17 veterans took their lives every day for a year.
My father served honorably as a captain in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He received the Bronze Star for his service. Like many in his generation, my father served overseas in a foreign war knowing he might return gravely injured or not at all. Many veterans resume civilian life with permanent physical or psychological scars. When our veterans finish their terms of service, they should know our country will be there for them.
This Veterans Day, we must honor the service of our veterans and double down on our support for access to veterans’ health care programs and benefits. That is why I supported the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies funding plan, which passed the House of Representatives in July.
This bill would provide the VA roughly $300 billion to support veterans’ health programs and other benefits. It fully funds and increases spending on veterans’ health initiatives and benefits.
This bill increases funding for VA mental health programs, including suicide prevention and treatment initiatives, by over $3 billion. It also grants the VA an extra $66 million for opioid and substance abuse prevention and treatment. Furthermore, this spending plan guarantees a $104 million increase in funding to modernize and streamline the VA’s electronic medical record keeping system.
By improving access to their medical records, we can ensure veterans receive timely access to the care they deserve. I sponsored the Patient Advocate Tracker Act, which improves the ability of veterans to electronically submit complaints regarding the delivery of VA health care services. This bill was signed into law in 2022. I am also a sponsor of the VA Same-Day Scheduling Act to guarantee veterans are able to call and immediately book VA medical appointments.
If we provide veterans with a stable and reliable support system, we can save lives. We must better understand and address the underlying causes of veterans’ suicides. I am a sponsor of the Not Just a Number Act, which would require the VA also look at veterans’ use of disability compensation, education and employment benefits, home loans and foreclosure assistance, and housing assistance programs when evaluating veterans’ suicide rates.
No veteran should ever lack access to the benefits they are entitled to. West Virginia has more than 141,000 veterans and only 26 VA facilities. During my nine years representing the patriotic people of West Virginia, I have visited many of these facilities to meet with staff and veterans. My office works with the VA regularly to help constituents apply for and receive benefits.
If I can ever assist you or a loved one with a VA benefits claim, please do not hesitate to contact my Charles Town office at 304-264-8810. As your congressman, I am committed to serving West Virginia’s veteran community. This Veterans Day, I call upon my colleagues in Congress and the people of West Virginia to support our veterans.
Republican Rep. Alex Mooney represents West Virginia’s Second Congressional District in Congress.
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