Veterans
As a nation with an all-voluntary force, it is the brave individuals who choose to serve our nation that deserve our utmost honor and respect. I take my responsibility to those who bravely served our nation very seriously. That responsibility includes ensuring veterans have access to quality health care, mental health care, good paying jobs, and educational opportunities to help them adjust to civilian life. Queens has the largest population of veterans in New York City. Addressing the problems faced by veterans and their families is one of my top priorities.
Over the past few years, I have continued to champion efforts to improve veteran access to quality health care, eliminate the claims backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and address veteran homelessness. This included securing significant increases in funding for critical programs that provide healthcare, legal services, and supportive housing for homeless veterans.
As the way we fight wars changes, so must the way we care for our veterans. Most recently I helped pass into law the Honoring our PACT Act, the largest single expansion of veteran’s health care benefits in the last decade. The PACT Act included my measure, the Mark Takai Atomic Veteran Healthcare Parity Act, which extends the same health care and benefits given to other veterans who were involved in active nuclear tests to the veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands
As the number of women veterans increases, it is imperative that Congress address the unique challenges our servicewomen face. I have championed efforts in the National Defense Authorization Act to expand veterans’ access to infertility services. Women veterans and their spouses deserve every opportunity to have the family of their dreams. I have also supported necessary changes to veteran’s care including endometriosis.
I will continue to work and fight to ensure that we keep our promises of healthcare, support, and safety to our nation’s veterans, both in Queens and across the nation.