Advancing Three Bills for Our Veterans

Our nation has a duty to take care of the men and women who have served our country. This week, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved three of my bills to support my fellow veterans and our military families. These bills will increase financial support for those who sacrificed the most, help more service members afford a home, and reduce wait times for veterans’ health care.

Increasing Support for Disabled Veterans and Surviving Families
The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act would provide a long-overdue increase in financial support for more than 7,000 severely disabled veterans and more than half a million Gold Star families — families who lost a loved one as a result of military service.

First, this bill would deliver an additional $10,000 each year to Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) benefits for injured veterans who need regular aid in their home under the supervision of a medical professional. Second, it would raise Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits — which support surviving family members who lost a parent, spouse or child in military service.

Read more about my bill, disabled veteran Sgt. Eric Edmundson, and Gold Star wife Sharri Briley by clicking here.

Expanding Access to the American Dream
The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act also now includes my Home Affordability for Guard and Reserve Act, a major housing affordability initiative that’s part of my Blueprint for a Better America.

Outdated requirements are making it unnecessarily difficult for members of the National Guard and Armed Forces Reserve to access the VA home loan program, which offers competitive interests with no down payment required. My bill would expand eligibility by allowing Guard members and reservists who have served at least 14 total days of active duty, inactive duty training, or annual training to apply for a VA home loan. This simple update ensures that more service members can access benefits and put down roots in their communities.

Read more about how this bill will revive the American Dream for service members by clicking here.

Reducing Hospital Wait Times
The committee also passed my Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act. This bill will help veterans get the health care they need when they need it. The community care program enables veterans to get care from local medical professionals outside the VA, but VA staff don’t have the technology they need to help veterans easily schedule appointments. My bill would set up a single interface where VA employees can view available appointments at both VA facilities and community care providers. This will cut down on frustrating wait times and help veterans book the soonest appointment that works for them.

Read more about how this bill will expedite care for our veterans by clicking here.

All three of these bills are about helping veterans and military families live life to the fullest by providing financial support, streamlining health care, and lowering the cost of buying a home. Now, I’m working to get these critical bills through the House of Representatives and on to the Senate and the president.