I keep a quote on my desk in Washington that reads “Fight for veterans with all your might - For they have already paid the price.” I reflect on this quote every day as I work tirelessly to protect our veterans and provide our men and women in uniform the support and care they need to protect our Country. As a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, I have had the privilege of visiting our troops on the frontlines of the war in Afghanistan. Their commitment to excellence, service, duty and country is inspiring. In return, we owe it to our veterans to remember and respect their service.
Last year, I introduced and passed into law the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act of 2024, which helps disabled Veterans and their families keep up with the rising cost of basic needs like food and housing. The Veterans’ Compensation COLA Act would benefit more than 65,000 of Arizona’s veterans and 3 million veterans Nationwide. I also introduced the Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2024 that improves health care access for rural Veterans – services that are especially critical in Greater Arizona. The bill authorizes the VA to award grants to local Veterans Service Organizations that transport Veterans to local VA hospitals and clinics and maintains the current health care travel reimbursement rate for disabled Veterans at 41.5 cents per mile. I pledge to continue to serve and fight for our veterans each and every day.
